The concept of fire prevention actually started in the first colonies as the result of several disastrous fires, but it was slow to gain acceptance until after the "Great Chicago Fire" in 1871. In 1911 by an act of Congress, a Fire Prevention Day was proclaimed to commemorate the tragedy of the Chicago fire. This annual observance elicited response in every city, including Wichita, in the form of parades, speeches, and demonstrations.

Later on the Fire Underwriters started to visit cities to grade fire protection capabilities and judge their fire prevention activities and codes. In 1921 after such a visit, one recommendation was to revise the Fire Prevention Code; this was done for the first time since the original code was adopted before the turn of the Century. Meanwhile fire drills were initiated in all school buildings, and evacuation procedures were taught by firefighters.

By 1925 Chief Brownewell was regularly informing the public about fire prevention through newspaper articles. The Chief appointed Earl Saunders as the first fire inspector of the Wichita Fire Department in 1926. By 1928 another man had been added to the new Fire Prevention Bureau. In addition to the duties of building inspection, the inspectors along with the Chief became involved in the activities of the Chamber of Commerce Fire Prevention Committee. This committee was composed of many of the city's business and professional leaders and was considered to be a very prestigious group. The interaction between this committee and the Wichita Fire Department proved to be very beneficial to the department in a host of ways, and at the same time served to educate the public about fire safety.

The Bureau was slowly growing both in scope of activity as well as in staff. In 1939 a Chief Inspector and two inspectors carried the responsibility of fire prevention for the department. As more attention was focused on fire prevention inspections, public education, and investigation of fires, it became necessary to promote two additional men to the Bureau which totaled five members in 1945. A change in title for the Chief Inspector to Fire Prevention Supervisor was made in 1960, and one position was upgraded to Assistant Fire Prevention Supervisor.

Under the McGaughey Administration, the Fire Department was reorganized and the Fire Prevention Bureau was changed to a division made up of three sections, Inspection, Investigation, and Fire Prevention Training, under the direction of a Fire Marshal, Clarke Longenecker, formerly Chief Fire Prevention Supervisor. Each section was ultimately headed by a captain, and with three men added in 1965 the new division was beginning to add stature and assume an ever increasing work load. As building activity in the city took on new dimensions, a new role developed for the division in the form of plans examination and construction inspection. By 1968 it became necessary to assign one man to this new area of concern, which later would become a small in size but large in importance section of Fire Prevention.

After Chief Carney assumed the position of Chief, he continued to increase the staff of the division until it reached a total of eighteen members, including one secretary, in 1971. Reorganization within the division over the next few years resulted in specialized inspection and evaluation of specific occupancies by each member.

Due to annexation and general growth of the city, the frequency of inspection of buildings continued to increase. As an answer to the problem, as well as to provide involvement of the Operations Division in a Fire Prevention activity, a building inspection program was instituted using fire companies as inspectors. This program made it necessary to assign one man from Fire Prevention to act as a combination trainer and liaison between the two divisions. Partially as a result of this new program, a computerized record keeping system was developed by the Administration Division to more accurately measure the impact of the inspection program.

As the trend toward total commitment to Fire Prevention continues throughout the department, the expected result will be to continually reduce the number of fires and subsequent loss of property and people. In the spring of 1978, the Wichita Fire Department was visited by the Urban Institute as one of thirteen cities having an impressive, as well as a progressive fire prevention program. Wichita continues to have one of the most efficient Fire Departments in the country, due partially to its total involvement in Fire Prevention.

Administration
Max W. Anderson Fire Marshal	Peggy A. Parker Secretary

Investigation
Carl E. Jones Chief Investigator	Jackie L. Schrader Fire Investigator
Jesse W. Killion Fire Investigator	Willis D. Swart Fire Investigator

Inspection
Robert L. Fraley Chief Inspector	Robert F. Hemingway Inspector	Roy G. Williams Inspector
Larry D. Tridle Inspector	Robert E. Camfield Inspector	Gary R. Huntsperger Inspector

Fire Prevention Training
Wilfred C. Lauver Chief Fire Prevention Training Instructor	James F. Harris Fire Prevention Training Instructor
David R. Goehring Fire Prevention Training Instructor	John W. Hicks Fire Prevention Training Instructor

Plans
Dolan M. Martin Building Plans Examiner	Gary L. Gerringer

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