City of Overland Park Fire Department
Annual Report 2024
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Our Mission: The Overland Park Fire Department is a value driven team of dedicated professionals committed to providing emergency, educational and specialized services for the purpose of saving lives and reducing property loss for the community we serve.
Our Mission: The Overland Park Fire Department is a value driven team of dedicated professionals committed to providing emergency, educational and specialized services for the purpose of saving lives and reducing property loss for the community we serve.
The Overland Park Fire Department is accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International and holds the highest possible rating from the Insurance Services Office, ISO 1 .
Welcome
Welcome
"As the Chief of the Overland Park Fire Department, I am honored to work alongside some of the most professional, capable and compassionate people in the business."
"As the Chief of the Overland Park Fire Department, I am honored to work alongside some of the most professional, capable and compassionate people in the business."
- Fire Chief Alan Long
- Fire Chief Alan Long
Our History
Our History
Established in 1919, the Overland Park Fire Department began as a band of volunteers and has evolved into a professional, metropolitan fire department serving the second largest city in Kansas and surrounding areas.
Established in 1919, the Overland Park Fire Department began as a band of volunteers and has evolved into a professional, metropolitan fire department serving the second largest city in Kansas and surrounding areas.
"OPFD 100 Years of Service" is a window into our origins and evolution. We're proud of our history and mindful that we stand on the shoulders of the men and women who came before us.
"OPFD 100 Years of Service" is a window into our origins and evolution. We're proud of our history and mindful that we stand on the shoulders of the men and women who came before us.
Communities We Serve
Communities We Serve
Service Jurisdictions
Service Jurisdictions
The Overland Park Fire Department serves the cities of Overland Park, Merriam, as well as portions of southern Johnson County and northern Miami County All of these adjoining jurisdictions are located in northeastern Kansas.
Service Areas
Service Areas
The City of Overland Park has a landmass of 75.8 square miles. Merriam's landmass is 4.32 square miles. The area of Southern Johnson County we service is approximately 36.21 square miles. The Northern Miami County area we service is roughly 6 square miles. Add it all up and we're providing fire and EMS service to more than 122 square miles of territory!
Service Populations
Service Populations
Overland Park's population of 206,030 makes it the second largest city in the state. Merriam's population is 11,300. The newly added portion of Johnson County we cover is home to 6,409 people. In total, we protect almost 224,000 people!
Quality of Life (Overland Park)
Quality of Life (Overland Park)
Overland Park's 14.525 mill levy rate is the lowest in Johnson County, yet this First Class City enjoys a AAA Bond Rating.
The average home appraisal in Overland Park is $494,615 and the median household income is $103,838. Overland Park is an award-winning city. In 2024 it was rated as one of the "Top 5 Places to Raise a Family" and one of the "Top 100 Places To Live."
Hazards and Protection
Hazards and Protection
Our jurisdictions contain suburban areas, high-density, urban areas and rural areas. This mix of densities and hazards requires us to be proficient in a variety of mitigation skill sets. For a comprehensive look at how we assess the hazards in our communities and plan for protection, take a look at our OPFD Community Risk & Standards Of Cover document.
We operate nine traditional fire stations, two squad houses and a training center, which also houses our Administration. These facilities vary in size, staffing and equipment. Scroll through the directory below to learn more about the station nearest you!
Rebuilt Fire Station Dedication
Rebuilt Fire Station Dedication
On June 28 we dedicated our newly rebuilt Fire Station 41 at 7550 W.75th Street. The new Fire Station 41 is a state of the art facility, incorporating the latest cancer reduction measures, unisex amenities and solar power to offset operating costs. This station will serve northern Overland Park and surrounding areas for the next 50 years!
Hose Uncoupling Ceremony 6-28-24
Tour the new Fire Station 41 with Battalion Chief, John Heffernon
Our Team
Our Team
Our people are what make the Overland Park Fire Department so effective. They respond with professionalism and compassion to make someone's worst day better.
Here's our team for 2024:
Firefighters, Firemedics & Paramedics: 134
Fire and EMS Lieutenants: 22
Captains: 27
Battalion Chiefs: 9
Administrative Staff: 9
Prevention Division: 8
Training Division: 6
Support Services: 4
Part-time Cadets: 3
Volunteers: 2
Total Paid Employees: 222
OPFD Senior Staff
Left to right: Jason Rhodes, Mike Casey, Angela Caruso-Yahne, Jason Houghton, Brian Redelsheimer, Chris Roberts, Andrew Grove, John Heffernon, Alan Long, Chris Palmer, Brad Cusick, Paul Fountain, Tyler Rathe, Eric Gifford, Shayna Hurst, Theron Hawley, Mike Lafferty (Not pictured: Scott Finazzo)
Fiscal Responsibility
Fiscal Responsibility
Our pledge to guard the public trust includes fiscal stewardship. We operate efficiently and effectively and use data-driven analytics to ensure we're making the most responsible, productive and cost effective decisions. Our 2024 Fire Department Budget was just over 32-million dollars. (This includes our contracts with Merriam and Johnson County, KS.)
Our pledge to guard the public trust includes fiscal stewardship. We operate efficiently and effectively and use data-driven analytics to ensure we're making the most responsible, productive and cost effective decisions. Our 2024 Fire Department Budget was just over 32-million dollars. (This includes our contracts with Merriam and Johnson County, KS.)
Our 2024 per capita cost was $143.63. That means that for just over $140 per resident we provided Fire & Emergency Medical Services, including Advanced Life Support (ALS) First Response. We also provided Hazardous Materials and Technical Rescue response, Wildland Fire response and Fire Prevention and Public Education services. All these services are aimed at improving life safety for residents, businesses and visitors to the areas we serve.
Our 2024 per capita cost was $143.63. That means that for just over $140 per resident we provided Fire & Emergency Medical Services, including Advanced Life Support (ALS) First Response. We also provided Hazardous Materials and Technical Rescue response, Wildland Fire response and Fire Prevention and Public Education services. All these services are aimed at improving life safety for residents, businesses and visitors to the areas we serve.
For a deeper dive into our finances, check out the City of Overland Park, Kansas 2024 Budget.
Noteworthy Numbers
Noteworthy Numbers
We serve the second largest city in the state and several adjoining areas. We respond to more calls each year than any other fire department in Johnson County, and 2024 was no exception.
2024 Total Calls For Service: 25,299
2024 Total Calls For Service: 25,299
EMS Calls: 19,849 (4.63% increase from previous year)
EMS Calls: 19,849 (4.63% increase from previous year)
Fire Calls: 5,450 (7.71% increase from previous year)
Fire Calls: 5,450 (7.71% increase from previous year)
(That's an average of more than 69 calls per day!)
(That's an average of more than 69 calls per day!)
Response Time:
Response Time:
If you called 911 for a fire or medical emergency (code 1 call) in 2024, the first responding unit from our station got to your door in 4 minutes and 33 seconds on average. That's well below the 5 minute gold standard for the industry!
Resource Placement
Resource Placement
As our city grows and response densities change, we adapt. We're constantly analyzing our data to find the most efficient and effective ways to respond to your emergency. This map illustrates call volumes for 2024 by areas we serve.
How many calls did we run each month and for what problems did people call 9-1-1?
How many calls did we run each month and for what problems did people call 9-1-1?
We're Effective
We're Effective
One way we can evaluate our fire suppression effectiveness is to examine how much property we are able to save when extinguishing a fire. We make these calculations by estimating the value of the property and contents involed in a fire and then subtracting the fire damage estimate. We then determine the percentage of property saved by our efforts. Here's the 2024 breakdown for the areas we serve.
Overland Park Fires
Residential: Estimated property/contents value involved: $829,054,024
Estimated property/contents dollar loss from fire: $6,958,715
Percentage of property/contents saved: 99.16%
*This number represents 0.189% of the assessed residential property valuation.
Commercial: Estimated property/contents value involved: $141,547,067
Estimated property/contents dollar loss from fire: $538,205
Percentage of property/contents saved: 99.62%
*This number represents 0.0335% of the assessed commercial property valuation.
Merriam Fires
Residential: Estimated property/contents value involved: $19,168,904
Estimated property/contents dollar loss from fire: $544,888
Percentage of property/contents saved: 97.15%
*This number represents 0.40% of the assessed residential property value in Merriam.
Commercial: Estimated property/contents value involved: $702,000
Estimated property/contents dollar loss from fire: $702,000
Percentage of property/contents saved: 0%
*This loss is the result of one commercial fire that completely destroyed a convenience store.. It represents 0.47% of the assessed commercial property value in Merriam.
Southeastern Johnson County Fires
Residential: Estimated property/contents value involved: $1,503,723
Estimated property/contents dollar loss from fire: $820,814
Percentage of property/contents saved: 45.41%
*This number represents 0.37% of the total assessed property value in JoCo Coverage area.
Commercial: Estimated property/contents value involved: $0
Estimated property/contents dollar loss from fire: $0
Percentage of property/contents saved: N/A
We Give the 80% Our 100%
We Give the 80% Our 100%
Roughly 80% of our calls are for Emergency Medical Services. All of our responders are certified by the Kansas Board of EMS as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or paramedics and operate under the guidance of the Johnson County Medical Director.
Overland Park is One of the Best Places TO LIVE!
Overland Park is One of the Best Places TO LIVE!
Our sudden cardiac arrest save rates are among the best in the nation. Many EMS providers simply count the number of people for whom they are able to return a pulse. OPFD uses the Utstein Survival Score, which includes patient viability, return of circulation and (most importantly) successful hospital discharge with little or no deficit. This means we're looking at final outcomes.
According to the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES), the national Utstein save rate for 2023 (most recent report available) was 32.8%. Our sudden cardiac arrest save rate for 2024 was 60%!
Our success comes from investing in all aspects of the chain of survival. We work with the Johnson County EMS system
to adopt the highest standards for EMS care and delivery. We also work with the Johnson County Emergency Communications Center to ensure early recognition and coaching from dispatchers. Finally, we partner with Johnson County HeartSafe and 13Beats to increase awareness and training for bystander CPR and AED usage. In 2024 we trained almost 450 people in CPR and AED usage to ensure that life saving care starts as early as possible in critical situations!
This investment paid dividends for a dozen sudden cardiac arrest victims in 2024 and Scott Hardy is one of them.
Lunch and Learn
Lunch and Learn
We're always looking for opportunities to educate and train more people in bystander CPR, which is one of the most crucial links in the "Chain of Survival." In addition to the classes we offered the public this year, we conducted a "lunch and learn" CPR event for city employees, teaching more than two dozen Overland Park employees bystander CPR!
Prevention Is the Best Cure
Prevention Is the Best Cure
OPFD's Prevention Division ensures fire code compliance, investigates cause and origin of fires and promotes public safety education.
Inspections
Inspections
Our fire inspectors encourage businesses along the path to compliance. In 2024 our team conducted 5,080 inspections and issued 6,306 citations. We can't know the number of fires prevented by these efforts, but we can tell you that we expereinced O fire fatalities in our service areas during 2024! Additionally, Overland Park's commercial fire loss for 2024 totaled just over $500,000. (For reference, the total assessed valuation of the property we protect in Overland Park is almost 5 billion dollars.)
Investigations
Investigations
Our fire investigators work to determine the cause and origin of every fire. Additionally, we partner with specially trained Overland Park Police detectives to find and convict persons involved in the crime of arson. We investigated 80 fires in 2024 and determined 12 were intentionally set. We also work with the Johnson County District Attorney's Office to obtain convictions for persons involved in the crime of arson.
Education
Education
Most of the fires we respond to are the result of human behavior. Here are the top 3 causes of fire in Overland Park for 2024:
Unattended Cooking: 36
Careless Discard Of Smoking Material: 14
Electrical: 7
From school programs to smoke alarm giveaways, we strive to educate and equip our communities for safety. In 2024 we conducted dozens of classes, held 3 Fire Safety Open Houses across our service areas and used traditional and social media to spread safety messages throughout the communities we serve.
Fire Safety Open House Merriam, KS 10/11/24
We installed and or distributed more than 360 smoke alarms. Our traditional and social media content reached well over 3-million people with our safety messages. (See our "Stories to tell" section to learn more.)
Another example of our proactive approach to safety came after a significant apartment fire in September. Investigators found that many of the individually owned units had no working smoke alarms so we went door to door installing alarms for those in need.
New Community Risk Reduction Dashboard
New Community Risk Reduction Dashboard
As part of our efforts to prevent fires, we launched a dynamic digital dashboard in 2024. Developed in collaboration with our city's GIS Analyst, this tool maps the smoke alarms, deaf alarms, batteries and range-top fire extinguishers we distribute and layers in additional demographic information to help us identify areas in need of greater protection measures. This will allow us make data-driven decisions on where to focus our education and risk reduction efforts and help better quantify specific needs.
For instance, if this tool identifies areas of fequency (multiple incidents), coupled with significant impact (limited recovery resources), we will focus our education and smoke alarm distribution efforts to try and reduce risk for these areas.
This is just one innovative way we're working to better understand the changing needs in our communities, adapt to those needs and devise strategies to help reduce risk for those we serve.
Training for Success
Training for Success
To ensure the highest level of safety for reponders and those we serve, we never stop learning and training. Our Training Division is dedicated to continuous learning, advancement of skills, abilities and standards.
Always Learning
Always Learning
In 2024 our responders averaged 239 hours of training. (For reference, the requirement for an ISO 1 rated agency is 192 hours per responder.) In fact, our Training Division delivered more than 12,500 instructional hours over the course of 2024!
Unique Training Opportunities
This year afforded several unique training opportunities for our firefighters. We were able to conduct high-fidelity, off site training in several structures that were slated for demolition in Merriam.
These realistic scenarios included 18 facilitated trainings focused on hose advancement, search, mayday operations, building construction and wall and roof breaching. Crews also got additional opportunities for independent trainings on site.
Another practical training opportunity provided our Wildland Team the chance to conduct controlled prairie grass burns at the Overland Park Arboretum. Several outside agencies joined us, adding an interagency component to the training. Check out,"Prairie Grass Burn."
County-Wide Initiative
Our Training and Operations divisions also assisted with curriculum development, training and implementation of the Johnson County Hostile Event Plan. Crews participated in multiple training sessions across the county, preparing for possible active shooter/mass casualty type events.
BVSD Partnership Bears Fruit
Our Training Division also partners with the Blue Valley School District to design curriculum and provide instruction for the Blue Valley Fire Science program. The district's Career Ready Program aims to produce employment-ready first responders right out of high school, and this year it did just that! Meet Ben and Gage, the first two BVFS graduates to serve on the front lines of the OPFD.
Responder Wellness
Responder Wellness
We recognize that our people need to be physically, mentally and emotionally healthy to best serve others. Because we are relied on to field a team, we must take seriously the charge of personnel wellness.
Physical Wellness
Physical Wellness
We expect our tactical athletes to maintain fitness levels commensurate with the requirements of our profession. All front-line responders must pass an annual fit-for-duty physical each year. We base our annual exam on a nationally recognized standard from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA 1582). Not only does this confirm their ability to perform, but also aids in early identification of addressable health concerns.
New Resource
New Resource
In 2024, we implemented our Peer Fitness Team. Similar to our Peer Support Team for mental health, this team is a resource for members' physical health. Peer Fitness Team members can assist with personalized plans to improve and maintain strength, agility, endurance and nutrition to sustain long, healthy, high-performance careers with the OPFD.
What's Next
What's Next
In early 2025, these team members will complete their Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator certification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Peer Fitness Team 2024
Mental Wellness
The US Fire Administration states, "public safety personnel are 5 times more likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression than their civilian counterparts." Additionally, "more first responders die of suicide than in the line of duty each year." Recognizing this, the OPFD invests significantly in mental resilience.
Resources
Resources
Our Peer Support Team works to identify mental health issues and link members with available resources. We partner with Johnson County Mental Health to ensure our team's responses are appropriate.
In 2024, our Peer Support team members completed a combined 220 hours of training and recorded 152 internal interactions. The team also provided 95 hours of support to the Johnson County Critical Incident Stress Management Team, assisting neighboring agencies after critical incidents.
Resilience
Resilience
This year OPFD personnel completed 206 hours of wellness, resilience and mental health training. This included a live seminar by Dr. Mynda Ohs on the unique challenges facing first responders and their significant others. Dr. Ohs then visited
our studio to record a version of her talk for those unable to attend in person. Check out this short excerpt from "What to Expect," by Dr. Mynda Ohs.
Dr. Mynda Ohs, PhD specializes in first responder mental health
Peer Support Team 2024
Stories to Tell
Stories to Tell
Whether telling stories on our own or with our media partners, we strive to provide transparency and share some of the amazing interactions we have with our community! These stories help to inform and educate and ultimately further our mission. Between working with our traditional media partners and leveraging our own social media channels, our messages reached over three million people in 2024. Here are a few of this year's stories.
"Friends of First Responders Day"
"Friends of First Responders Day"
Each year we host a day for kids with special needs/developmental disabilities and their families at our Fire Training Center. Together with our police department, neighboring fire departments and community partners, we provide a day of fun, fellowship and learning. Check out this year's event!
"Fire Prevention Week"
"Fire Prevention Week"
We work to maintain strong relationships with our media partners. We're also able to leverage these relationship to help us get important stories told. For instance, during National Fire Prevention Week, we were able to work with our media partners at WDAF-TV to do a live interview segment promoting fire safety messages. This segment was seen by almost 40-thousand people!
"Trench Collapse Rescue"
"Trench Collapse Rescue"
We understand that the media is a conduit to the people we serve. In order to provide transparency and help tell stories about our responses, we often provide scene video and responder interviews from our Media Services Division. Media Services can capture footage safely inside emergency scenes that are not accessible to the general public. This helps get our stories told, while maintaining emergency scene safety.
"Dealing with Heat"
"Dealing with Heat"
Additionally, we're often called on by our media partners to act as subject matter experts. For instance, during a hotspell, we were asked to explain the medical effects of heat stress for a local reporter conducting an informal experiment. Media call us because they know we'll be responsive and do our best to assist. It's all part of our mission to provide safety education for the communities we serve.
"Awards & Recognition"
"Awards & Recognition"
Besides working with our media partners, we also produce our own media. We even have an OverlandParkFD Youtube channel. This helps us share our safety and educational videos. We also use these tools to inform and inspire. This video from our Awards and Recognition Ceremony highlights milestones from the past year and captures our people's passion.
"Don't Start a Flicking Fire"
"Don't Start a Flicking Fire"
We also use our OverlandParkFD X (Twitter), OverlandParkFD Instagram and Overland Park Fire Department Facebook to alert citizens to important information. For instance, in March, when warm, windy and dry conditions caused elevated fire danger, we took to our social media channels to show people how carelessly discarded cigarettes can start raging fires!
Watch our PSA on roadside cigarette fires.
CPR
CPR
Smoke Alarms
Smoke Alarms
Replace Alarms
Replace Alarms
Home Escape
Home Escape
Smoking Safety
Smoking Safety
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon Monoxide
Additions to Our Family
Additions to Our Family
Each year we welcome new responders to the Overland Park Fire Department family. These new family members typically complete a Recruit Academy to learn the OPFD way. This includes our protocols, operational philosophy and (just as importantly) our culture. We invest significantly in these tactical athletes expecting that they may spend a 20 year career with us! Check out our "OPFD Academy Fall 2024" video to meet our newest members.
We added two additional faces to our family this year. Help us welcome:
Andres Borja
Lieutenant
Alyssa Conzet
Community Risk Reduction Specialist
Cadet Program
Cadet Program
In 2024, we also added three individuals for our newly created Cadet Program. The Cadet Program is a recruiting tool designed to get candidates onboarded while they're completing their educational requirements for full-time employment. Cadets work 20 hours a week and are assigned to our Support Services Division. These are designed to be short term positions that allow candidates to get to know our department, while we get to know them. The goal is to have them ready for the next hiring process.
This is just one of the creative ways we're working to capture the best candidates in a competitive job market. Does the Cadet Program work? Two of the first three cadets hired moved on to join the ranks of the OPFD this year!
Take a look at our Cadet Program Promotional Video to better understand the concept
Hires from Cadet Program Class 1 (early 2024)
Current Cadet Class 2 (late 2024)
Cally Busby
Ben Seitz
Tommy Caul
Wesley Damron
Carson Pitts
We're always looking for amazing people to join our team and help serve our mission. If you want to know more about employment opportunities with the Overland Park Fire Department, visit us at JoinOPFD .
Fond Farewells
Fond Farewells
First responders will tell you it's not a job, but a calling. Because of this, many enjoy long careers with the OPFD. In 2024, we said goodbye to 7 family members, including one long-time volunteer. Combined, these members contributed 286 years of service! It would be impossible to calculate the number of lives they impacted in the course of their duties. We owe each of them a debt of gratitude.
Before departing, two of our retirees shared their stories along with some words of wisdom for the next generation. Watch their interviews to better understand the caliber of people who wear the the Overland Park Fire Department patch.
Additional Retirements
Additional Retirements
Kim Frank
EMS Lt. 22 yrs. service
Tom Metzner
Volunteer 27 yrs. service
Tera Hart
Inspector 25 yrs. service
Kenny Mikulich
Captain 36 yrs. service
Chris Kelly
Firefighter 22 yrs. service
Todd Miller
Firefighter 25 yrs. service
Mike McCormick
Lieutenant 43 yrs. service
Sue Steger
Admin Ast 24 yrs. service
Closing Shot
Closing Shot
You never know what will grow from the seeds you plant.
When a child carrying a firetruck approached firefighter Kory Robertson, he grabbed a plastic helmet and offered it to the boy. Nervous and tentative, the boy accepted and left with a huge smile. (For the record, so did Kory.)
This report is dedicated to the men and women of the Overland Park Fire Deparment who serve our community every day with great professionalism and compassion.
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