Records indicate the city of Wellington Fire Department began in 1880 and was called the Arcadia Hose Company. The city had a total of four fire stations, one in each of the four wards. When a fire was reported, the first firefighter to reach the bell tower on city hall rang the bell. The number of rings would indicate the number of the ward that was to respond. In 1895, the four fire stations were combined into one station located at the old city hall and called the Wellington Fire Company.
The department was an all volunteer until 1953 when the city hired full time personnel. A volunteer force was still maintained to supplement the paid force. This tradition continues today with three Firefighter/EMT reserves that assist during times of emergencies. The department is staffed with three shifts of five people each, the Training Safety Chief, Ambulance Billing Clerk and the Fire Chief. Each shift has an Assistant Fire Chief, Captain and three Firefighters who work an average of 50.615 hours a week. The remaining work force works a forty-hour work week. All department personnel are subject to call back when ever there is an emergency.
In 1967 the department moved to 217 North Jefferson. This was the old utility warehouse that was built by the WPA in 1936. The firefighters did all the remodeling, including pouring the concrete for the stall floors. The building had served well for 33 years. In December 2005 the department moved into the new facility at 200 North C that also houses the Police Department. This new facility provides room for growth and greatly improves the living and work conditions.
In 1970 the City took over the ambulance service from the local mortuaries providing emergency and non-emergency transports. It was placed in the fire department as a separate department. It stayed that way until 1974 when the two departments combined to form Wellington Fire/EMS Department. Also that same year the department got its first two EMTs. In 1979 the department got its first three EMICTs and now six are in the department. We now provide Advance Life Support 98% of the time. Due to growth, the Ambulance Billing/Office Administration started full time in 1992. The department provides ambulance service to a third of the county including the Cities of Geuda Springs, Mayfield and Oxford, along with the first twenty-six miles of the Kansas Turnpike. This accounts for approximately 442 square mile area and population of about 15,000.
In 1972 the department purchased it first aerial device. An eighty-five foot Quint built by American LaFrance. In 2000 the department replaced this truck with a seventy-five foot Quint from Luverne Fire Apparatus. The amount of equipment has increased over the years from the horse drawn apparatus to diesel-powered trucks. The trucks are now computerized and require more training and much higher skill level. The department still has the hose cart, which was purchased in the late 1800. The Nichols Family Trust was established after the tragic deaths of four members of the Nichols family in a house fire in 1985. This trust is maintained to furnish Wellington families that cannot afford to purchase smoke detectors for their homes. This trust has been kept active through the generous donations of local civic groups and individuals.
In 1997 the department started a technical rescue team. The team is trained in confined space, high angle, trench and water rescue. In 2002 Arkansas City, Wellington and Winfield Fire Departments completed all training and requirements to form the South Central Chemical Assessment Team to respond to Hazardous Material Incidents for the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office. Wellington Fire/EMS Dept. has nine members trained to the Haz-Mat Technician Level. This level of certification requires a minimum of one hundred and twenty hours of initial training. The Department provides fire services to approximately 9,800 people in 165.5 square miles within the City of Wellington and two fire districts. Included in our coverage area are several commercial businesses, B.N.&S.F. Railroad and many industries. Sumner County, known statewide as the Wheat Capitol of the World, is heavily agriculture. This presents the fire department with the usual problems associated with rural fire and EMS protection.
317 S. Washington, Wellington, KS 67152
(p) 620.326.3631 (f) 620.326.8506
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