By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Long ago, there was a fire station at 5005 Broadway Avenue in Great Bend, but the firetrucks continued to get larger than what the building could hold. Needing more room, Fire Station #1 on Williams Street opened in 1972.
Great Bend Fire Chief Luke McCormick remembers when Fire Station #2, on west 10th
Street, opened in October 2003. McCormick said the number of fire stations in a
town is not necessarily dictated on population but more from response times to
emergencies.
"We can look at where our high-volume of calls occurs at," said McCormick. "We have data maps we can produce to show where our hot pockets for calls are. In Great Bend, it's spread out evenly. That's why our stations cover they way they do."
The average response time to arrive at the scene of an emergency is 3.5 minutes
within the city and eight minutes in the county. McCormick said keeping
response times low is a big reason for the two fire stations, but the railroad
track that splits the town plays a big factor too.
"That train going across town moves at a slow speed, and can hamper our ability to respond to the opposite side of the tracks," said McCormick. "That's why having stations split across the tracks is so important."
On a working fire call, GBFD will send crews from both stations because they
need the manpower. For EMS services or smaller calls, they use Harrison Street
as the divider in Great Bend. Anything east of Harrison, Fire Station #1 handles
the call. Fire Station #2 is dispatched for any call west of Harrison.