Oct 13, 2023

Ellis County Fire Department celebrating 50th anniversary Saturday

Posted Oct 13, 2023 9:15 AM

Ellis County Fire Department

The Ellis County Fire Department is celebrating our 50th Anniversary this week, in coordination with the National Fire Prevention Week.

The firefighters are inviting everyone to attend the celebration this Saturday, October 14th from 3:00 – 7:00 pm at the Ellis County Emergency Services building located at 1105 East 22nd Street in Hays.

There will plenty of events for the kiddos including: playing on a bouncy house, spraying water, checking out the fire trucks, trying on bunker gear, meeting Sparky the Fire Dog and Smokey the Bear, raffle prizes, history photos, meeting local firefighters, visiting with the Kansas Forestry Service with their Firewise fire prevention trailer, free pulled pork sandwiches, and even applications for those who may want to become a paid-per-call firefighter.

The meal is sponsored by Astra Bank of Hays.

Dating back to several Ellis County Commission meetings in 1973, Ellis County Commissioners Ted Gerber, Eugene Schmeidler, and Harold Kraus passed a county resolution to form the Ellis County Fire Department.

They requested help from the Kansas Forestry Service, the Fire Board, local volunteer firefighters, and local County Extension agents to determine how best to start a department, what equipment to buy, and where to place fire stations.

Those commissioners recognized the need to provide better fire protection services, and to create a separate department, as the fire duties at that time fell under the counties Civil Defense Department.

The first equipment for the ECFD were several used Army 6x6 vehicles and two 1950’s Willy’s jeeps which were all given to the county from federal surplus equipment from the Forestry Service.

The county then spent about $6,000 per 6x6 vehicle to outfit them with firefighting equipment, and about $200 per Jeep.

That year, the first County Fire Chief was appointed to the position, who was H.L. “Bud” Whitfield. Since Chief Whitfield, there has only been four other chiefs; Gene Wellbrock, John Dixon, Dick Klaus, and now Darin Myers.

Today, the ECFD has 19 different fire apparatus consisting of six fire engines, four brush trucks, three rescue trucks, three water tenders, and three support vehicles.

The department also has a water supply trailer for large fires that can also be deployed to all of NW Kansas.

There are six fire companies located in Catharine, Victoria, Hays, Ellis, Schoenchen, and Munjor. The ECFD also has 95 paid-per-call firefighters, and two full-time chief officers.