NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The new Reno County Fire Administrator will start before the end of the month.
"Adam Weishaar made an offer to Travis Vogt, who is with the Sheriff's Office right now," said County Administrator Randy Partington. "He's accepted and will begin, I believe on March 28th."
Vogt also previously served as EMS Director for Pretty Prairie and on Hutchinson Fire.
"This is not a reaction to the recent fires," Partington said. "This all began last spring. I think it was around May or June last year, we put everything in the process. The hiring of the fire administrator, that took some time because we didn't have budget authority until 2022, so we had to wait until the end of 2021 to start posting that announcement and then bring in someone."
All the fire districts in the county currently have chiefs except for Fire District 6 near Sylvia.
"That one is a little bit in limbo," Partington said. "We're talking with them, trying to figure out what the next step is for that chief out there, but the other districts are stepping up to help district 6 when needed."
The goal of the fire administrator is to build relationships with the current chiefs and standardize equipment and best practices across the county.