Kansas City Fire Department introduces new standards for firetruck drivers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The Kansas City Fire Department (KCFD) has updated requirements for any firefighter who gets behind the wheel of a firetruck.

Following a new set of standards from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Kansas City firefighters have to complete a month-plus-long course before being certified.

The firefighters who take the class have all been with the department for at least two years. In total, the course is 40 hours, with a number of exercises in and out of the classroom.

KCFD Deputy Chief Steven Shaumeyer said the program has become more rigorous than in years past. He said firefighters used to go through more one-on-one training, and the new system is more uniform for every crew.

“It’s all about trying to increase our capacity of service,” Shaumeyer said. “Making sure that we’re meeting new updated standards that were updated in 2024 and that we’re trying to just provide better service to the citizens of Kansas City.”

The updated driver training comes nearly four years after Dominic Biscari ran a red light in Westport, killing three people. Deputy Chief Shaumeyer said the training is not in response to that deadly crash; it is in place because of the standards from the NFPA.

According to Shaumeyer, there are roughly 90 firefighters who will graduate from the program in the next couple of weeks.

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