The information contained herein contains excerpts from "Augusta Kansas 1868-1990" authored by Augusta Native Burl Allison, Jr., and from the Augusta Daily Gazette. Mr. Allison and Mr. Zerbe of the Gazette have authorized the information from these publications to be used herein. The Augusta Department of Public Safety is very grateful for their approval of this project.
August 18, 1890 - Augusta City Council Chambers and all records of proceedings prior to that date were destroyed by fire. Augusta did not have a formal fire department or safety department at the time.
November 20, 1890 - William Treweeke was employed as City Marshal and "night watch." His salary was fifteen dollars per month. One of Treweeke's duties was to capture dogs that were running loose. For each one caught, the reward was fifteen cents. A little later, John Anderson and J. M. Johnson were appointed as "special police to patrol the residence part of the city during the nighttime." No mention of pay has been found, however this apparently did not work well.
Within three months, the office of City Marshal was disposed with all together. Instead, "it was agreed to employ a man to work on the streets five hours per day, one to six p.m., such person to qualify and act as city marshal." The pay for this position was seventy-five cents a day. The marshal was also now authorized to shoot dogs running at large to try to resolve the problem.
July 1894 - Merchants of the community had decided to work together and hire Art Koons to work nights for security after the council eliminated the City Marshal position. A burglary ring had been reportedly operating in the area, and Augustan's wanted to ensure the city did not have these visitors. Fearful that the burglars may show up in Augusta, the Council changed their mind and hired two night watchmen to help Art Koons.
In addition, the Council had purchased twenty streetlights, presumably that this would help deter would be criminals. These lights were gasoline fueled, as there was no electricity or natural gas at the time. In addition to the lights, a 100-gallon gasoline tank was ordered, as was a stepladder and a car "for use of the marshal for filling street lamps."
July 10, 1896 - The Council ordered the marshal to fill mud holes on State Street after complaints. Also in 1896, just before Christmas, the calaboose (jail) was moved to the southwest corner of the park (which was located in the 500 block of School behind what is now City Hall). Ordinance #133 was passed forbidding the riding of bicycles on city sidewalks.
May 16, 1898 - The marshal had been instructed to "vigorously push the collection of dog taxes," after a problem with dogs resurfaced. A month later he was given the authority, almost a command, to kill off the dogs on which taxes had not been paid.
At the same time the council passed a resolution asking citizens to "desist from feeding tramps." Citizens were asked to direct the hoboes to the City Marshal, "who will feed them in exchange for work upon the streets of Augusta."
April 6, 1900 - The Frisco safe had been blown open and an undisclosed amount of cash was missing. The City Marshal was instructed to be more diligent in enforcing the curfew. In addition, the gate to the cemetery was ordered locked at nightfall, following some unwelcome episodes.
Also during the first few months of 1900, Timothy Sexton (Editor of the Gazette) wrote this about fire prevention efforts, "If some of the Augusta people who think this town needs a fire engine would watch the worthlessness of El Dorado's fire company at every fire in that town. They might change their minds as to the benefits derived from an engine here, a much smaller town."
July 20, 1909 - The Augusta Volunteer Fire Department was formed. Charles Donaldson had been elected fire chief, with Carl Buck as Captain of group number one and Otis Robinson as Captain of group number two. Buck was assisted by Charles Holmes, and Orville Long was Robinson's assistant.
September 6, 1909 - New pumps at the city waterworks had been installed. There was 8 feet of water in the tank and all water mains were filled. Once this was done, the firemen hooked a hose to the hydrant at Fifth and State to test the water pressure. When the hydrant was opened, the stream of water went over the top of the three-story building on the northwest corner of Fifth and State. This showed that the pressure was adequate. Not long after this, there was a house fire and the firemen got an opportunity to show off their skills. A wheel came off the hose cart and there were some wrinkles in the hose. Even with this taken into account, the blaze was extinguished and kept from spreading to other structures. This is rather remarkable considering the volunteer's had not even had a drill yet.
April 7, 1911 - The City Council excused the volunteer firemen from paying the "poll tax." At the time every male in the community had to pay a tax regardless of whether he owned property or not. To be exempted from this tax, as the firemen were, was an honor.
May 28, 1915 - Detective Ray Cunningham, of the Railroad Police, was shot during a fight with three men illegally riding on a train. The fight actually occurred in Beaumont, east of Augusta. Cunningham and two other detectives were checking the transients on the train in Beaumont when one of them shot Cunningham. The train continued to Augusta, carrying Cunningham’s body, and then stopped. Cunningham, and the boxcar he was aboard, were removed from the train. The suspects were apprehended later. See more information on this incident, and other “fallen officers” by clicking here.
April 9, 1916 - Ordinance #274 was passed. This ordinance had to do with automobiles driving on the streets of Augusta. The speed limit was set at 15-mph. When turning a corner, speed was to be reduced to 8-mph. Also, there were barrels placed in the middle of each intersection. When making a left turn, drivers were to go around the barrel in the intersection. "Good and sufficient brakes" were a requirement. "A suitable bell, horn or other signal" was to be sounded fifty feet prior to any intersection. One half hour after sunset and one half hour before sunrise, one or more lamps showing white light "visible within a reasonable distance from the direction toward such vehicle is proceeding and a red light visible from the reverse direction" were required.
Interesting events were caused by the enforcement of this ordinance. To follow this story, you must remember that the streets were mostly dirt during this time. With traffic the streets became extremely bumpy, which proved to be especially hard on taillights (a requirement per ordinance #274). The marshal at the time, Crowe, and his three policemen (one of them being Crowe's brother) were especially vigilant when it came to enforcement of this ordinance. The fine for violation of this ordinance was $16.85, and it was common knowledge that $6.85 of the fine went to the arresting officer. What an incentive!
October 5, 1916 - Enforcement of ordinance #274, as it had been done over the past several months, came to an abrupt halt. On that evening, W. R. Peal, a prominent Augustan (who was later treasurer of Butler County) came riding a horse down State Street. Mr. Peal had a long pole in one hand that had a lantern with a bright red globe hanging on the end of the pole. Inside, the flame flickered illuminating the red globe. The significance of the light was obvious to everyone. People along the curbs and sidewalks clapped and hooted, mocking the marshal, who was patrolling the street looking for non-burning taillights. The marshal and his men arrest Mr. Peal and took him to jail.
This did not go over well with the citizens of Augusta. A mob, six hundred or so in size, of angry citizens quickly formed. Marshal Crowe jumped on a car and shouted at the crowd to disperse. No one listened. He drew his pistol and fired several shots over their heads. The crowd was not affected and a brickbat came sailing through the air, hitting Crowe in the in the head and knocking him unconscious. He fell from the car and three or four men from the crowd started beating and kicking Crowe. Others rushed in and warded off the attackers. They then hurriedly moved the officer away from the scene. The mob, however, was not finished….
Someone suggested that they tear down the calaboose (jail). A majority seemed to have agreed and with sledgehammers and crowbars in hand, the group went to the jail. They pounded and pried on the walls and doors until the doors came crashing down. They freed all the prisoners, Mr. Peal included. Once all were freed, a march to the mayor's house ensued, demanding the discharge of the entire police force. The mayor was not home and could not be found. Nor could any of the policemen. All had gone into hiding.
John West, who was eleven years old at the time, reported that one of the policemen spent that night under his bed. John's father was the city street commissioner at the time, and may have been one to come to the aid of Crowe. None of the police officers ever showed up in Augusta again.
An official from Topeka was sent by the Governor to fix things. They wanted to nip the possibility of any recurrence of this type of events. Martial law was considered, however as it turned out, the officials' presence proved to be sufficient as a deterrent.
The official recommended that Butler County increase the size of its law enforcement body. Two days later, the owner of Robinson's Grocery was arrested. Obviously, someone stepped up to be the new marshal. And by the way, the charge for the owner…..no taillights on his auto!
October 17, 1916 - Ordinance #288 was passed banning loitering and lewd and lascivious conduct.
1917 - The City Council began the process to buy the City of Augusta's first fire truck. On January 6, 1917 the mayor broke a tie among the council and instructed the city clerk to purchase a Reo fire truck. The truck cost was $1875.00.
April 18, 1924 - Around 12:45 a.m. Officer Steven Jenkins was patrolling the downtown area when he noticed a subject inside the gas station at the northeast corner of 4th and State Streets. A shootout ensued. Jenkins was shot, and the suspect was killed by Jenkins. Jenkins died a week later of complications. This was Augusta's first documented officer killed in the line of duty and there has not been another since. News articles and further information pertaining to this incident can be found by clicking here.
1924 - A Flood took the city by surprise. The area south of 5th Street was under water! A rescue was initiated and one of the boats involved was capsized, throwing it occupants into the cold waters. Their boat went one way, and they were carried to an area behind what is now the Middle School in the 900 block of State. They grabbed the goal posts and started yelling for help. Another rescuer heard them and saved them.
The flood did claim one life. One man had gone into a building along the Santa Fe Railway Tracks. When the water came up higher than he thought it would, he decided to try to swim out. The current was running too strong, and it swept him away. He drowned. Damage was extensive and the need for a dike came to the attention of the community.
July 13, 1924 - A tornado struck the City of Augusta. Damage was estimated at one million dollars. The storm devastated the community.
July 14, 1930 - The Bisango Building, located at 406 State, burned. Also damaged in the blaze was the C.O. Varner building to the north and the two-story A.P. Bales building to the South. Damage was estimated at $50,000.
July 18, 1936 - A funeral was held for Fire Chief G. C. Clem.
November 10, 1936 - The Schoeb building was destroyed by fire with an estimated loss of $125,000. The building was built in the early 1920's at the southeast corner of 7th and State.
January 3, 1939 - A fire demolished the Long-Bell lumberyard to the tune of $75,000. The business was located on the east side of the 600 block of State Street. The official cause of the fire was listed as several barrels of turpentine and other combustibles exploding. The day before, the temperature had been 65 degrees, the hottest January day on record to that point.
January 18, 1943 - A massive fire destroyed four Augusta businesses. The fire, mysterious in origin, destroyed the Augusta Journal, the Quality Shoe Store, the Pantree Grocery Store, and the Nu-Way Café.
The Pantree, was one Augusta's most successful grocery stores; the Nu-Way Café was located at 527 State; the Augusta Journal (which was located at 6th and State) was revived, and the Quality Shoe Store never reopened.
1946 - The house of W.H. Cady burned. Mr. Cady (the owner of the Augusta Journal) was at home when the fire occurred, and perished in the fire. He was 86 years old.
Also noted in 1946, one of Augusta's most active and useful groups included the Volunteer Firemen. A report dated January 16, 1947 noted that Neil Jones was president of the group. Frank Bennington was fire chief and Charles Rawlings was his assistant. The volunteers had fought six business-building fires, four residential fires, fourteen grass fires, one garage fire, three chicken house fires, five car fires, and two trash fires over the previous year. The rural fire truck had helped six townships at different times including three residential fires, one garage fire, two barn fires, one shed fire, two tractor fires, twenty one prairie fires, and three trash fires. The volunteers still play a vital role in the safety of the community and surrounding fire district today.
September 25, 1948 - A couple of teenagers from Wichita hitched a ride to Augusta. When it got dark they realized they could not get a ride back, and decided to steal a car along the north edge of the city. The would-be thieves were not very good and made quite a bit of noise. Bob Puckett caught the pair and marched them to the Police Station. They were later taken to the Butler County jail in El Dorado.
The following night, at almost the same time, police caught a second would be bandit. The person was trying to break into the house of Mayme Kibbey, who lived on 7th Street where the overpass begins now (only a block north of the Puckett home). Mayme heard the burglar and called her neighbor and the police. Mayme's neighbor held the burglar at bay until police arrived. The suspect was taken into custody and found to be from El Dorado.
December 27, 1948 - A building fire at 514 State created extensive damage to the building and the contents. A Firestone store occupied the first floor and most of the merchandise was destroyed causing approximately $20,000 damage. Water flooded into the basement of the Prairie State Bank, located next door, destroying records and equipment. Dr. Haage's office on the second floor suffered the most damage at $40,000. Twenty firemen, working in near zero weather, managed to contain the fire to the one building.
July 18, 1949 - The Augusta Theatre was badly damaged by fire. No cause was given for the fire, but it apparently started in the storage room next to the projection booth. The fire was stubborn, and was still being fought the next morning. The director of safety at the refinery provided gas masks, as noxious fumes made it difficult to fight the fire. A movie was being shown to near one hundred people when the fire was noticed, however everyone stayed calm and left the theater in an orderly and quiet manner.
1950 - The Mar-Mac restaurant was severely vandalized. The club was located on West 7th Street and the suspects were caught. The boys involved were twelve years old, thirteen years old, and fifteen years old. They were sentenced to the Boys' Industrial School in Topeka, and then paroled under the courts jurisdiction until they reached the age of 21.
July 1950 - The City Council decided to purchase two-way radios for the Police Department. Prior to this purchase, two bare light bulbs were hung on 501 and 502 State Street. There were wires run to the Police Department and the desk Sergeant would flip a switch and turn on the lights when something came up that required the officers to contact the station.
May 1, 1951 - Augusta experienced another flood. The fire station whistle was blown and every boy and man went to help sandbag the openings in the dike.
June 23, 1951 - Augusta was pelted by a hailstorm. There was well over a million dollars worth of damage. Santa Fe Railway tracks were washed out, sixteen hundred windowpanes were knocked out in Augusta's school buildings, and the new Catholic Church lost all the windows on the north side.
1950's - A. E. "Bud" Pressnell had died from a heart ailment. Pressnell was the Fire Chief.
1960 - The Safety Department, combining Police and Fire Departments, was established. Initially there were some complaints, even some petitions. After smoothing things out, there was easier going and the Safety Department concept is still utilized today.
1961 - The City had a new fire truck ready for use, the cost $10,000. Eugene Otti, 45, Captain of the Safety Department died of a heart attack. The new fire truck was dedicated to his memory.
1962 - John Watkins was the new head of the Safety Department.
1965 - Another flood strikes Augusta. Water was 10 feet deep in the refinery along the south end of the City. The Mobile Plant would close because of this damage.
1966 - A fire destroyed the laundry business owned by Chet Crooks; only a year after a flood ravaged the business. Crooks continued his business in the dry cleaning shop next door.
September 1966 - Dense smoke from a grass fire that firemen were fighting was a cause in a fire truck accident. A fire truck ran into a jeep driven by Ed Pressnell. Pressnell was pinned in the jeep and his leg injured.
1967 - During a cookout, sparks from the fire set dry grass ablaze. The grass fire reached a barn and set it on fire as well. Before the blaze could be contained, a $25,000 fire truck was destroyed.
July 17, 1971 - A special meeting of the City Council dealt with a sharp increase in destructive vandalism. The Mayor and the City Council called for stiff enforcement to curb the problem. Officers on third shift were asked to be especially vigilant in their patrols.
February 4, 1973 - A fire destroyed the Coburn industries structure, a business that built mobile homes. The fire was believed to be arson and the loss was between $400,000 and $500,000. In addition, the security guard for the plant lost his life.
October 10, 1973 - Sandbaggers again came out in force to keep the city safe from floodwaters. This time, their efforts paid off! The city was spared. The city manager, John Mercer, praised the School district for releasing forty high school boys to help. Mercer claimed, "Without them we probably never would have got the job done!"
January 1974 - Joe and Luzelle Peterman's home on Bobbie Street exploded and burned. The cause was a build up of natural gas. Luzelle was hospitalized briefly.
March 1974 - Steve Shaffer was now the Director of the Augusta Safety Department. Shaffer developed the popular "Bugs Bunny Club," which is still popular among local youth today!
July 17, 1974 - A drought was keeping firemen busy. Fires in dry pastures were testing the firemen and keeping them on their toes.
January 25, 1975 - Forty Two Reserve police officers were in attendance at a police school that met twice a week for thirteen weeks.
March 18, 1975 - The first of four devastating fires occurred. The fire was at the Tumbleweed Motel, which was owned by Mr. And Mrs. John Kraft. The Motel, located just east of Augusta, burned to the ground.
March 28, 1975 - The second fire occurred at the Albatross Restaurant located at 515 State Street. Cost of the blaze was estimated at $70,000.00.
April 1, 1975 - A blaze destroyed a mobile home owned by Shane Phillips in the Whitewater Mobile Home Park on West 7th.
On the same day a house at 1215 Custer Lane, owned by D. E. Alky, burned with a loss of $10,800.00.
April 10, 1975 - The first Bugs Bunny Club was organized. The project was that of Director of Safety Steve Shaffer. The purpose was stated as "encouraging young people to get involved in what the police department is doing."
August 20, 1975 - The City of Augusta received a recognition award. The City had not experienced a traffic fatality in ten years.
January 29, 1977 - Lehr's Restaurant, located at 212 W. 7th, was completely destroyed by fire. The damage estimate was $400,000.00. The blaze started in an overheated attic furnace in the southwest corner of the building. Again, firefighters had to contend with sub-zero weather and units were called from El Dorado and Sedgwick County to assist. Although much effort was spent fighting the fire, the building was a total loss.
September 30, 1978 - The first Police Chaplain program was initiated with the Department of Public Safety.
1979 - For the past ten years, vandalism at Garvin Park had been a continuing problem. The latest incident resulted in a roofed picnic shelter being destroyed. Some roads were being altered and fencing was placed in strategic areas. The vandalism slowed, but continued.
March 2, 1979 - Headlines in the Augusta Gazette read “A.D.P.S Among State’s Most Progressive Departments”, with A.D.P.S. standing for Augusta Department of Public Safety.
June 9, 1979 - Once again, Augusta falls victim to flooding. Lunger's Furniture, on the east side of the City, had four to five inches of water in the store. Mobil refinery had reopened from the previous closing and again had three to four feet of water throughout the plant. Another set back, yet ten days later the refinery was back up and running. People in the Meadowview Acres addition also felt the effects of the flood and had water in a number of homes in this area. Due to the work of men and boys sandbagging the dike, most of the water was kept out of the city. Six hundred were evacuated, and two million dollars in damages was listed.
As a direct result of this flood, the Council elects to raise the height of the dike system by two to three feet, at a cost of $18,000 to $20,000 in July of 1979.
July 17, 1979 - A fire completely destroyed the Moyle Building, located at 607 State Street.
July 8, 1980 - A greenhouse owned by Charles Ray burned. Fireworks were believed to be the cause. 1980 quickly became an especially taxing year on local fire fighters. It was dry, and numerous grass fires kept crews working around the clock.
October 7, 1980 - The City Council approved a $45,411.00 addition to the fire station, which was located behind City Hall at the corner of 6th and School Streets. The addition would add garage space and height.
June 15, 1981 - The 400 block of Osage had vanished overnight. A fire had claimed the buildings that housed eight business establishments. The fire took Gardner Plumbing, Republic Steel, Augusta Lumber, Heist Maintenance, Bee Gee Roofing, El Dorado Times-Augusta Office, Sharp Construction, and Reese Painting. Arson was suspected in the blaze that injured 11 firefighters. The fire also damaged a home north of the site by embers blowing in the strong winds.
July 1981 - A pistol range is created along the southeastern part of the city. The range is mostly used by the Department of Public Safety. In the spring of 1981 Chief Shaffer suggested setting guidelines for the use of the range.
October 10, 1981 - 9-1-1 services become part of life in Augusta. Initially the 9-1-1 lines were not traced and were part of an administrative phone set up.
April 5, 1982 - A fire was reported at the First Lady Coiffure in the Northstar Shopping Center at Belmont and Ohio. While the fire was being battled, Cecil's Jewelry was broken into and burglarized. Arson was suspected in the fire at the Northstar Shopping Center, and it was believed to be a diversion for the burglary. On October 22, 1982, a suspect was arrested and charged with both crimes. April 27, 1983 he plead guilty.
November 1982 - Police Judge Cal Purdin died while presiding in court.
December 23, 1983 - 422 State Street falls victim to another disastrous fire. Again, the weather was sub- zero and bitter. Pipes had frozen and in trying to thaw them, something flammable had ignited. In only a few short minutes, the entire building was a blaze. The fire spread quickly and the job of fighting it was anything by easy. Sixty firefighters and fifteen trucks were in place at one time, however they managed to keep the fire from destroying the whole block. The Egg Roll Palace was destroyed, T.W. Productions gallery, at 420 State, was badly damaged, as was Lo Vellette's China and Gifts at 418 State.
Due to the weather, the water shot at the building by firefighters quickly froze and created a layer of ice on the outside of the building. The building was labeled the "Ice Palace" and had spectators from around the area out too see what had happened. Nine men fighting the fire were injured and damage to equipment climbed to over $10,000.00. Loss was estimated at $100,000.00 to the building and contents.
January 17, 1984 - Jerry Harrison, a volunteer firefighter of forty years, was recognized for his service.
October 11, 1985 - Yes, another flood. This time, Meadowview Acres addition was covered with four feet of water in only two hours.
November 15, 1984 - Officer Charles McCluer, of the Department of Public Safety, had been the top of his class in the Police Academy in Hutchinson. McCluer was the first Augusta officer to reach such distinction.
1986 - Augusta acquired a German Shepherd, named "Rikki," that was used as the first police service canine in the city. "Rikki" was retired in the 1991 due to prostate cancer and hip Dysphasia.
March 18, 1986 - Another disastrous flood strikes the Meadowview Acres addition. Residents looked for ways to solve the problem, however the U.S. Corp of Engineers projected the cost to fix the problem at $1,200,000.00. It was not cost effective and would not be.
July 10, 1986 - The Department of Public Safety added a concrete ramp leading to the entrance of the building for use by handicapped patrons.
September 4, 1991 - Sgt. Jean Russell, Communications Chief, passed away after serving the Department since 1974.
September 26, 1991 - Firefighters battled a blaze at the Homestead Inn on West 7th Street. The fire was caused by a faulty ventilator fan in the backroom office and did $7000.00 worth of damage. One firefighter was injured when his foot got caught in the rungs of the aerial ladder truck.
March 20, 1992 - Augusta officers investigate an attempt murder / suicide in the downtown business district. The incident was a result of an on going domestic problem between a male and female. The male died, the female survived.
June 22, 1992 - The City Council approved a 3-mil increase in the levy. This money would be used to fund the Butler County Drug Task Force.
September 16, 1992 - Chief Steve Shaffer, Director of Safety, resigned after 18 years of service with the Department. Deputy Director Richard Pressnell was named as interim chief.
October 20, 1992 - A clerk at a local gas station was shot and killed during a robbery. The suspect was appended within hours and the case was cleared. Augusta officers have a long history of successfully clearing high profile cases quickly.
January 11, 1993 - A new Director was selected to head the Department of Public Safety. Chief David Pate came to the department as the head of the agency. Pate, who came from the Wichita area, replaced Chief Shaeffer who resigned in 1992. Pate had retired from the Wichita Police Department as a Captain.
1993 - The Augusta Department of Public Safety patrol division logged nearly 1,600 criminal offense reports throughout the year. 299 Arrests were made during the year. The Fire Division recorded 275 alarms throughout the year.
Highlights from 1993 included the arrest of a man suspected in kidnapping a local juvenile. The child was found unharmed five hours after being reported missing. The suspect, a male from Texas, was arrested and formerly charged less than 45 days later.
Also in 1993, the department moves forward adding UHF radio equipment. The equipment replaced out dated "low band" equipment that would not reach outside of a close proximity to the station.
February 18, 1994 - Augusta Fire Fighters assisted Andover Fire Fighters with a grass fire that charred 1500 acres. Illegal burning was the apparent cause of the fire. Firefighters battled the blaze for three days.
March 4, 1994 - Firemen responded to a grass fire south of Augusta. Before the fire was extinguished, it burned one of the grass fire trucks at the scene. The dryness of the year created very dangerous conditions.
July 1, 1994 - A hefty windstorm struck the community and surrounding area. Several trees in the Cemetery were destroyed; US 54 west of the city had the westbound lanes closed due to power lines laying like toothpicks along the roadway. Department personnel responded to several calls of damage and persons trapped, and worked through the weekend to clean up the damage.
October 1994 - Augusta becomes the first community in Butler County to have enhanced 9-1-1. The switch was thrown allowing 9-1-1 dispatchers to immediately see the number, address, and name assigned to that address when the 9-1-1 phone rings.
December 22, 1994 - Augusta and other area firefighters battled a blaze in the old Lunger Furniture building located along the city's east side. The three-alarm fire was believed to be arson. Firefighters were on scene all night after the initial response at approximately 12:30 a.m.
1996 - The Augusta Department of Public Safety logged 1,686 criminal offense reports through the year of 1996 by the patrol division. Arrests cleared 668 of those. The two big cases of the year included a cross burning in the yard of a local resident during June and a traffic fatality during September. Arrests in both cases were made and resulted in charges of violation of civil rights and manslaughter respectively.
The fire division recorded 432 alarms throughout the year. Of the calls, 164 alarms in the City of Augusta, and 202 in the Fire District. The other 66 were mutual aid assignments to surrounding agencies. One fire related fatality occurred in the Fire District. Average response times were listed at 4 minutes within the City and ten minutes in the Fire District. An average of 10.6 firefighters would be on scene on City fires and 11.4 firefighters on rural scenes.
January 1997 - The "Adopt-A-Cop" program was initiated. The program is a way for local youth to get to know officers on a more personal level and not when dealing with bad situations. The program sends officers into the schools during lunch and recess breaks. The officers eat lunch with the students, and then spend the rest of the lunch hour at recess with the students.
May 1997 - The Department received approval from the Butler County Commissioners to purchase a new rescue truck. The truck was a one-ton crew cab diesel, and replaced a 1970's model pickup. The truck is used for vehicle extrication and other rescues, as well as support on larger fires.
1998 - The second police service canine, "Rosie," was placed in service. "Rosie," a Chocolate Lab, was trained in Narcotics detection and tracking/trailing. "Rosie" was obtained by funds from the Butler County Drug Task Force and purchased from T.A.S.K. in Texas. "Rosie" was in service for 5 years before being retired.
July 16, 1998 - Augusta Officers assisted Butler County Sheriff's Deputies with an officer involved shooting southwest of Augusta. A sheriff's deputy stopped to help a couple of men with a broken down car. One suspect fled, and began firing at the officer. The suspect was shot and wounded. It was found that the pair had been involved in a burglary of the Augusta Historical Museum.
October 31, 1998 - Augusta falls victim to massive flooding. This time, everything south of 7th Street, west of Walnut, and north to Summit is under water. Officers with the Department of Public Safety worked day in and day out to maintain order, save as much property as possible, and help with safety of the citizens. As a precautionary measure, all department equipment was relocated due to the rising water. Luckily the waters did not get into City Hall or the Station. The damage caused by the flood, which covered three counties in south central Kansas, quickly climbed over $37.8 million. This flood ended the Meadowview Acres addition problems as the houses were bought out. The flood was noted as a "100 year flood."
1999 - Augusta received a grant that allowed for the placement of an officer in the Augusta High School as a School Resource Officer. Officer Andy Hall was chosen for this task.
April 20, 2000 - A new fire engine is delivered to the Augusta Department of Public Safety. The engine, designated "Engine #1" cost approximately $200,000.00 and replaced a forty year old first out engine.
July 1, 2000 - Lt. Butch Haag retired. Haag spent 28 years with the Department of Public Safety and retired as the Lt. over the Fire Division.
April 2001 - The Augusta Department of Public Safety moved into a new facility at 2100 N. Ohio. The building was constructed by Butler County to house Butler County EMS, the Butler County Health Department, and the Department of Public Safety. It was a huge improvement for the Department.
2001 - The Department was awarded a grant for a second School Resource Officer, to be placed in the Augusta Middle School. Officer Chris Scheuber was selected as the SRO for this position.
March 27, 2002 - The first homicide in nearly ten years occurs at a local business. The victim was shot and killed in the store. Once again, the Augusta Department of Public Safety was successful in appending the suspect within minutes of the shooting.
January 17, 2003 - Chief David Pate retires after 10 years of service with the Department of Public Safety. Chief Pate remained in the community and took up a teaching position part time.
February 1, 2003 - K. Tyler Brewer was appointed as the new Director of Safety. Brewer's law enforcement background includes retiring from the Wichita Police Department with rank of Major. He also served as the Chief of Police for the Jefferson City, MO police department prior to coming to Augusta.
May 9, 2003 - Augusta finds itself battling floodwaters again. The front page of the Augusta Gazette reads, "TOO MUCH WHITEWATER!" referring to the Whitewater River west of the community, which caused the problems. The waters crept into the Meadowview Acres area again, but no major damage was reported.
October 20, 2003 - The Department of Public Safety purchased a new Police Service Canine, "Basco." The third canine that the City owned, "Basco" was purchased entirely with donated funds at a cost of $9200.00. "Basco" and handler Sgt. Chad McCluskey came back from training and began work on the streets as the new team. “Rosie”, the previous canine, retired at the age of 7 years.
November 2004 - The Department is on the cutting edge with 9-1-1 services that give GPS coordinates for cellular phones and addresses for calls made from a regular telephone.
March 2, 2005 – Lt. Bruce Relph was promoted to rank of Captain. Captain Relph will head the Special Services Division consisting of the criminal investigations unit, the community relations unit, and other units within the Division.
July 13, 2005 - Once again, ADPS is at the top of the technology wave. During July, we installed and implemented a new Computer Aided Dispatch (C.A.D.) and Records Management Software (R.M.S.). A few bugs needed to be worked out, but all in all we are quickly moving up the ladder with regards to technology. On July 13, the department made the switch to the automated system. With few problems, which can be expected, the system is working and officers learned to use it relatively quickly.
August 1, 2005 - School Resource Officer Chris Scheuber is promoted to the rank of Sergeant and assigned to the Patrol Division. As a patrol sergeant, Sgt. Scheuber will be responsible for one of the departments four patrol crews.
December, 2005 - Chief Tyler Brewer presented the idea of changing the patrol car fleet to a black and white color scheme. The idea was quickly made a reality and the entire patrol fleet was painted to match the new graphics and looks. Funds spent to complete the project came from donations.
January, 2006 - ADPS continues to enhance and improve equipment with the purchase of five new "third generation L.E.D. lightbars" for emergency vehicles. The light bars are the latest technology and provide the best protection available for personnel.
January, 2006 - Officer Bob Brautman is assigned as the ADPS D.A.R.E. officer. Brautman attended a two-week instructors class and began teaching on January 31. The position was previously held by Officer Brian Smith, who was moved to the Augusta Middle School Resource Officer spot upon the promotion of Sergeant Chris Scheuber on August 1, 2005.
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