The City of McCook utilizes a combination fire department.  The McCook City and Volunteer Fire Department consists of seven full time firefighters, a full time fire chief, a full time administrative assistant, and twenty-four volunteer firefighter/EMS providers.  Six full time firefighters along with the fire chief and three volunteer are paramedics.  The full time positions are Civil Service positions by their job descriptions.  Volunteers provide emergency fire and ambulance support and assistance.

McCook City and Volunteer Fire Department responds to fire calls within the confines of the City limits.  Our EMS response area covers approximately 320 sq miles, ranging from the Kansas-Nebraska border to approximately 16 miles north of McCook.  Our western border is the Red Willow-Hitchcock County line and our eastern border is approximately 4 miles east of McCook.  We can respond to calls of service outside the confines of our jurisdiction by means of the local Mutual Aid Agreements.

McCook City and Volunteer Fire Department has a current ISO rating of 6.  

We also offer paramedic intercept services to surrounding BLS ambulance squads in need of paramedic assistance.  The program works to provide advanced life support (ALS) to the requesting squad when they request assistance.  Assistance is usually requested for more serious types of calls such as:  cardiac arrest, severe trauma, chest pain, shortness of breath, or any calls that make a squad feel uncomfortable.  When the intercept service is requested, a quick response vehicle, with 2 paramedics and a driver respond.  The quick response vehicle is equipped with all needed ALS equipment and supplies.  Once the quick response vehicle meets the requesting squad, the paramedics board the squad and assist with ALS intervention.  The paramedics will then ride in the ambulance to the hospital.  This service enhances the excellent care provided by our local EMS squads by offering early ALS intervention.

In the year 2007, we responded to 642 EMS calls and 123 fire calls.