Branscom reflects on half-century in firefighting

JUDD WEIL
Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After 50 years of service with Reno County Fire District #4, Chief Kent Branscom has left a legacy with his dedication to his community.   

Branscom officially retired Dec. 13, 2022.  

Branscom began his career as a volunteer firefighter in Jan. 1973, when he joined Reno County Fire District #4 at the age of 18. Branscom said he joined the fire department at the urging of his father, who was also a firefighter and first responder. 

When Branscom began his career, Fire District #4 was just a four-bay station in Arlington, hosting three trucks, and a two-bay station in Abbyville, hosting two trucks.  Partridge and Plevna were later added to District #4 through the work of Branscom and other firefighters.  

Over the years, Branscom and several other volunteer firefighters designed and oversaw the building of an upgraded fire station in Arlington.  The Arlington station was designed with the future in mind, including living quarters, giving the district the ability to expand in 1992. 

Today, Reno County Fire District #4 has four total stations and over 13 modern fire apparatus and is geographically the largest fire district in Reno County. District #4 is completely manned by a volunteer crew.  

Branscom saw many changes and firsts during his career, as District #4 led the way on many advancements in the volunteer districts within Reno County. These include designing and building 3,500 gallon tenders and carrying the first drop tanks in Reno County.  

Fire District#4 was the first volunteer district to have extrication tools with the original Jaws of Life and the first to use a high-pressure compressor to fill the bottles the firefighters use in their SCBA instead of going to Hutchinson to fill bottles. They were also among the first fire districts to use a hay bale bed on a brush truck to assist with various wildfire ground operations.  

During Branscom’s tenure, Fire District #4 was among the original stations to use the first gear extractor, or washing machine, that removes carcinogens from firefighter gear to lessen the risk of the volunteers getting cancer.  

“I think we got good equipment and lot of good firefighters and stuff right now to help out all the community people,” Branscom said. 

Chief Branscom’s dedication to his community as a volunteer firefighter would cause him to spend hours away from his family working on Fire District projects. Both he and his daughter, Jessica Pickett, fondly recall his time designing and building fire trucks.  

“A lot of the trucks we have now, he personally had his hand in helping either build them or design them,” Pickett, a firefighter herself, said. “One of the trucks that is kind of his pride and joy, is a tender, it’s called 491. It’s a water tanker basically, that hauls 3,500 gallons of water.”  

Additionally, Branscom spent time maintaining the fire station, conducting equipment research and purchasing, training and mentoring firefighters, and any other tasks needed done in Fire District #4. Branscom also handled the station inventory across the district.  

“That’s another thing he used to do. We used to have to do inventory of our trucks and stations, all of our equipment and everything,” Pickett said. “His birthday is in January, and he would take that whole week off from his paid job to do inventory. He would spend his whole birthday week down at the fire station, doing inventory.”  

Like other volunteer firefighters, after long hours working emergencies and attending to the community, he would head to his job. Branscom chose to voluntarily invest his time in his community, instead of making that his main paycheck.

“I had a chance one time to get on Hutch Fire, and like I told them, I said didn't think I’d like doing it as a paid job, I just feel this [volunteering] is a lot more enjoyable, a lot more rewarding, than a full time paid firefighter,” Branscom said.

Branscom would also use his own vehicles to do storm spotting during severe weather. 

After nearly 50 years of service to the citizens of Reno County Fire District #4, there are few in that part of the county that have not been directly affected by Chief Kent Branscom, from the citizen that called at 2 a.m. to report their neighbor’s house on fire, to the parents of the child injured in a car accident, or the citizens who volunteered their time to serve with Chief Branscom as a first responder. 

“One person can’t do it by themselves,” Branscom said. 

According to Jessica Pickett, a celebration in honor of Chief Kent Branscom’s service will be scheduled soon.  

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