By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The Kansas State Association of Fire Chiefs prepares the leaders of the Kansas Fire Service and represents the interest of fire departments at the state and local level. The association holds several roundtable events throughout the year along with an annual conference.
The latest roundtable at the end of May was hosted in Great Bend. Great Bend Fire Chief Brent Smith said the previous event in Kansas City drew in 40 fire chiefs from around the state, and 33 chiefs came to Great Bend.
"I felt like 33 was a pretty good number for us considering most of them travel from the eastern part of the state," said Smith. "The big topic of discussion was the new OSHA standard for emergency response."
The fire chiefs met for dinner in Great Bend, converse and then are provided a motel option in town.
Smith said the new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard for emergency response will likely come out toward the end of the year or early 2025. A comment period on the new standard will close in mid-July, and Smith said the GBFD will provide input they would like to see in the new response.