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Fire Department

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1. Why does a fire truck come when you call for an ambulance?

Firefighters can and do get there first, and time is critical in a medical emergency. Every Andover Fire fighter is cross-trained in Emergency Medical Services.

In the early days, fire stations were strategically located so the crews could quickly get to burning buildings. Obviously, time is an important aspect of firefighting, because flames can rapidly spread through a building. The ability to quickly respond to a fire provides more time to rescue people inside, and save property by suppressing the blaze in the early stages. It soon became apparent that the firefighter's ability to "get there fast" could be used for other types of emergency response, such as heart attacks, strokes and trauma.

Four minutes is a critical time frame for someone who has experienced a heart attack, injury, or other illness that makes them stop breathing. The heart and brain have a better chance of full recovery if they receive oxygen in four minutes or less. After that, a person can suffer brain damage or worse. Our firefighters, many of them educated to the level of paramedic, can use life saving techniques including defibrillation and medications to help prevent death or permanent injury. These life saving techniques are much more effective if they can get to a patient within the first four minutes.

The Andover Fire Station is part of a much larger dispatch system. The system is designed to provide adequate emergency coverage for the citizens who live here, by carefully managing response resources. Fire stations are not isolated or randomly located. They are strategically positioned to provide the best coverage with the least expenditure of resources.

2. Why does the Fire Department bring the fire engine just for a simple inspection?

Two reasons: First, these inspections are conducted by on-duty engine companies that must be ready to respond to an emergency call from the field. Second, an important part of the value of the public safety inspection is to familiarize your local firefighters with the buildings and business in Andover. While they check for hazards and consult with business owners on how best to eliminate or minimize the likelihood of a fire, they also familiarize themselves with access points and the layout of the facility.

3. Why do firefighters break out windows and cut holes in roof during a fire?

Firefighters ventilate smoke, superheated, poisonous, or explosive gases for safety and visibility. This allows firefighters to get inside the building to find and extinguish the fire, thereby reducing property damage. This also reduces the chance of a possible dangerous explosion.

4. What are the Fire Department Hours?

Andover Fire is staffed 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The department business hours are from 7AM to 5PM 7 days a week. If you have an emergency please call 911. The headquarters phone number is 733-1863.

5. Can I get my blood pressure checked?

Yes you can. Stop by the headquarters station at 911 N. Andover Road between 7AM and 5PM 7 days a week and a member will be happy to assist you.

6. Why do you block traffic lanes at auto accidents?

We block traffic lanes for the safety of our personnel and our patients. Blocking extra lanes keep our personnel safe when they go back to our apparatus to get more equipment and help protect the victim we are trying to stabilize. Over 25 firefighters are killed or injured each year while working at incidents on streets and highways.

7. Why am I not supposed to drive over a firehose?

The hose can be damaged causing the water to be interrupted and possibly causing injuries or death. Any hose that is driven over without protection has to be taken out of service and tested.

8. Why do I need to keep weeds and bushes away from fire hydrants on my property?

Weeds and bushes should be kept three feet from fire hydrants for visibility and accessibility.

9. How do I schedule a Fire Drill?

Training is provided by Andover Fire Department. We can assist you in organizing and conducting an orderly evacuation, and evaluating results with management of the facility. To schedule a Fire Drill contact AFR Fire Marshal at (316) 733-1863

10. What if I smell Gas in my home?

Get out of the house and call 9-1-1. The use of a phone could cause the gas to ignite if you call from inside the house.

11. Why do firefighters work 24-hour shifts?

It would take more firefighters to cover 8 hour shifts. Firefighters at Andover work a 56 hour work week and the 24 hour shift allows this. This type of schedule is the most cost-effective work schedule to provide fire protection and is the most common.

12. Why do we see fire department crews at the store?

Because the crews work a 24-hour shift, they must eat their lunch and dinner at the station. At times firefighters all eat the same meal, as a group. The crews pay for their food out of their own pockets. So, after the equipment is checked and the housework completed, one of the fire trucks will then make a quick trip to the grocery store to purchase the food for the shift. All crews remain in service to respond to calls during this time.

13. What other responsibilities do firefighters have other than fighting fires?

Emergency calls represents only about fifteen percent of the work of a typical fire department in Andover. The number of residential and commercial fires has steadily decreased over the years due to a variety of factors including improvements in construction, a greater public awareness of the risk factors leading to fires and a significant reduction in smoking nationwide. Fires, however, are only some of the emergencies to which the Fire Department responds. Nearly sixty-five percent of the Fire Department's emergency responses are, in fact, calls for medical aid, including illness/accidents at home and work, and injuries resulting from vehicle crashes. Other calls for emergency response involve hazardous materials releases, technical rescues, response to fire alarms and other calls for public assistance. Firefighters also spend much of their time maintaining equipment, doing routine public safety inspections for businesses and rental housing, training for all types of emergency responses and filling out the reports and paperwork associated with these activities.

14. What should I do when I see or hear an emergency vehicle coming towards me when I'm driving?

When it is safe to do so, you should pull over to the right and stop until all emergency vehicles have safely passed. If you cannot safely maneuver to the right, simply stop and stay stopped so the vehicles can go around you safely.

15. My smoke detector is chirping, what does that mean?

Most modern smoke detectors will chirp to alert you the batteries are low. If this happens, you should replace the batteries and test your smoke detector. Smoke detectors can be purchased at any hardware or large commercial department store.

16. How often should I change the batteries in my smoke detectors?

Change the batteries in your smoke detectors every 6 months. An easy way to remember is to change batteries when you reset your clock for daylight savings time.

17. Does the Fire Department fill fire extinguishers?

Andover Fire Department is not equipped to fill fire extinguishers at this time. However, you can find local fire extinguisher businesses in the yellow pages to refill them.

18. How often should I replace my smoke detectors?

Age matters when it comes to your smoke alarms. Check the manufacture dates on your smoke detectors. It is recommended that smoke detectors be replaced every 10 years.

19. Can I have recreational fire in my backyard?

If you follow our Burn policy, you can have a recreational fire in your backyard.

Click HERE for open burning information. 

Click HERE for the control burn permit process. 

Burn permit Rules

20. How much do I have to pay if a Fire Truck responds to a fire at my property?

Fire Engines and Ladder Trucks are supported by taxpayer revenues. There is no charge for these pieces of equipment.

21. Why is my Fire Hydrant flowing water?

Why is my Fire Hydrant flowing water?

The City of Andover is provided potable & public safety water by the City of Wichita Water department & Butler County Water District #5.  Below are a couple of reasons that a Fire Hydrant might be flowing water…

1. There are routine water system flush out operations that occur to maintain the health of the overall system ensuring proper water quality.
2. There might be scheduled or emergency maintenance in the neighborhood or somewhere upstream in the delivery system and crews need to flush or drain the affected area.

In these situations, look up & down the block to see if there is a Fire truck or a water service truck working in the area.  If not, give us a call 316-733-1863 and we will investigate & follow up.  

Additionally, Andover Fire-Rescue (AFR) conducts annual fire hydrant service inspections. Each year we operate every one of the hydrants in our response area and pressure test approximately 40%. We do this for the reasons listed below.

1. This is a requirement by the insurance companies and a national standard.
2. We exercise the mechanical portions of the valve assembly, ensuring proper operation in an emergency.  We report hydrants in need of maintenance to proper authorities.
3. We flush the water system, expelling potentially stagnant water.  This also eliminates any particles and sediment that may have collected in the system hydrant assemblies that could damage firefighting pumps and appliances, assuring a good source of firefighting water.
4. We are able to obtain pressure & flow measurements in gallons per minute that allow us to calculate available firefighting water supplies.  This is an element used in the insurance industry, as well as fire pre-planning for residential and commercial developments.  This data is also shared with water system managers so they can evaluate the health of the system over time.
5. AFR uses this time to meet certain training benchmarks for our staff.
6. AFR also uses this time to enjoy time with our neighbors.  If you see us flushing & testing, feel free to chat with us. (Please be alert to the situation & surroundings. A water stream of 500-1000 gallons per minute can cause injury)

What can you do to increase safety for AFR staff and yourselves?

1. Watch out for us in traffic!  One of the most dangerous things we do throughout our day is work in traffic.  Please watch out for us!
2. Understand that the water flowing from a hydrant is coming out at tremendous force.
   1. Do not walk or drive through the direct stream.  It WILL damage your property or you!
3. If you are coming over to say hi, please keep control of the children and do not let them into the water stream without approval from your firefighters.
4. Watch for wet and slick areas created by the discharge of water.

If you see a hydrant flowing water for no apparent reason, leaking significantly, blocked by cars or landscaping,  or otherwise damaged PLEASE give us a call 316-733-1863 and we will look into the situation.

22. Does the Fire Department fill swimming pools?

No, we do not.  If you are a City resident, please contact Wichita Public Works at: (316) 265-1300. If you are a County resident, please contact Butler Co. Rural District #5 at: (316) 778-1631 or (316) 778-1800.