Inside Topeka's Fire & EMS Department | Fire Chief Chad Longstaff

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Came up through the ranks, 35 years, started at 24 years old, here in Topeka, and served for 35 years. Yeah, and then you retired seven months and they got you back.

That's why what are like main things they can do to prevent a fire?

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Leading Topeka Fire Department

Welcome to another episode of Topeka Insider. Today in the studio, we've got Topeka Fire Chief Chad Longstaff. Welcome to the studio, man. Hey, good to be here. Come on, it's good to have you. Yeah, come on. Hey, so tell us a little bit about what it's like being the fire chief in Topeka.

Well, um it is uh, you know, kind of up and down. Um, you know, you I I want to improve what we do um here in the city. Um so um it's it's great. And then sometimes, you know, you make those decisions and you're not so great. So uh I came up through the ranks uh 35 years, started started uh at 24 years old. Here in Topeka. Here in Topeka. And um so you know difference the difference is coming up and then also moving into the administration office, you have to make some decisions that you know are not well liked out there and and uh kind of understand why we made those decisions. And uh though that's the I think the hardest part of of that transition.

EMS Calls And Rising Demand

Um but to to move the fire department and one of my big deals is is on the EMS side because we're running 70 percent of of our calls are EMS. Right. Okay. And then also looking at lower priority calls. Um we collaborate with a lot of entities in town, um BH BHU units with the Topeka Police Department. Um that's behavioral health. Um so getting into that part of it and um uh the homeless population. Um we we help and just collaborating with different entities in town. And then how do we run differently? Do we run do we run big fire trucks to those scenes uh with three or four people, or do we start looking at um trying to run smarter and um with different resources in town? Um so moving towards that EMS side. Um, you know, right now to date uh from 3.1 because we got a new software. So from 3 run 3.1 of this year, we are over 14,000 calls. Whoa. Wow. So that's crazy. Uh we're moving past 25,000 calls at the end of the year. Wow. Wow. So is that normal for a year? Well, uh we're we're above what we did last year, so our call volume is not going down. Wow. Now you said 70 percent of those were ES calls? Right. Right now we're sitting at 63 percent of DMS calls. By the end of the year, I think that will change to about 70 percent.

Is that because you think there are more emergencies or a lower threshold for reasons people call 911?

You know, um I I've always said that um, you know, we have to run what when a call comes in, because we're running we're running falls now, we're running like every people. I mean, they call us for everything. Right. And Xbox won't turn on. Well, did you try turning it off and turning it on? Right, right. But you know, with people staying in their homes longer, uh the the health insurance crisis. I mean, people are trying to stay at home and not move to that next care facility. Going to care because you know, people don't have the money. They want to stay home, they want to stay in their own place. They don't want to bother their kids to come help them. And, you know, should we be the people that go there and help them get up off the floor? I think so. I I've always said that that's part of our job in the city is to help everyone in those type of crises. So elderly. Sure. Um, anybody out there that needs help, we're we're the ones that get called.

Yeah. I think that's something that the public, myself included, uh doesn't realize. I have a buddy on the uh who's a firefighter, and you know, we meet once a week for Bible study, and I'll ask them, like, hey, you fight any fires today? And it's always like, no, but we you know, we went to this lady's house and helped her, you know, do this or whatever, and it's like, oh, it's not as exciting. But like I didn't realize you guys do that that often. Oh yeah, you know, we're making calls and runs all the time. Um so with that, uh what does an average day or maybe an average week as a firefighter look like? Because you guys work like 24-hour shifts.

I want to I want to add to that we are at 122 structure fires today, too. Okay. So it's not only running that side, it is also the structure fires of the city.

On a block away last week from here.

Yeah, that was crazy. I walked outside a huge pillar of smoke. It's crazy. This is a busy city on both sides. This is what? This is a busy city. Okay. Um, on the EMS and the fire fire side.

Yeah, what would be like a normal year's worth of fires, like structural fires?

So we're looking at maybe last year was 343. Um so we're looking, you know, what that number is, maybe over that. Um so um who who knows? Um, we'll have to see it at the end of the year. Sure. Yeah. So anyway, I interrupted. No, you're good.

Stations, Special Teams, Response Times

Uh what does an average day as a firefighter look like? Or an average week?

So I spent 18 years at number sevens, uh, which is it's 83 or 84 in the United States of call volume. What? Number one in the state of Kansas. So where is that station? That is at Hunt Toonin Oakley. Okay. Oh, that one's sweet. Yep. So um uh I I spent 18 years there. And um, so you know, a wide variety of calls we ran anywhere from 12 to 16 calls a day, uh, a lot of EMS in that area. Um so um, you know, structure fires you're running into with other units like the center of the city, so it's a pretty active station of where it sits in the city. Um and that's why we're looking at relocating stations. I don't know if you've heard that in the news. So um so we we've had some ground out west on six and governor's place. So that will alleviate some of that call volume from sevens. Um that's been sitting on the books for quite some time of that area needing fire protection. You'll always hear four minute times. Um I don't know if you heard that, but that's an important time. So we turn under four minutes. Right. We tried to we try to locate our stations to where we get the best four minute times for as many people as we respond to. Um that area has been sitting empty for quite some time, and that will alleviate some uh seven's calls. Um so um that would be a good one that if it comes in in the play, if we get that built, yeah, that's great.

With with Seven getting so many calls as a firefighter, is that do you want to work at seven? Because you're like, hey, I'm gonna be busy and there's gonna be things to do, or gonna get lots of calls, or is it like, uh, that's a little too busy, you know. Uh let's go to six.

So you you're thinking that there is people that think that way, but I always wanted to be there in that location. Yeah. So there's a there's a lot of people on both sides. Okay. I think when you're talking about where people want to go is where people have grown up in the area. Where people are used to. Sure. Um people, uh a lot of our stations are set with um different type of trucks and what they do. So, say for instance, eights on Fairlawn is hazmat. So if you're in the hazmat and you're a hazmat person, you're probably going to be stationed out there. Technical rescue is in North Topeka at 11s. So they do all that. Um, the boats out there also. And that's another thing that people don't understand. We have so many other things that we do, right? And we have boats, hazmat, technical rescue.

Returning As Chief And Staying Humble

So you're kind of new to the role of being the chief. Right. Man, what's that been like? How long have you been in this role?

A little over a year now. Uh I came on as an interim. I think at six months, they asked me if I wanted to stay. When I first uh said I'd come back, I I was just coming back as an interim. Um they were going to uh look at other avenues that they may want to go back go to. Um I kind of set in, they came and asked me if I wanted to stay, and uh I was ready to stay. And uh I I don't think I was dumb when I retired.

And um I was just getting ready to say you told us off air that you served for 35 years and then you retired.

Retired for seven months.

Seven months, and they got you back. That's wild.

And uh yeah. Uh he's like Tom Brady. Yeah. I I and he came out of retirement four times. Yeah, you guys talk about football. You asked me about football when I came in here, and I said, football's not here, it's still baseball season. Uh so I look at October as the biggest the biggest month for baseball, and I we're almost there. Okay, big baseball. So um, yeah. It's not a good thing. How are you feeling about the Royals? You know, uh they're they're a great farm club for the rest of the MLB.

That's a great way to say it. Yeah. So the uh the World Series, those are flukes because normally we uh send all our best players to other places.

Right, right. So um hopefully when when they make that adjustment to move downtown, um maybe maybe they'll start spending a little bit more money towards their program. And uh so but as of right now, we're a great farm club. Yeah, and um, so I enjoy going there to watch watch um a few of our players, but also the other teams who come in there.

So um Yeah, it's almost like you go to watch ex-royals players who now play on other teams. Yeah, yeah.

So um we um um my wife and I travel and watch the Dodgers, so we we spent a weekend in St. Louis. They come to Kansas City every other year. We watch the three-game series there. We I just got back from LA, I don't know, a month ago, went and seen them play there. So um um Why the Dodgers?

That's because yes, you're a Dodgers fan.

You know, I'll uh people don't understand why I watch the Dodgers, but I back in my day, we there was an announcer called Vin Scully. And uh I don't know if you you guys are you never heard so look him up on YouTube. Vin Scully was a great announcer, and back in those days you got on the radio and listened. There's only one announcer in baseball. Now they got you know seven or eight people, you know, doing that. But um I started uh listening to him and following the Dodgers back then, and uh so that was the connection to me and the Dodgers. Yeah. And uh and also one of them came from Washburn. Come on. Yeah, Davy Lopez, I think, came from Washburn. Um so um no, that that's not what it was. It was actually Vin Scully. That's cool. Uh so anyway.

Staffing, Apparatus, Calls That Stick

So back to fire. How many firefighters do we have in Topeka? Thinking about a move? Choose Topeka, and you could get up to $15,000 to relocate. Whether you're buying or renting, Topeka and Shawnee County are ready to welcome you. Apply now at ChooseTopeka.com.

Now, back to the show. So on the trucks, on the truck side, the operation side is right now about 216. 216. Yeah. So we have 12 fire stations, 18 companies. Six of those companies are truck companies, 12 of them are engines. Engines carry the water, the trucks carry the tools. So ventilation, rescue, any of those type uh uh you know, cutting cars up, you know, all that. That's the rescue trucks.

Um so that's what's the uh what's the worst fire you've ever personally worked on?

I th I think there's been then been several. Um so um I think probably my worst calls uh that I didn't like uh were car wrecks. People trapped, people that are hurt, they can't get out. Um I think those are the ones that really set in to me. And because you hear them, you're listening to the patients, you're listening to them wanting to get out, it takes a little bit of time. Um I think those are been probably the ones that really set in. Right. And um fires, I mean, I've been to a lot of fires. I was always stationed in the center of center of the city. Um I started at threes, went to fours at eighth and clay, uh, ended up at seven, so I've been in the center of the city pretty much my whole career.

Do you have any like uh like war stories you're especially proud of? You know, we rescued this kid, we know the car door off of the car, we saved him. Like, man, you know, you're at a family cookout and it's the story, man, you love to tell about your fire career.

I've had a couple saves on the fire department. I mean, it um I don't know. I don't really I don't really think of of that as something that we I did great. I think if you look at all the firemen on there and and the saves that they had and the stuff that they did, it's just you know, they get off the next day and just go about their their day. That's normal. That's the type of people they are. I mean, they just um they think that way, they don't need anything extra. Wow. Uh they um it's not anything that they did above, and right and it's just something that they were born with and strive for and and just do every day without even thinking.

So that was a great media trained answer. Yeah. I would have said, like, oh yeah, I ripped the car door off the took of the car, and I picked up the lady over my shoulder, and I, you know, I ran you know seven miles with her and I saved her. That's kind of answer I'm not gonna be able to do that. No, man, it's about all the firefighters. No, it's great. That's awesome.

Um here's what I have if you if you look at things that mean something um that I've done, uh not only the structure fires, yeah, you can talk that, but you know, uh doing things for people on the streets, when I got into when when I was talking to you about those low uh priority calls, the the people that have lived here all their lives and and paid taxes and and worked all their lives, and they come to uh a time in their life that that they want to s stay at home and maybe they trip when they went and went to the bathroom, or maybe maybe something happened and uh you go there and you help them. Um you help them complete what they were trying to do, you get them back in bed, you make sure they're okay. You know, those that's the stuff that means a lot to me um is doing those type of things for the community. What about it? What about that type of interaction? That interaction is is um, you know, you look at I think uh I'm not too far away from that, right?

You know, I'm 61 and and uh So you're you're training your guys how to respond when you're in that situation later on.

So, you know, there's a lot of people um out there that just, you know, they don't, you know, a lot of those calls where where people are having some type of problem, sure. Whether it's behavioral health, whether it's what I just explained to you before, whatever those whatever I I tell people, do you think they wake up every morning and want to bother us or whatever? You know, they rely on us. Right. They they they want the fire department to come and um help out, whatever that need is. Um so I look at, you know, I'm gonna get to that time period, and you know, everybody wants to stay in their own home, the home that they brought their kids up in and stuff. They don't want to move to that next venture in their life or whatever, and they hold up in their house for a longer period of time, and maybe their families are in another state working and busy and they don't want to bother them. Um so that means you know, a lot of those calls that I ran

Fire Causes And Prevention Programs

at sevens and you know, those meant a lot to me. Um what is the number one cause of a house fire? During the summer months, um a lot of people are out of their homes and you know they they might leave something running or or electrical or something like that. Um but uh when there's a lot of vacant houses that get started in the winter, um so um you know it it might go into where people are trying to keep warm or or whatever. Um so um, you know, there's a large variety of things. We we um there is arson here in this town. Um there is accidental. Um we have three investigators that we have on the job that are on each shift. That works twenty-four hours a day. We got a great unit. Um, so um they do it. One of them has a dog. Um, so they work very hard in this town to take care of that. That's cool. You have three guys whose full-time jobs are full full-time jobs. Um, they're all 24 hours shift on each shift. And um, so they're they're out in the city every day. Yeah.

Um investigating a fire is arson or something like that. Yeah. Um let could we try answering this question? Like uh for your average homeowner in Topeka, what are like some of the main things they can do to prevent a fire from happening in their home?

So um smoke detectors. Yeah. I mean, what's what's start with that? We have a program that we work with Red Cross, and P I don't know if everybody knows this is free. So you get free smoke detectors if you signed up. Um so um and uh the fire unit comes to your house and puts those um detectors in. So doesn't matter how much money you make, it it doesn't matter. You sign up, you get you get smoke, smoke detectors. So smoke detectors are really the number one preventable thing that you can do. So actually like replacing the batteries and those.

Yeah.

Uh I think ours come with a 10-year life. Um so um that is that is number one. You know, uh common sense-wise, I mean, uh probably my house is one of them where you have uh cords like a bunch of cords plugged into each other. Everybody does that, right? But uh then when you add when you add maybe close to drapes or close to clothes and and all that. So um just kind of keeping up on that maintenance of of what that what that is, cooking fires. Uh that's another big deal. So um a lot of like grease fires and everything.

Now that sounds like my house.

So um yeah, smoke detectors are a big deal. Uh that's a big push on my side. Uh working with the Red Cross. And um also I want to add not only we do that, but we work, we have another program called Operations Red File. And we work with KDADs uh with the state on each of our units have uh what you call a red file, and they have a magnet on it. So in this red file, it's all your medical information, uh, who you call if something happens. So every fireman that walks in on an EMS call or anything, they look at the refrigerator, see this red file, and then they can get in there and say, Okay, uh the med list, you know. Wait, so it's locked and the firefighter has a it's not locked. It's just uh it's just setting on this magnetized to the refrigerator.

That's the magnet thing.

Yeah. So uh every every call, a fireman will look at the uh refrigerator, see if they have a red file. So we pass those out continuously. Cool. Interesting, yeah. So yeah, if somebody's unconscious or whatever, or somebody can't talk, they're going through a stroke or something like that, they can go to the red file. That's smart. And uh, so so we collaborate with K Dads on that. Uh Red Cross, we work with with smoke detectors, free. Wow.

Shift Work, Sleep, And Stress

So everybody needs to get those. As the fire chief, do you still stay the night at the fire station? No. Do you miss it?

Do I miss that 24-hour uh schedule? Yes, because that's all I was used to. Right. Yeah. And uh so I look at it's funny when when I retired, I s say, for instance, I went shopping, going to Home Depot during during the weekend or something like that, and I would go, oh man. I ain't so you know, you shop at a different time. You know, like Lon Walmart normal times, and there's always people. Yeah, so when you're working this eight hour shift and you try to get things done after hours or on the weekends, I was you go, wow. Yeah. You know, when you had that 24-hour shift and days off during the week, you know. Right. So that that was a big adjustment, you know. I missed the pre-COVID when Walmart was 24-7 too.

Now they close it now, you're like, what's going on? My uncle was a firefighter in Manhattan and was the fire chief in Manhattan for several years, and he it was the same way. He was just like it was ingrained in him that he was he would stay up late at night, you know. One time uh we all went on a big family cruise, and so he would be up till four in the morning and just like couldn't help us. So all of the nephews, all the boys, we'd stay up till two in the morning playing cards up on the top deck of the ship with our firefighter uncle. Because like he just couldn't sleep. He's like, Let's eat pizza and play cards, guys, you know.

And you know, even though we um when we're on shift or when they're on shift now, um the the difference is they're always like on that uneasy deal, even though when they're sleeping. Yeah, I mean, I don't like ready to respond to a call. There's studies where where the stress of even though that they're sleeping, they're just always on that verge of, hey, I'm gonna get called out. Right. And um and I've heard it has take after you retire, it takes time to kind of adjust yourself to that sleep different sleep pattern, I guess. And uh not so jumpy or kind of like soldiers in some ways.

Yeah.

I have a buddy who went to uh Vietnam, he's like my grandfather's age. Dude can fall asleep on a dime. It's crazy. Yep, yeah. And he's just like, yeah, ever since Vietnam, man, you just learn to fall asleep whenever you can. And I'm like, dude, amen.

And my wife has said that too. She goes, How do you just sit down and just go out? Well, when you can do it, yeah, just do it. Um so yeah. That's crazy. That's awesome.

It's

Rapid Fire Topeka And Siren Driving

awesome, man. Okay, we have some rapid fire questions.

Some rapid fire questions.

So these are a lot of these are just Topeka based, just life in Topeka. Um so we'll kick it off. Do you have a favorite local restaurant? Um Rhodoz.

Okay.

Let's go.

Rhodhouse is fire. Yeah. Uh are you a coffee guy? Do you have a favorite coffee shop?

Um my own. Your own, here you go. The Longstaff Household. Yeah. Sam's Club. Sam's odds. So it's not really Sam's Club Cake Ups. Yeah. Love it.

Uh, do you have like a go-to date night? Chilling in my backyard. Chilling in your backyard. You kind of strike me as someone who maybe grills. You got a grill back there, you you big state guy.

Got some TVs, watch baseball. Uh yeah.

I have a fire question. Would okay, would you rather? Okay. Would you rather rescue a cat from a tree or give a fire safety talk to 500 kindergartners?

Well, um have you ever seen a uh I'll take the 500. Really? He's inspiring the next generation. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

His newest recruits are in there. Come on, man. That's that's true. That's awesome. That's awesome. Uh, do you play golf?

I have played in golf. Okay. Um but I've been known to tee up in the fairway. So I I I can hit a ball. Uh-huh. That's all I want to do. Okay. The other part of it doesn't.

Do you have a favorite course in Topeka to tee it up in the fairway?

Well, when I played golf, I played with my dad. Yeah. And he lives in the villages in Florida. Oh. So um, no, I don't have a you go down south to play. You luck lucky son of a gun. Um to go play with him. Would I pick that to go do? Probably not. Maybe not.

Well, do we want to ask him the big one?

Well, I have one more. Would you rather carry full gear up a 10-story building or run a 5k in full gear?

I'm gonna I'm going to pick the building because I'm gonna capture the elevator and go up two floors below or floor below, and then I'll walk up. I love it. I like that. That's awesome. I'm not gonna wear myself down in the stairwell because by the time I get up there, I'd be wore out.

Okay, I have one more related. Go for it. Would you rather fight a fire with no water or do a rescue with no ladder?

These are good. I'm gonna do a rescue with no ladder. All right.

Okay. Look at him. He's gonna climb up there and take care of it. Come on, man. Yeah. Okay. You're doing a home project. Oh, this is the big one. You're doing a home project. Are you going to Menard's, Home Depot, or Lowe's?

I am going to go to Home Depot. Several different reasons. Okay, fire away. Why? I'm not cutting across Wanamaker for something I need really quick. Okay. Come on. It's easier to get through the store at Home Depot. Come on, that's what I'm talking about. Yeah. Uh Menards, um, it is. I like Menards. They got good products there and stuff like that, but it's it's harder to get through that store because I'm just not used to it. But the main thing is I'm not going across Wanamaker. I'm going to stay on this side, get into Home Depot, and go back.

I love it. See, we we ask that question, and usually, you know, we just get Home Depot Minards. They don't really care. Yeah. You came with receipts. You came with reasons. You were ready to defend your answer. Right. And one of those is the main reason I get for Min Arts.

Which is what? It's too big and it takes forever to get through. Yeah. It's it's it's like I I don't want to spend like three hours in there. I want to spend 10 minutes getting what I want getting out.

Unbelievable. Yeah. Um how many potholes did you hit on your way over here today?

Well, I know how to navigate a little bit better. Yes, he does. Um he knows where they are. Um so yeah, that it's it's rough out there.

Do you navigate potholes when you're in your fire truck, or do you just full send it is what it is?

You know, when when I was in the truck and it's just like driving now, um, you probably know where all of them are. So kind of like uh the engine companies and truck companies, they know where they are too. We're the best place to um drive and and navigate the streets.

Um is there anything about driving a fire engine? Like you get a call, sirens on, you're driving through, people are like pulling out of the way. Some people maybe don't know what to do and get in the way. Is there stop? Just stop.

Yeah, just stop. Yeah. Uh if you don't know what to do, just stop. If you can't get move to the right, just stop. Um I think uh, you know, that's what we watch for. You know, hey, are they stopping? They make eye contact. Right. Or or whatever. But the best thing to do is just stop. Yeah. Because I mean you can weave in around people that stop right though.

They'll adjust to what you're doing. I always feel bad. Like sometimes I'm I'll be at a stoplight, and there's so many cars just congesting the whole thing. And so the firefighters coming, and they I think people hear sirens and they just like, oh, I need to stop. But they're blocking the whole street. And so it's like, man, what do you do in this?

Yeah, but they'll they'll find their uh way out or the way across.

Um, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's interesting. Crazy.

Um, if you could bring any restaurant or attraction, entertainment to Topeka from somewhere that's not in Topeka, what would you bring here? What does Chad want to see in Topeka?

Everybody talks about this Buckeys. I've never I've never been to a Buckies, but it seems like God, that place is the most the greatest place on earth. Yeah. Uh I love it. I don't know if you guys have been there.

I've never actually been to a Buckeyes, but I've heard it feels like a little cult-like to me, honestly.

Everybody talks about Bucky's. Yeah. And I'm going, isn't it a gas station or whatever? Um, but seems like that's the that's the biggest things like that. That'd be nice to know. There's so many things I would want that baseball, um, you know, um various sports deal. I know we sit close to Kansas City uh music, um those type of venues. Um so man, I could I can go on and on. Um but seems like if you talk to a lot of people, is that what you hear? Bucky's? Actually, that might be your first. That's the first on the show.

But I've heard that a lot in yes, I've never been either, and I hear that it is yeah, cult-like, is how I would describe it.

It's interesting that one of the main things people say about Buckeys is how clean the bathrooms are. That's what I hear too. And it's like, hey man, that shouldn't be a reason to bring a gas station. Like, that should just be an assumption you have about any gas station. You know, like why, like, oh man, we need a Bucky's. Why? Do they bring something? They have extra cool snacks or something. No, they have clean bathrooms. Like, cool.

Like, that's great. On that note, I think that's a good note to end the episode. Yeah. Chad, thanks so much for joining us today. This has been an honor. Yeah, appreciate you. Appreciate you what you do for people. Yeah.