By Randy Bowman, Executive Director of the Kansas Association of Local Health Departments (KALHD)

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has released its 2026–2029 Strategic Plan, outlining how the federal government intends to strengthen national health security (link). Because Kansas counties carry much of the responsibility for public health, emergency management, and coordination with hospitals and EMS, this plan directly affects local operations and expectations.

ASPR’s central message is that preparedness must be demonstrated, not just documented. Counties will be expected to show real‑world readiness through training, exercises, and coordinated response capabilities. This highlights the importance of strong regional partnerships and consistent communication among public health, emergency management, and healthcare providers.

The plan also emphasizes modernizing the medical supply chain. While the federal government works to improve domestic manufacturing and strengthen the Strategic National Stockpile, counties will still need to maintain local readiness. This includes understanding how federal supplies are requested and distributed, assessing local stockpiles, and ensuring essential equipment is available during disruptions.

Healthcare system preparedness is another major focus. Hospitals, EMS agencies, long‑term care facilities, and local health departments will be expected to coordinate more closely, and counties play a key role in supporting these relationships. Ensuring that all local healthcare partners participate in regional planning and meet federal readiness benchmarks will become increasingly important, especially for surge capacity and emergency communication.

The plan also reinforces the need to protect vulnerable populations, including older adults, people with disabilities, and individuals with access and functional needs. Kansas counties will need to ensure their emergency plans include strategies for identifying and assisting these residents, particularly during power outages, evacuations, or severe weather events. Federal tools such as the HHS emPOWER Program (link) can help counties identify residents who rely on electricity‑dependent medical equipment.

Finally, ASPR highlights behavioral health as a core component of disaster response. Many Kansas counties already face challenges in availability of these services, and the federal emphasis on behavioral health integration means counties should consider how crisis counseling and long‑term support fit into their emergency planning.

For Kansas county commissioners, this plan is an opportunity to reassess local preparedness and ensure alignment with federal expectations. Requesting briefings from local health department, emergency management, and healthcare partners is a practical first step. Over time, counties may need to update emergency plans, strengthen regional coordination, and support investments that improve resilience. The ASPR plan makes clear that strong local leadership is essential to national preparedness, and Kansas counties that act now will be better positioned to protect their residents when emergencies arise.

Public safety agencies and local government partners are invited to attend a free virtual workshop on public safety drone use and aircraft rescue and firefighting response.

Who: Public safety agencies, fire departments, emergency management staff, airport partners, and local government personnel

What: A virtual workshop covering drone use for situational awareness, safety, and efficiency, along with introductory aircraft incident response considerations

When: Monday, June 30, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Virtual

Register here: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/fe3d8d8d-01ea-4332-b91c-dd1ec5acca22@dcae8101-c92d-480c-bc43-c6761ccccc5a

The workshop will be recorded and posted online after the event.

Note: This introductory workshop does not fulfill ARFF training requirements for firefighters serving a commercial service airport.

kdot_june_30_2026_public_saf.pdf

Click image to view PSA on the FBI website.

The Executive Board plays a key role in guiding KAC’s advocacy, member services, and education initiatives, ensuring counties have a strong and unified voice.

The newly elected officers are:

• President: Terry David, Rice County
• Vice President: Karla Nichols, Reno County
• Secretary: Sean Robertson, Saline County
• Treasurer: Karen Madison, Cowley County
• Past President: Crystal Malchose, Geary County

“These leaders bring deep experience and a strong commitment to county government,” said Bruce Chladny, KAC’s Executive Director. “Their service advances local leadership and decision making for Kansas counties.”

The mission of the Kansas Association of Counties is to advance the public interest by promoting effective, responsive county government through legislative representation, technical assistance, leadership, and professional development. The Association's mission is grounded in state law and shaped by the leadership of its nineteen-member Governing Board.

Contact:
Molly Nevius
Events and Communications Director

Kansas Association of Counties
info@kansascounties.org
785.272.2585

For more information, visit www.kansascounties.org.

Dear members,

I want to share an update with you all…

I have traveled to every corner of this wonderful state over the last several years with KAC and I have noticed a common trait – passion. Every single community has passion for their community and for the things that make their community a wonderful place to live.

After more than seven years, my professional journey is taking me in a new direction and I will be leaving KAC, but I will carry that enthusiasm with me. The love you all have for your communities made me love this job and wake up eager and excited to work with you all.

I am full of gratitude for all of you that welcomed me not just into the KAC family, but into your community. I have had the privilege of a lifetime to represent you all in front of the legislature, in court filings and in public forums. I have enjoyed visiting you in your home counties and seeing the very best of what Kansas has to offer across our great state.

As I prepare for my next step, I want to encourage everyone to keep working for the things that make counties great—local control, transparency, and the passion I already mentioned.

My final day with KAC will be February 16. I leave KAC with great memories and many great relationships with KAC and county staff alike. I will be forever grateful for everyone I have met along the way. It has been an honor to share a part of my journey with you all.

County strong.

Jay

____

Jay Hall

Deputy Director and General Counsel

Kansas Association of Counties

You can find the report here https://www.kslpa.gov/audit-report-library/reviewing-counties-costs-and-obligations-to-meet-state-requirements/

For more information contact Jay Hall at hall@kansascounties.org. 

##

To: Kansas Fire Chiefs, Building Owners, School Administrators, and Fire Safety Stakeholders
From: Mark Engholm, State Fire Marshal
Date: October 20, 2025
Subject: Issues with Recalled Fire Sprinkler Heads

As many of you are aware, on the night of July 13, 2025, a devastating fire occurred at the Gabriel House Assisted and Independent Living Facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, resulting in 10 fatalities and more than 30 injuries, including six firefighters who were injured while rescuing invalid residents from the building.

Although the final investigative report from the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal has not yet been released, preliminary findings indicate that several sprinkler heads found in the facility had been subject to a nationwide recall issued in 2001 and were never replaced. The recall, which affected approximately 35 million sprinkler heads, was issued due to a defective gasket that could prevent activation during a fire.

Investigators have confirmed that the recalled sprinkler heads were present throughout the facility. Notably, the sprinkler head located in the room where the fire originated failed to discharge water, contributing to the fire’s rapid spread. Additional recalled sprinklers have since been discovered in other facilities in Massachusetts, raising concerns that similar defective devices may still be installed in buildings elsewhere in the country.

These recalled sprinkler heads were distributed nationwide and installed in a wide variety of occupancies, including:

• Residential buildings
• Hospitals and nursing homes
• Day care centers and schools
• Dormitories
• Supermarkets, warehouses, and parking garages
• Office and commercial buildings

Although a free replacement program was implemented at the time of the recall, those programs have expired. Further information about the specific sprinkler head recalls can be found at the following links:

• https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2001/cpsc-central-sprinkler-company-announce-voluntary-recall-to-replace-o-ring-fire
• https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/1999/cpsc-mealane-corp-announce-recall-of-star-fire-sprinklers
  

The Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office (KSFM) urges fire department personnel, inspectors, fire protection contractors, and building owners to inspect all sprinkler systems within their jurisdictions to verify that recalled models are not present.

The affected sprinkler heads can typically be identified by markings such as:

• The words “CENTRAL” or “STAR”
• The letters “CSC”
• The letter “G” inside a triangle
• A star-shaped symbol stamped on the metal frame or deflector

Model designations and manufacture dates may also be stamped on the frame or deflector.

While the original replacement program has ended, it remains imperative that any recalled sprinkler heads still in service be replaced immediately to ensure proper system performance during a fire emergency.

In addition, NFPA 25: Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems requires that any sprinkler exhibiting the following conditions be replaced without delay:

• Leakage
• Corrosion detrimental to performance
• Physical damage
• Loss of fluid in the frangible bulb
• Accumulation of material (“loading”) that impairs operation
• Non-factory-applied paint or coatings (including spray foam or paint on the bulb/fusible link)
• Recalled sprinklers

I am optimistic that any recalled sprinkler heads that were installed in Kansas facilities have already been identified and replaced. However, through continued vigilance and collaboration among local authorities, inspectors, and facility operators, we can help ensure the ongoing safety of Kansas residents, especially those who are most vulnerable to injury or death during fires.

If you have questions regarding this or other fire safety issues, please contact our office at (785) 296-3401 or by email to prevention@ks.gov.

###

Bridge inspection requirements for in-service vehicular bridges in the United States have been in place for well over 50 years. Bridge inspections were first authorized by Congress in 1969 and the first set of NBIS (National Bridge Inspection Standards) regulations were enacted in 1971. Over the decades, many changes to the NBIS have occurred which include application of the NBIS to all bridges on public roads, the implementation of special requirements for fracture critical bridges (now known as non-redundant steel tension member bridges) and for underwater inspections, requirements for follow-up actions for critical findings, updates to minimum qualifications required for inspection team leaders and program managers and implementation of element level inspections for bridges on the National Highway System (NHS). In 2019, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making that set into motion the development of the most current bridge inspection standards adopted in June 2022.

The 2022 NBIS final rule resulted in several changes for bridge inspections that affect all bridge owners including Counties. Some of the changes have already occurred and some changes are in the implementation phase. Probably the most significant change is in the coding requirements and in new bridge features that have to be inspected. For many years, routine inspections and fracture critical bridge inspections (now known as non-redundant steel tension member (NTSM) inspections) for non-NHS bridges were performed following the 1995 Recording and Coding Guide for Structure Inventory and Appraisal of the Nation’s Bridges (1995 Coding Guide). The new standard adopted in 2022 has completely done away with the 1995 Coding Guide and replaced it with the 2022 Specifications for the National Bridge Inventory (SNBI).  This new standard adopts by reference the coding guide developed in 2014 under MAP 21 for performing element level bridge inspections on National Highway System (NHS) bridges.

SNBI does away with several coding items, reuses many of the current coding items and adds several new coding items. The 1995 Coding Guide had 120 total items to code. 100 of the 1995 coding items are included in SNBI and 20 of the 1995 coding items have been discontinued. SNBI has 154 total items to code including 54 new items. Of the 154 coding items, 113 items are fixed initial items, 37 items are inspected on each inspection cycle and 4 items are calculated based upon other data inputs. Some bridges, however, will have more than 37 coded items on each inspection. The new coding guide provides separate coding for each structural item type such as bridges that have multiple types of piers/pier footings or multiple types of abutments or even multiple superstructure member types. Each of these structural element types will have a separate set of inspection codes which will result in more than 154 coding items.

If you use the bridge inspection data for planning purposes, here is some of what you might notice. SNBI no longer calculates a sufficiency rating or deficiency status. The sufficiency rating was a system calculated score (scaled from 1 to 100 with 100 being the best condition score) that provided a general overall condition of the bridge. In the past, the sufficiency rating was one of the criteria used to determine eligibility for federal aid funding under the off-system bridge program. The deficiency status terms of “structurally deficient” and “functionally obsolete” that we were used to seeing are no longer used. Bridges will now have a system generated condition assessment of “Poor”, “Fair”, or “Good”. This condition assessment is based upon the lowest rating of any of the main bridge components. A partial list of other items that discontinued under SNBI include such items as the bridge replacement type and cost information, future ADT, under clearances, structural evaluation rating and approach guard rail and guardrail end codes.

Implementation of the new SNBI coding schema in Kansas has begun and must be fully completed by March 2028. KDOT submitted its last set of bridge inspection data under the 1995 Coding Guide format to FHWA in March 2025. KDOT will be using a conversion tool to migrate the old bridge inspection codes into the SNBI format. Any new data fields or even existing data fields that have multiple data inputs under SNBI will be assigned temporary codes. The temporary codes will be updated by the inspection team during the next round of inspections for the respective bridges. Bridges that are being inspected right now using the 1995 coding guide will have their data converted to the new SNBI coding format including the use of temporary codes prior to the next FHWA submittal.

Most counties in Kansas are completing routine and NSTM bridge inspections for 2025 using the 1995 coding guide even though KDOT will allow Counties to begin inspecting bridges under SNBI if they choose. Any bridges with a bridge inspection date of January 1, 2026 or after, however, must be inspected and coded under the SNBI coding requirements. KDOT will make its first submittal of bridge inspection data to FHWA in March 2026 under the SNBI schema. Most of the bridge data will be converted data using the temporary codes for blank fields or fields that do not have a direct conversion option. By March of 2028, all local bridges in Kansas will have been inspected under SNBI and all temporary codes will have been replaced with actual field verified codes. The March 2028 bridge data submittal to FHWA will be the first full set of bridge inspection data collected and entered under the 2022 SNBI coding requirements.

In 2024, KDOT began using a cloud-based application called InspectX as the field data collection and data entry platform for bridge inspections. InspectX is a customizable tool that KDOT has set up with their preferred input screens and formatting. The current version of InspectX being used by KDOT will need to be updated to the new SNBI coding format with the screen layouts and data entry preferences for Kansas. KDOT is working through the procurement process to update InspectX prior to the end of 2025. The current tool does allow field data required under SNBI to be collected and stored in the background. It’s not clear yet what will need to be done to move any of the new data collected and stored in the background into the correct SNBI fields once InpsectX is updated. KDOT will be rolling out information to Counties (owners) and bridge inspection teams once the update process is ready to start.

The FHWA has designated that NBIS program administration falls on state DOT’s, tribal units or FHWA depending upon geographic jurisdiction. In Kansas, KDOT is responsible for administration of the NBIS program and compliance with current requirements for all state and locally owned bridges. To assure uniformity in bridge identification data and to protect the integrity and validity of data fields, different levels of access/approval permissions were created under NBIS. There are essentially four primary levels established in NBIS and each level has different education and experience requirements. The highest level of access is the Program Manager role which is assigned solely to KDOT. The program manager has ultimate responsibility for the accuracy, integrity and quality control of bridge inspection data for all bridges under its jurisdiction. KDOT maintains the bridge inspection database and is the only entity that can edit locked or fixed fields. This information technically should never change over time with the exception of changes in route classification or bridge ownership.  The next level of access below the Project Manager is the Bridge Inspection Team Leader role.  The team leader is the person or firm assigned for oversight and approval of field inspections and evaluations for a group of bridges belonging to an owner such as a County. The team leader has the final review/approval authority at the local level and is the only person who has permission to submit local bridge inspection data to the program manager. The next level of access below the team leader role is the inspector role. The inspector has the ability to access and to edit data fields for bridges assigned to a team leader but is unable to approve and submit local bridge inspection data to KDOT. All data inputs from a person in the inspector role must be approved and certified by the team leader. The next and lowest level of access is the owner/guest role. The owner/guest can access and view all bridge inspection data and pictures for a group of bridges with permission from the program manager but is unable to make any edits or revisions.

KDOT provided several tidbits of information for this article to share with bridge owners to help make the program run smoothly in Kansas. A listing of these tidbits is provided below:

• Access to InspectX – Permission to access bridge inspection data has to be made by the owner to KDOT. The username for access to InspectX has to be an active email address. KDOT is requesting each County to use a generic active email address as a username instead of using a personalized email address to avoid creating multiple users for each bridge group owner. This may require working with your County IT Department to create a generic email address for the department that is always monitored. In my former role as County Engineer, I had a specific email address assigned to me with a handle of “dlutz”. It this case, I would request the IT Department to set up a separate generic email address with a handle of “countyengineer” that I or someone that I designate could monitor.
  
  
• Assignment of Bridge ID Numbers – KDOT assigns and reserves a new and unique ID number for each new bridge, even if the bridge is replacing an existing bridge that will be removed from service. Typically, a request for a bridge ID number is made to KDOT by the owner via the design engineer during the design phase. KDOT will request specific information for the proposed new bridge and also for the bridge being replaced. KDOT will then request verification (confirmation) of the bridge information from the owner via email prior to setting up the new bridge ID number. KDOT will then reserve the new bridge number. Once the new bridge has been constructed and is ready for initial inspection, KDOT will activate the bridge number and remove the bridge record for the bridge removed from service. KDOT is requesting the NBI number of the new bridge be included or referenced on the bridge plans and the NBI number of the old bridge being removed on the demolition/removal callout on the bridge plans.
  
  
• Initial Inspection – Once KDOT has reserved a bridge number, not all the fixed bridge identification and location field have been set up yet. KDOT requests that the bridge inspection team leader notify KDOT to review all the data fields from the initial inspection before the team leader hits the approval/submittal button. This allows KDOT to verify all the information for accuracy and consistency before the data fields are locked. Once the team leader submits data, only KDOT can revise or edit the fixed fields. The initial inspection needs to be completed within 3 months of the bridge being put in service.
  
  
• Inspection Date vs. Data Entry Data – Probably the most critical and time sensitive date in the bridge inspection system is the inspection date for each bridge. This is the date that establishes when the bridge is to be inspected next. For now, compliance with this date is based on the month and not the actual date. Thus, if a bridge has an inspection date of June 10, 2025, the owner simply needs to have the field inspection work completed sometime in June 2025 to be in compliance with the inspection interval. Data entry into InspectX has to be completed within 3 months of field inspection.
  
  

Kansas has developed a lot of pertinent information for local units of government to refer to and use. Much of this information is available on KDOT’s updated website. Keep in mind that only certified bridge inspection personnel can inspect bridges under NBIS in Kansas. KDOT has a list of qualified engineers/engineering firms certified to perform bridge inspections with approved bridge inspection team leader status. KDOT has a minimum Scope of Work required of bridge engineers performing routine and NSTM bridge inspections on all local bridges. Links to these documents are found on the Local Projects Page of KDOT’s website under the heading Bridge Inspection Information. A direct link is available to see the list of approved bridge inspection engineering firms and certified bridge inspection team leaders. There is also a link to KART to download the current scope of services which is located under the title Local Projects Bridge Inspection Docs.

KDOT anticipates that the cost of bridge inspections meeting the 2022 NBIS requirements will be more expensive, possibly as much as double in cost. Most of the cost should be incurred on the initial inspections under SNBI since there will be a few more inspection items in the field and several new fields in InspectX that will need to be populated. Subsequent inspections, however, should take less data input as the inspection team will only have the 37 plus fields that need to be checked and updated during each inspection cycle. If you have questions, you can always reach out to KDOT Bureau of Local Projects.

Supporting Documents: 

Kansas Local Bridge Inspection Team Leaders May 2025

2024 KS Local Routine Bridge Inspection Scope

2024 KS Local NSTM Bridge Inspection Scope

Photo courtesy of the National Association of Counties

Congratulations to Jay Hall, our Deputy Director and General Counsel, on being selected as one of only nineteen county leaders to participate in the National Association of Counties' (NACo) County Leadership Institute (CLI)!

This prestigious program brings together county leaders from across the nation to strengthen their leadership skills and drive positive change in their communities. Through a series of rigorous workshops and discussions, participants learned how to effectively address the demands of personal leadership in a new era of government.

"It was a tremendous privilege to be selected and to represent KAC and our members at this amazing program" Hall shared after his experience in Washington, D.C. last week.

Thank you, Jay, for representing the Kansas Association of Counties and the state of Kansas at the CLI—we’re proud to have you on our team!

Kansas lawmakers mandate county services but scrutinize property taxes that pay for them

By: Sherman Smith/The Kansas Reflector - February 17, 2025  9:00 am

TOPEKA — County government is boring. Except when it isn’t.

People depend on law enforcement, health departments, trash collections, recordkeeping and other services counties provide — but they only notice when a service fails.

And they don’t like to pay for the services.

State lawmakers especially don’t like to pay for the services.

The situation creates tension between state and local governments: State statutes require counties to provide 18 core services, but legislators have increasingly placed scrutiny on counties for assessing the property taxes that largely pay for them.

Bruce Chladny, executive director of the Kansas Association of Counties, and Jay Hall, the association’s deputy director and general counsel, talked about that strain during a recording of the Kansas Reflector podcast.

“We’re trying to have conversations with the state,” Chladny said. “They’re open to having conversations with us, but quite frankly, we don’t know what that magic formula looks like. We don’t know. Where do you get money from out of nothing?”

Legislators have floated various proposals in recent years to place a lid on local property tax collections. This year, the Senate has approved a constitutional amendment that would cap annual increases in appraised property values.

But legislators also have eliminated a number of programs that funneled state revenue to counties. The bipartisan tax cut package that lawmakers passed in a special session last summer, for instance, erased the Local Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund, which the state hadn’t funded in 20 years anyway. The fund was supposed to lower local property taxes.

County governments are left with an array of unfunded or underfunded mandates.

The state requires each of its 105 counties to provide a public health department, emergency management operations, solid waste planning, mental health services and various licenses, including marriage.

They must provide a sheriff’s office, coroner services, a jail, criminal prosecution and district courts.

They have to provide property valuations, collect property taxes and record property at a register of deeds.

They have to administer elections, maintain roads and bridges, control floods, and eradicate noxious weeds.

Local property taxes pay for 56% of those services, according to the Kansas Association of Counties. That doesn’t include the cost of infrastructure, such as maintaining a county courthouse where services are housed. Other sources of revenue include sales taxes and fees, but many fees — such as vehicle registration fees — don’t pay for the full cost of the service.

The state provides a fraction of overall county funding, including stipends for health and emergency management departments.

If it sounds boring, it is.

Jay Hall, deputy director and general counsel for the Kansas Association of Counties, answers questions during a Feb. 10, 2025, recording of the Kansas Reflector podcast. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)
 
Or, the way Hall sees it, it only seems boring because these services are necessary.

“They’re easy to ignore because most of the time they’re working very well, and we just kind of let that exist in the background, rather than really worrying about it,” Hall said. “Because, our elections run smoothly. Taxes are collected. Roads are taken care of.

“When we call 911 and somebody picks up on the other end, we don’t really think about what it takes to run those types of services. Now, if we called 911 and no one picked up, everyone would be upset, but that’s because we have the expectation. And counties consistently fulfill the expectation that there will be somebody on the other end of that line when you call 911, that the sheriff will come and take care of things, that the county roads and bridges will be maintained. Those are just the natural expectations.”

One of the association’s priorities this year is to educate state lawmakers and the public about the obligation counties have for legally required services.

“I try to remind people that at the local level, dollars equal services,” Hall said.