As you might expect, the Great Bend Fire Department views the 4th of July slightly different. The holiday can be a busy and chaotic day for the staff that has to respond to both fire and EMS calls.
Fire Chief Luke McCormick says his department responded to 24 fire and EMS calls Wednesday, 13 of which were related to fireworks.
Luke McCormick Audio
The Fire Department hired back off-duty personnel on the holiday to assist with multiple calls. McCormick says there was one occasion of three calls made at the same time, but for the most part the calls were separated.
The most serious call came from a structure fire that resulted in the loss of the property owner’s vehicle. There were nine calls related to grass fires.
Luke McCormick Audio
Along with the City of Great Bend, the Fire Department responds to seven townships in Barton County for EMS responsibilities and four townships for fire responsibilities.