Fire Department

The Potawatomi Tribal Fire Department is a 24-hour service that provides fire suppression, fire prevention and emergency medical care on the reservation and surrounding areas as requested. Staffing consists of 18 personnel: three shift Captains, three Lieutenants, six Paramedics, and 6 Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technicians. The administrative staff consists of the Fire Chief/Director and an Administrative Assistant. Approximately 50 percent of the organization is Native American.

The fire department began providing ambulance response and transport services in July of 2000 to all residents living within the reservation boundaries. Nation members or employees living outside the reservation boundaries may request the fire department ambulance for non-emergency situations or for medically-necessary transports to a doctor's office or hospital. The service is provided free to nation members and employees. The department also has an automatic mutual aid agreement with the Delia Fire District. The department will automatically respond to any alarms in the Delia area as call load and staffing allow.

The department provides several services to the community to include, public education, CPR and First Aid Training, fire safety inspections and blood pressure checks are just a few of the additional services that we offer. The department has also offered several Emergency Medical Technician courses and is currently instructing its first Paramedic course in conjunction with the HutchinsonCommunity College.

The department has also provided, on a limited bases firefighters that respond on National Wild Fires and National Disasters, such as the space shuttle Columbia disaster.

During its 25 years of service to the reservation and citizens of JacksonCounty the department has become know for its excellence of service in both fire and EMS. Over the past 8 years the department has been recognized as one of the most advanced EMS services by the Kansas State Board of EMS and has received an Outstanding Service Award several years in a row. This year the department will host the Kansas State Fire Fighters Association Conference at the PrairieBandCasino & ResortConvention Center.

For additional information call (785) 966-2164 or fax (785) 966-3040.