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Fire department and EMS give quarterly updates; Station 3 noted as open and EMS near fully staffed
Summary
Garden City Fire Department reported Station 3 opened and staff completed community outreach and specialized training; Finney County EMS said it is nearly fully staffed, Station 1 construction is advancing and billed trip revenue is increasing with Medicare as the top payer.
Fire and EMS leaders briefed the commission on recent activity, staffing and infrastructure progress.
Lieutenant Cooper Wilson of the Garden City Fire Department said July–September featured community engagement, training in special rescue and hazardous materials, equipment familiarization, recruitment efforts and the opening of Station 3. He noted preparation for fire safety month and a five‑week academy starting Oct. 6 and said the department plans S‑130/S‑190 wildland firefighting training to pursue red‑card certification.
Kenny Smith, Director of Finney County EMS, reported the third‑quarter update: the service is nearly fully staffed (one open and two closed positions), station buildout at Station 1 shows interior framing roughly 90–95% complete with exterior brickwork progressing, and billed trip revenues are trending upward. Smith said Medicare accounted for 49% of billable payer mix, commercial insurers 19%, self‑pay 14% and Medicaid 13% on the billing recap presented to the board.
Commissioners thanked both departments and asked questions about EMS call volumes, mutual aid, payer timing and station readiness. No formal actions were taken; staff will continue recruitment and training plans.
