The mission of the Wichita Fire Department is to provide excellent, proactive fire and life safety services through prevention, education and protection.

The Wichita Fire Department was organized in 1886 when Wichita outgrew the volunteer fire companies which had protected the City since 1872. Today, the Wichita Fire Department has evolved from its original purpose of fighting fires to its current task of providing a much broader level of emergency services to the public. Over the years, this expanded role along with a variety of community risk reduction activities and initiatives has allowed the Department to demonstrate exceptional community value.

The Wichita Fire Department serves a resident population of over 366,000 people. In addition to the City of Wichita, the Wichita Fire Department also provides emergency responses throughout the metropolitan area through automatic and mutual aid agreements with surrounding jurisdictions.

The Wichita Fire Department is a diverse department comprised of 429 uniformed and 9 civilian members serving within the Department’s two divisions.

397 uniformed officers and firefighters make up the Emergency Operations Division. These members proudly serve the community by responding to fires and other emergencies from the city’s 22 firehouses.  In 2009, the Emergency Operations Division provided over 69,000 unit responses to over 43,000 calls for service. In addition to their traditional emergency response duties, these members are also actively involved in a number of community risk reduction initiatives. 

The Support Services Division is composed of 24 uniformed officers and 7 civilian staff members. Within this division are a number of sections and units whose responsibilities include: public education, code administration, fire investigation, equipment maintenance, records management, data analysis and performance measurement, budget development and compliance, strategic planning, technology development, occupational safety and fire department training. These sections work together to help ensure the safe, efficient and effective delivery of emergency services.

In 2009, the Wichita Fire Department responded to 43,711 calls for service with an average response time of 0:04:34. Calls for service in 2009 included: