Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Consolidated Fire District No. 1 reports staffing gains, equipment upgrades and technology shifts to Douglas County commissioners
Summary
At a Jan. 14 Douglas County work session, CFD 1 leaders said 2025 saw 990 incidents and described hiring, recruit classes, equipment testing, a NEARIS reporting transition and plans to standardize SCBA and improve station infrastructure to boost response reliability.
Douglas County Board of County Commissioners — Consolidated Fire District No. 1 leaders told county commissioners on Jan. 14 that the department has stabilized staffing, advanced a recruit pipeline and is pursuing equipment and technology changes aimed at improving response across the district's roughly 228 square miles.
Chief Mathis said the district handled "990 incidents" in 2025 and described a roughly even split between EMS and fire/wildland calls — 48% EMS and 52% fire or service calls — which he tied to the district's rural and wildland response responsibilities. He said response drives are long in places: "Response time from Station 151 to Eudora is 26 minutes" and from Station 111 to Lecompton about 22 minutes, underscoring coverage challenges.
The presentation outlined recent staffing moves and recruiting progress. Mathis introduced new assistant chief Clint Hornberger and administrative staff Kirsten Rhodes and said the roster now lists 75 active members including full‑time staff and volunteers. He said 20 people from recent recruit classes are in process, with eight…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
