Whitewater Fire Department

10/13/2026

🚒 Grant Spotlight: 2025 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) 🚒

Whitewater River Consolidated Fire District is proud to announce that we have been awarded a grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program! 🎉

This $60,000 grant will allow our department to replace six aging Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) units, commonly known as air packs. Some of our current units are 30 years old or older, making this upgrade an important investment in the safety and protection of our firefighters.

The grant will provide $60,000 in funding, with a Fire District match of $2,857.15, helping us upgrade this critical equipment and better protect the men and women who serve our community. 🧑‍🚒

SCBA equipment is essential for firefighters responding to fires and other hazardous environments. Replacing these aging units will help ensure our firefighters have reliable, up-to-date equipment to perform their duties as safely and effectively as possible.

We are incredibly grateful to FEMA and the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program for investing in firefighter safety and strengthening our emergency response capabilities. This funding represents a significant step forward for our department and the community we proudly serve. ❤️

Investing in firefighter safety means investing in the safety of our entire community! 🚒❤️

10/13/2026

🚒 Grant Spotlight: 2026 Kansas Forest Service Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant 🚒

Whitewater River Consolidated Fire District is proud and grateful to have received the 2026 Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant from the Kansas Forest Service! ❤️

Thanks to this grant, our department was able to obtain approximately $9,896 in essential firefighting equipment, including:

🧑‍🚒 2 complete sets of structural personal protective equipment (PPE) to help protect our firefighters
🪚 1 chainsaw
🚒 2 firefighting nozzles to support our emergency response efforts

This is a 50/50 matching grant, through which the Kansas Forest Service will reimburse 50% of eligible equipment costs, up to a maximum of $4,999.

These resources help us better equip our firefighters, enhance our readiness, and continue serving the residents of our community safely and effectively.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to the Kansas Forest Service and the Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant program for investing in our department and helping us fulfill our mission. Your support makes a difference! ❤️🚒

08/26/2026

The Whitewater River Consolidated Fire District would like to extend our sincere appreciation to **HF Sinclair and the Tim Underwood Memorial Golf Tournament** for awarding our department a grant to help fund the purchase of equipment for our newest engine.

On August 25th, we had the opportunity to attend a luncheon in El Dorado, where we were honored to join several of Tim Underwood’s family members. Their generosity and continued willingness to support our community is truly amazing.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of the **Tim Underwood Family and HF Sinclair**. Their generosity will help ensure our firefighters have the equipment needed to continue serving and protecting our community.

**Thank you to the Tim Underwood Family and HF Sinclair for your amazing generosity and continued support!**

08/26/2026

The Whitewater River Consolidated Fire District would like to recognize and sincerely thank **TC Energy** for the generous grant we received in July.

The funds from this grant will be used to update equipment used by our firefighters when responding to incidents involving flammable liquids. This investment will help improve our ability to safely and effectively protect our community.

We greatly appreciate TC Energy’s support of our fire district, our firefighters, and the communities we serve. **Thank you, TC Energy, for investing in the safety of our department and our community!**

08/26/2026

C-Shift responded to a home explosion in the 3000 block of Southeast 48th around 8 pm. Upon arrival crews found one individual with burn injuries and a fire in the basement. The patient was transported by ambulance to Wichita. The fire was extinguished but not before causing moderate damage to the home. No pets or firefighters were injured during this incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Newton Fire/EMS was assisted by Walton Fire, Whitewater Fire, Sedgwick Fire/EMS, Halstead Fire/EMS, and Harvey County Sheriff. We also want to thank Hesston Fire/EMS for covering calls in Newton during this incident.

07/21/2026

New Truck in Town

07/19/2026

**REMINDER!**
If you haven't participated in the public input survey that is being conducted as part of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan development, there is still time!

There is a note at the end of the form that states that the survey will close and the gift card drawing will occur next week after the county fair wraps up. However, we're extending that out through the end of July to give more folks a chance to chime in. Share your thoughts with us on Butler County's wildfire risks and priorities for wildfire reduction/prevention... and maybe win a gift card!

The survey can be accessed through the QR code on the flyer or by clicking on this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Z8MHC8N

07/18/2026

07/18/2026

Another fun day with the kids at the Whitewater Memorial Library event! We had a great time helping everyone cool off in the summer heat—including a few parents who joined in on the fun! 😄

Thank you to everyone who came out and made it such a great community event. We always enjoy spending time with our community and making lasting memories.

We hope everyone has had a wonderful summer, and we look forward to seeing you at more community events. Stay cool and stay safe!