Joplin Fire Department Reflects on Record-Breaking 2025 and Recent Multi-Agency Heroics
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JOPLIN, MO – Following a week of intense emergency activity, the Joplin Fire Department is reflecting on a year of unprecedented demand while praising the seamless cooperation of regional first responders.
A "Week That Ended with a Bang"
In a recent interview with KZRG’s Morning News Watch, Dustin Luno of the Joplin Fire Department detailed a grueling Friday that pushed local resources to their limits. The chaos began with a massive mutual aid response to a hazardous materials fire at a reclaiming facility on Black Cat Road, located just outside city limits in the Carl Junction Fire District.
Because the area lacked fire hydrants, departments from across the tri-state area—including agencies from Kansas and Oklahoma—coordinated a massive "water shuttle." Tankers from departments such as Webb City, Carl Junction, Quapaw, and Galena lined up to taxi water from a fill site at 7th and Schifferdecker back to the scene.
"It was an absolutely crazy day," Luno said, noting that while several firefighters were transported to local hospitals for evaluation due to the intensity of the scene, all were cleared and returned to duty.
2025: A Year of Record Call Volume
The Black Cat Road fire served as a stark reminder of the department's increasing workload. Luno revealed that 2025 was the busiest year in the Joplin Fire Department’s history, with call volumes continuing to rise by roughly 4% to 5% annually.
2025 Statistics at a Glance:
Total Calls for Service: 9,980 (just shy of the 10,000 mark).
Medical Responses: 68% of total volume.
Fire Frequency: The department averages a working structure fire every 3.5 days within the city.
Luno emphasized that the modern fire department is an "all-hazards" organization. With nearly 70% of calls being medical in nature, all Joplin fire personnel are cross-trained as EMTs or Paramedics, and all apparatus are equipped for Advanced Life Support (ALS).
Safety Warnings for February
Despite the high volume of fire and medical calls, Luno noted one positive trend: fires in abandoned structures have decreased. He credited this to the city’s aggressive code enforcement and efforts to secure or remove dangerous buildings.
As the region moves through February, Luno issued a stern warning regarding the area's unpredictable weather. Following a tragic ice-related incident north of Tulsa, he urged residents to stay off local frozen ponds.
"At no point in time in our area is ice ever thick enough to walk on," Luno warned. "We do not have the temperatures to facilitate that. Do not ever get out on ice—you are going to go through it."
As the department prepares for the remainder of 2026, Luno encouraged citizens to visit their local stations under non-emergency circumstances to meet the teams keeping the community safe.
