McPherson fire report notes seven personnel per shift as calls increase
Department began responding to every medical call in July 2025; UL tests show modern rooms can reach flashover in under 5 minutes
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Sign up freeThe McPherson Fire Department handled 1,767 calls in 2025, up from 1,362 in 2024, and increased staffing to seven personnel per shift, according to annual reports presented to the McPherson City Commission.
A McPherson Chamber of Commerce Facebook post published Thursday, Oct. 22, described a Chamber Connections visit to Station 1, 312 E. Kansas Ave., and highlighted the department’s medical-response workload and fire-safety message. The post did not specify when the visit occurred.
The annual reports show total calls increased by 405, or nearly 30%, from 2024 to 2025.
The department began responding to every medical call July 1, 2025, according to its 2025 annual report.
Station 2 opened April 15, 2025, at 1705 N. Main St. The Citizen Journal reported May 2, 2025, that the department had six personnel assigned per shift across both stations and planned to reach seven by January 2026.
A McPherson Chamber of Commerce article published April 21, 2025, said three full-time firefighters would operate from Station 2 per shift, with four based at Station 1 downtown. The department’s 2025 annual report later listed the Station 2 opening and the increase to seven personnel per shift as separate milestones.
The chamber post also relayed Fire Chief Chad Mayberry’s warning that residents have less time to escape modern structure fires. It described flashover as the point when combustible items in a room ignite almost simultaneously, creating conditions that are generally unsurvivable even for firefighters in protective gear.
In repeated controlled tests, the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute found that rooms with modern synthetic furnishings reached flashover in about 3 minutes, 30 seconds to 4 minutes, 45 seconds. In one comparison, a modern room reached flashover in 3 minutes, 40 seconds, compared with 29 minutes, 30 seconds for a room with older, natural-material furnishings.
The results show how quickly some modern fires can develop, but they are not a fixed timeline for every fire.
On its Fire Safety and Prevention webpage, the McPherson Fire Department recommends placing smoke alarms on every floor and outside each sleeping area. It also recommends creating a home escape plan with two ways out and a safe meeting place, and practicing it at least twice a year.
The department also offers free in-home safety reviews for senior citizens, including smoke-alarm and carbon-monoxide-alarm inspections or installations, cooking-safety guidance, fall-prevention tips, and escape planning. Seniors can request a review by calling 620-245-2535, the number listed on the department’s Fire Safety and Prevention webpage.
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