Frequently Asked Questions

The City Engineering Department can provide the location of sewer lines. Call (620) 793-4150 or visit in person at 525 Morton.

The City Engineering Department does have maps available for a fee. Call (620) 793-4150 or visit in person at 525 Morton.

The City Engineering Department can provide Plat information such as lot dimensions, easements, addition lot and block numbers. Call (620) 793-4150 or visit in person at 525 Morton.

• Timing of submittal of applications and certificates of ownership (both must be in our possession 22 day in advance of the Planning Commission meeting
• Action taken by either the Planning Commission or the City Council; and
• Any protest petitions filed or legal action taken by adjacent land owners to block the change

Thank you for your interest in employment with the City of Great Bend. An application is required for each position. Department heads will review applications and interview those applicants he/she determines will best meet the needs of the City, their department and the essential job functions of the position. Should your application be selected you will be contacted by Human Resources to arrange an interview.

The City of Great Bend accepts applications throughout the year for the Police Department. Applications are kept on file. When an opening occurs and the department is prepared to test, those who have applications on file may receive an invitation to test. 

Open until filled means that there is no application deadline. We will continue to accept applications until a candidate is selected, at which time the job posting will be closed.

Applications are screened at different times depending on the job title and application deadlines. You will be notified as soon as we determine whether or not you are being considered for a position.

Unfortunately, Medicare does not always cover ambulance charges to the hospital. It is important to remember that Medicare is a benefit, not an insurance plan. Medicare determines whether an ambulance trip is medically necessary by an established set of guidelines. If it is deemed not medically necessary by these guidelines Medicare will not cover the ambulance trip. Many factors contribute to this decision by Medicare. Some of these factors include: 

•Did the patient’s condition at the time 911 was called warrant immediate medical attention? Remember, this decision is made by Medicare, not by the EMS staff attending to the patient. 

•Could the patient have been taken to the hospital by any other means of transportation other than an ambulance? 

•If the patient was being transferred from one hospital to another hospital by ambulance, could the patient receive the same level of care from the transferring hospital? Also, in many cases Medicare will not pay for transport from a greater facility to a lesser facility, which includes being transported from a hospital back to a residence.

If Medicare does not cover your ambulance bill, you have the right to file with Medicare for a Medical Review. This process is explained in the Medicare Remittance Notice that the patient receives from Medicare in the mail. 

When filing for a Medical Review, it is recommended that the patient provide the following documents to Medicare: 

•A letter from the patient’s family physician explaining why the ambulance transport was medically necessary. 

•Copies of the patient’s ambulance transport medical records. The patient may contact the Great Bend Fire/EMS Billing Office at 620-793-4140 to obtain a copy of his/her records. 

•Copies of the patient’s medical records from the hospital that the patient was transported to. 

•A letter from the patient explaining why 911 was called for medical assistance. Notice: Filing for Medical Review does not guarantee that Medicare will reverse their original decision, but it is an option available to all patients covered through Medicare.

Most patients have insurance coverage secondary to Medicare. However, most of these secondary insurance policies are Medicare Secondary Supplement Policies, such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plan 65. These secondary insurance coverage plans will only cover balances after Medicare pays their coverage rates. Therefore, if Medicare does not cover the charges, then neither will most of the secondary insurance plans.

If a patient receives a bill for their ambulance transport without insurance being filed, it is most likely because the EMS Billing Office does not have complete insurance information on file for the patient. Please contact the Billing Office at 620-793-4141. This information can also be dropped off at or mailed to: 

Great Bend Fire/EMS 1205 Williams Great Bend, KS 67530 

Once all insurance information is on file with our billing office, we will gladly file a claim with your insurance provider.

Yes, the Great Bend Fire Department has a list of fire safety guidelines and regulations for fireworks stands. Fireworks stands must be inspected and permitted prior to opening and selling fireworks in the City of Great Bend. 

Fireworks may be discharged in the City of Great Bend on July 4th of each year from the hours of 10:00 am to 12:00 am (midnight). If July 4th falls on Sunday fireworks may be discharged from 12:00 pm (noon) to 12:00 am (midnight).

The Fire Inspection division is responsible for conducting fire inspections of commercial buildings, industrial buildings, businesses, restaurants, schools, churches and multi-family housing that are open to the public. The majority of these inspections are completed on an annual basis. These inspections are completed to ensure and encourage fire safety, access and proper storage and containment of hazardous materials to protect the building occupants, firefighters and the community. 

The Fire Inspector inspects both existing and new businesses under all occupancy types. These inspections cover a variety of items throughout the establishment but some of the more common items checked are exits and locks, clear corridors, fire extinguishers, maximum allowable occupancy and exit lighting. Two of the most common violations found are expired fire extinguishers and inoperative exit signs.

To schedule the meeting rooms at the Front Door, please contact Laryssa Howard at (620) 793-4111. For more information on the fees and procedures to use of the building, please refer to the additional information provided.

The Wetlands is open daily from 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm. The facility is also open on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm for family night.

Hours are subject to weather conditions.

For more information, please visit Wetlands Waterpark.

The Wetlands is available to groups wishing to hold private parties. Private parties will be available on most weekdays from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm and on weekends from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The fee for renting the facility is $200 per hour.

In addition, any group that has more than 100 people in attendance will be charged an extra $1 for every person in excess of 100. A deposit of $50 will be required when reserving the facility and will be applied to the total cost of renting the pool. Sales tax applies.

Please contact (620) 792-1516 to reserve the pool during the pool season. Outside the pool season, contact (620) 793-4160.

For more information, please visit

Jack Kilby Square and the band shell can be reserved for special events on a first-come, first-served basis. The special events form can be found under Departments-Public Lands-Park Department: Events 

Please fill our and return this form AT LEAST 14 business days in advance and be detailed and specific on location and needs. Turn it into City Hall and approval will be made by the Public Lands Director and/or city council if necessary. 

To have a form sent to you, please call (620) 793-4160 or visiting the Public Lands Department located at 1217 Williams Street.

There are currently no commercial flights in or out of Great Bend. The closest airports offering commercial flights are Hays,  Dodge City, Salina, and Wichita.

Permits for work done in the public right-of-way are issued and inspected by the City Building Inspections Department’s office. All permit applications can be obtained at the Building Inspections Office. The Building Inspections Office is located at 1217 Williams, 620-793-4106.  

All fire apparatus are Advanced Life Support (ALS) equipped and staffed at a minimum level of an EMT. In the instance that all four ambulances are busy with other medical calls or may be too far away to respond within the average 3 ½ minute response time an engine or fire truck is dispatched to respond. 

Police officers may respond to ambulance calls depending on the nature of the call. Police officers often respond to assist with scene safety or to assist if additional manpower is needed.

Not anymore, special training is required in order to install child car seats and none on the current staff is qualified to do so. 

Please reach out to the Barton County Health Department at (620) 793-1902 for questions regarding child car seat instillation.  

A full list of requirements can be found under our Employment page.