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Seward County commissioners push volunteer recruitment and better alerts to improve rural fire response
Summary
At a May 8 work session, commissioners and local residents agreed to prioritize volunteer recruitment, set up a contact list and use mass-notification tools to reduce response times for rural fires around Kismet.
Seward County commissioners and local residents spent their May 8 work session mapping short-term fixes and longer-term options to improve fire protection outside of Liberal, with a strong push to recruit volunteers and improve emergency alerts.
Greg (the meeting’s presenter) framed the problem and proposed options, saying, “The new fire district would make use of all resources available, other county agencies, farmers with guests and water, surrounding fire departments and all state resources,” and argued coordination could deliver faster response and protect ISO ratings. Commissioners and attendees repeatedly emphasized communication and volunteer lists as immediate steps to improve response while the county studies a separate district.
The meeting produced several near-term tasks: county communications staff will expand a contact list (Volunteers can sign up online or on paper), Brady and HR will receive online applications directly for background checks and drug tests, and volunteers will be asked to note their equipment or training so the county can match roles. Commissioner-level speakers underscored that staffing and training remain unresolved policy issues; one official said the county has more fire trucks than full‑time firefighters, indicating a need to combine paid staff with trained volunteers.
Next steps set at the session included public sign-ups for HyperReach alerts, assembling a list of tanker and water-fill locations, and an effort by the commission and fire leadership to finalize volunteer onboarding procedures so new responders can be cleared and added to the roster promptly.
