Lyon County Fire District #5-Hartford/Neosho Rapids

06/19/2026

🎥 Quick look at 5522!
Today we’ve got a short video featuring 5522, our first‑out brush truck from Neosho Rapids. I’m still learning my way around video‑editing software, so things may look a little rough around the edges while I get the hang of it.

Let us know what questions you have — and what you’d like to see more of in future posts or videos. Your feedback helps guide what we share.

06/18/2026

All of our brush trucks are equipped with adjustable‑gallonage nozzles, which let us match our water flow to what the fire is doing. Our largest brush truck carries 300 gallons, so using the right flow rate really matters.

For mop‑up, we can turn the nozzle down to about 5 gpm to conserve water. On a small fire with light winds, 10 gpm may do the job. But when the fire is moving fast and the wind is pushing it, we can crank it higher to cut through the wind and knock the flames down.

These nozzles were purchased through a previous Volunteer Fire Assistance grant from the Kansas Forest Service, and they’ve made a big difference on the fireline.

06/17/2026

Sending positive vibes their way.

06/17/2026

Fwiw, LCFD #5 does not own the tornado sirens in either community even though they are at our stations. Firefighters used to be summoned by siren so the infrastructure was in place to locate them there.

Every year we get questions about the tornado sirens. Here is some information about the weekly tornado siren testing:

1. All sirens are tested each Monday at noon. The city tornado sirens are integrated into a computer system that immediately shows which ones sounded and which ones did not. When a siren in the city has an issue, the city is notified. Each county siren is different and is independently tested by the Lyon County Emergency Communications Center (LCECC). They have volunteers in each city who stand by and make sure the siren sounds and performs as expected. If the siren does not sound, a call list for that city is notified.

2. LCECC is only responsible for sending a Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) tone to the siren. This tone indicates to the siren to turn on. Any maintenance issues regarding the siren are the responsibility of that community.

3. If a community does not have electrical power, and that community does not have a siren on backup power – that siren will not work. The community is responsible for providing alternative power.

4. Sirens are designed to run in cycles. They do not run until they shut them off. They run for periods of time. Some are 3 minutes, some are 5. When they cycle off, they have to restart them until the warning has cleared.

5. Often, time is relative in the communications center. A minute could feel like an hour, and 5 minutes could feel like 30 seconds. Communications officers are often managing double the number of responders they normally have with storm spotters out in the county. They are dealing with more radio traffic, extra calls, managing the weather, and also doing their normal duties. Our communities do have other emergencies even during weather. They are triaging what calls they receive all the time. There are only 2 communications officers on duty. During emergencies, they can become so overwhelmed that they don’t get the siren turned back on immediately. Calling up and yelling at them that the siren has stopped does not help. It adds to their work, and their stress. They are humans, trying their best.

06/17/2026

The board meeting scheduled for tonight has been rescheduled to next Tuesday.

06/17/2026

The monthly Fire Board meeting will be held tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. at the Neosho Rapids Station. The north door is typically unlocked a few minutes before the meeting begins. Fire Board meetings are open to the public, and community members are welcome to attend.

06/16/2026

Potential for more severe weather and rain headed our way for tomorrow.

Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop over southeast Kansas after 6pm on Wednesday. Some of the storms could become severe with damaging winds, large hail, and heavy rainfall as the main risks.

06/13/2026

The NOAA NWS Storm Prediction Center is considering a tornado watch for the area. Lyon and Coffey Counties appear to be on the southern fringe (and may or may not be included) but we can't let our guard down even if we are just outside the watch. The time to become weather aware is approaching. Make sure you have multiple ways to receive watches/warnings and have a plan in the event you are placed under a warning.

06/13/2026

🌩️ Another day, another round of severe weather on the table.
Our area is under an Enhanced Risk (Level 3 of 5) for severe storms later today. We know weather fatigue is real — it’s been a long stretch — but eventually it will be our turn again. Preparation now pays off later.

If you’re able, this might be a good afternoon to move vehicles into the garage or under a carport ahead of any hail or strong winds.

If high winds bring down power lines, stay well away and give us a call. Our awesome dispatchers at LCECC (or Coffey County's Sheriff's Office) have direct lines to both Evergy and 4 Rivers Electric Cooperative, Inc., and they will make sure the right crews are sent to handle the hazard safely.

💧 Flooding is also a concern today, with risks for both flash flooding and river flooding due to heavy rainfall.
Please remember: Turn Around, Don’t Drown. Not only is driving into floodwater incredibly dangerous for you, it also puts responders at risk. Swiftwater rescue is a low‑frequency, high‑risk operation — one we take seriously and hope to avoid.

Stay alert, stay prepared, and we will all get through it together.

Thunderstorm chances increase this afternoon and evening. Some of the storms may be severe and produce heavy rainfall which could lead to flooding. This round of thunderstorm activity ends late tonight.

06/12/2026

Hey everyone! We’re trying something and will be dipping our toes into videos a little heavier. Today’s video features 5551, our 2001 Kubota UTV that came to us through the Kansas Forest Service and has been fully equipped for firefighting for a year.

I’d love to keep this going — maybe even a weekly “Firetruck Friday” until we’ve shown off the whole fleet.

What do you all like seeing from us? More videos? Photos with write‑ups? Something else that grabs your attention? Let us know.