City of Wichita - 11 - The Reawakening 1967
Saturday, February 11, 2012 :: Currently 24 degrees in Wichita

1967

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1967 - Chief McGaughey and Deputy Chief Carney.

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1967 - "Jamie" - Muscular Dystrophy Poster Child - with Smith, Robert Evans and Thomas Owens.

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July 2, 1967 - Chief McGaughey opening Station No. 19.

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September 7, 1967 - National Cleaners, 2236 Amidon.

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December 1, 1967 - Mail Truck.

1967 saw the retirement of R.L. Simpson as Deputy Chief of Operations and the promotion of District Chief L.D. Carney to fill the position. A new fire alarm system, complete with dispatch center, was installed to replace an antiquated one that had been in service for 40 years. The new "ERS" Emergency Reporting System was one of the most modern in the county. It enabled anyone needing assistance to simply open a box, lift the telephone for direct communication with the Fire Dispatcher. Along with the new equipment came a new procedure where running cards were used to indicate the responding companies for a particular location.

This eliminated alerting every station for each alarm that was received. This procedure came as a great relief to firefighters, since they weren't required to be called for an alarm that was not in their respective district.

A new training tower was built at 31st and South Oliver to replace the facility at old No. 8 Station. This station and training tower was abandoned at 3rd and Wabash after the property reverted to the original owners, due to a technicality which stipulated that if the property was ever used for anything except a fire station, the land and improvements would be returned to the heirs of the original owner.

The opening of No. 19 Station saw the expansion of fire protection to the south part of Wichita on July 2, 1967.

By December of 1967, Chief McGaughey had replaced all but two fire dispatchers with women. In the past, men who had some disability were put into the dispatcher's office instead of retiring them on pension.

Right before Christmas, an early morning fire at 21st and Broadway destroyed four businesses and resulted in $100,000 loss.

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WFD History

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Wichita, KS 67211