The city of Wichita and Sedgwick County held an enbanc meeting Wednesday morning to discuss how each agency has responded in the aftermath of the fatal apartment fire that took the life of Paoly Bedeski in October 2023.
The Jensen Hughes report released in December listed 40 recommendations and each agency has implemented or is working to implement changes.
We learned that all fire dispatchers underwent retraining in 2024. The county meanwhile developed enhanced training plans, evaluations and benchmarks for 911 operators.
Sedgwick County Commission Chair Ryan Baty says elected officials are ultimately going to be held responsible for the changes made and he wants a seat at the meeting.
The agencies will take the next 12-14 months to finish implementing the recommendations, then will reassess.
The Wichita-Sedgwick County Emergency communications advisory board meets six times a year, while fire sub-committee meetings are monthly. Many informal conversations are taking place as well, all in response to the blaze.