Hutchinson Fire Chief calls 2025 'busiest year to date,' cites 579 calls and regional training push

Chief Schulman presented the Hutchinson Fire Department nnual report to the Hutchinson City Council on Feb. 10, outlining what he called “our mission is to help people” and describing 2025 as the department's busiest year to date.

The chief reported the department handled 579 total calls in 2025 and logged more than 11,000 labor hours. Of those calls, 371 were within the city and 208 were in rural areas. He said the department recorded 41 general fires, including 21 structure fires, and that there were no firefighter injuries meeting OSHA—riteria. Chief Schulman told the council the department estimated it saved just over $2.3 million in property value and recorded known property-value losses of $1,022,650; he also said crews completed seven “hard saves” in which rapid action likely preserved life.

Schulman highlighted training and regional collaboration as priorities. He said Hutchinson hosted a one-day Region 10 fire school that brought about 40 firefighters to local training and that the city partnered with nearby departments on higher-level technical-rescue courses. “We re forming, early stages of a McLeod County tech rescue team,” he said, describing rope- and high-angle rescue capability the team will develop.

The chief also described a planned pilot of new resource-management software involving the McLeod County sheriff nd a vendor. The tool would show equipment location and availability in real time and streamline mutual-aid requests, he said; staff expect the pilot to go live midyear or later in 2026.

Council members asked about the benefits of regional training and the pressure rising call volumes place on volunteer firefighters, who balance other employment. Council members and the chief noted that mutual training helps responders know one another nd become more effective on shared calls, but they also emphasized recruitment and retention challenges as the department handles more frequent responses.

The chief reviewed staffing and equipment notes: the department hired four new firefighters in the fall, bringing the roster to 35; it added an extra firefighter/inspector position in September; and it completed a fitness area at the station. He also highlighted unusually high maintenance costs on two engines in 2025 that the department and finance staff treated as an anomaly during budget planning.

The council did not take action on the report; the presentation closed after questions and brief discussion.