Law Enforcement Services
The City of Edgerton contracts with the Johnson County Sheriff's Department for law enforcement services. This includes enforcement of the Standard Traffic Ordinance and the Uniform Public Offense Code as adopted by the City Council. Sheriff Frank Denning is responsible for overseeing the operations of the Sheriff's Department.
Some of the other services the Sheriff's Department provides to the City are emergency services dispatch, prisoner detention, civil summons and subpoenas, community policing, crime investigations, forensic laboratory, and patrol.
The Sheriff's Department assists with the annual Cops n' Bobbers event held at Edgerton Lake. For more information about the Johnson County Sheriff's Department, visit their website at: www.jocosheriff.org.
To contact the Sheriff's Department, please call (913) 791-5800. In the event of an emergency, please call 911.
Fire Protection Services
The City of Edgerton receives its fire protection services from the Johnson County Rural Fire District #1 based out of Gardner, Kansas. The department has a staffed unit located in downtown Edgerton. The fire district services south central Johnson County, an area of over 100 square mile and a population of over 15,000 people. They have the only true aircraft rescue and firefighting apparatus in the County. The district also serves the New Century Air Center, the 5th busiest airport in the State of Kansas. The Fire Chief of the District is Max Sielert. Visit the Fire District's website at: www.jocofd1.org.
To contact the Fire District in Edgerton, call (913) 893-6820. In the event of an emergency, please call 911.
Emergency Management
The State requires that the counties provide emergency management services to the citizens within their jurisdictions. The City of Edgerton's emergency management is overseen by Johnson County Emergency Management and Homeland Security. They provide emergency management planning, education and training. For more information, visit their website at: www.jocoem.org.
Tornado & Severe Weather Warning System
The City of Edgerton has two severe weather warning sirens. The Johnson County Emergency Management Department tests the sirens on the first Wednesday of each month at 11:00 a.m. These sirens are an outdoor warning system and are not meant to be heard inside your home or in your basement. The outdoor warning system is set up to alert the public of a tornado warning (steady tone) or an attack (wavering tone). There are three basic criteria to activate the sirens for tornadoes:
- The National Weather Service issues a Tornado Warning for Johnson County,
- A county trained and certified weather spotter reports a tornado; or
- A tornado is reported by a local public safety official.
Johnson County has the capability of activating all of the sirens at once or by activating one or more of five established siren zones. All sirens are sounded unless the threat is clearly confined to an individual zone (or zones). During a tornado warning the sirens will be sounded for three minutes initially, then intermittently throughout the warning period as needed. There is NO “all-clear” siren.
What to do
If the outdoor warning system is heard at anytime other than scheduled test days, seek shelter and tune in to local radio, television, or your NOAA weather radio for instructions and information.
It is important to remember that any thunderstorm can produce a tornado with little or no warning. When a tornado warning is issued, take the following immediate safety precautions:
In homes or small buildings: Go to a pre-designated safe area such as the basement (if available) or to an interior room on the lowest floor, such as a closet or bathroom away from windows, doors, and outside walls. Upper floors are unsafe. If there is no time to descend, go to a closet, a small room with strong walls, or an inside hallway. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Get under a sturdy protection (heavy table or work bench), cover yourself with some sort of thick padding (mattress, blankets, etc.), and use your arms to cover your head and neck to protect against flying debris.
In schools, hospitals, factories, or shopping centers: Go to interior rooms and halls on the lowest floor. Stay away from glass enclosed places or areas with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums and warehouses. Crouch down and cover your head and neck. Centrally-located stairwells are good shelter.
In high-rise buildings: Go to interior small rooms or halls. Stay away from exterior walls or glassy areas.
In cars or mobile homes: ABANDON THEM IMMEDIATELY! Most deaths occur in cars and mobile homes. If you are in either of those locations, leave them and go to a substantial structure or designated tornado shelter.
If no suitable structure is nearby: Lie flat in the nearest ditch or depression and use your hands to cover your head. Be alert for flash floods. It is not recommended to seek shelter under overpasses.
Listen to a battery-powered NOAA weather radio or local radio or television station for updated information and to determine when conditions are safe.