City to consider splitting fire, EMS

Iola City Council members on Monday will discuss a proposal that would split the fire protection and emergency medical service departments. The city faces a chronic personnel shortage because Iola can't find enough applicants interested in both EMS and firefighting duties.
The Iola Fire Department responds to a fire at the former Harmony Health building at Lincoln and North State streets in April 2021. Register file photo
by Richard Luken
Published: October 7, 2022
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Iola City Council members on Monday will discuss a proposal that would split the fire protection and emergency medical service departments. The city faces a chronic personnel shortage because Iola can’t find enough applicants interested in both EMS and firefighting duties.

Iola City Council members will be asked Monday to consider splitting Iola’s fire protection and emergency medical service personnel.

The proposal would assist the city in covering a chronic personnel shortage because Iola cannot find enough applicants interested in both EMS and firefighting duties.

“We’ve lost some qualified applicants” because many are not interested in doing both services, City Administrator Matt Rehder said.

Richard Luken

Richard has been a part of the Register family since 1994. Richard covers general news and, on occasion, sports. A native of Moran, Richard came to the paper while still a student at Allen Community College. With mentors former publisher Emerson Lynn Jr. and former veteran reporter Bob Johnson at the ready, Richard learned how to be a star reporter. Over the span of his 28 years his news beats have included school board meetings for Districts 257 and 258, as well as Allen Community College trustee meetings. He’s also routinely covered city council meetings for Iola, Humboldt, LaHarpe and Moran. He’s covered floods, wrecks, true crime — everything from heart-warming to heart-breaking stories. For his work, Richard has consistently won top awards in statewide competitions year after year. Outside the office, he enjoys sports, reading and keeping up with the kids and grandkids.

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