The Wichita Fire Department will be expanding in the coming months.
On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council approved a nearly $10.3 million grant that will fund 42 additional firefighter positions between March 2023 and March 2026.
The city says the primary goal of the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants is to enhance a department’s ability to comply with staffing, response and operational standards. The department would staff two additional truck companies and increase staffing on existing companies from three to four people.
Chief Tammy Snow was asked about the sustainability of the three-year project. She said the department hasn’t determined how the positions will be funded after March 2026 but that they are working on that already.
The council approved $4.06 million in 2023 for two new aerial apparatus, likely to be deployed in the southwest and southeast part of the city. The council also approved equipment for those trucks, at a cost of just over $606 thousand.
In other council news, look for improvements next year to rail crossings, including approach pavement and sidewalk crossings. The council approved $150 thousand for the project. While some of the work will be done by the city's public works department, most of it will be completed by the railroads: BNSF, Union Pacific, Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad and the Wichita Terminal Association.
The council also approved an ordinance which will create a local food and farm council, in partnership with the county.