A community’s first line of defense: Colby firefighters bring fire safety to Thomas County schools
October 28, 2026
Inside the Colby Fire Department’s training trailer, second-graders in Mrs. Arenberger’s class had plenty of questions.
What should you do if there’s smoke? How do you get out of your home? What if a smoke detector doesn’t work?
Chief Scott Hilbrink and Assistant Chief Luke Gribble split the work of leading students through the trailer, taking one class at a time so children can talk through scenarios in small groups. The questions came quickly, and students were eager to share what they knew.
The visits are part of the department’s Fire Prevention Month outreach. Its goal this October was to reach 662 children across Thomas County. Some of the smaller schools, including Sacred Heart, also toured the fire station during the month.
The lessons go home with the students, too. Children are asked to learn their home address, know their family’s escape plan and routinely check smoke detectors. Those conversations can prompt families to check their alarms and practice how they would get out safely.
For longtime volunteer Dwayne Plumisto, teaching prevention is one expression of a broader commitment to the community.
“I’m truly honored,” Plumisto said of serving with the department. He described generations of his family who have volunteered, and the camaraderie built through years of training, calls and community events. He also praised Chief Hilbrink, saying, “We got the right guy in the right position.”
That service depends on volunteers. The department has three full-time employees and a few dozen volunteer firefighters who help cover calls across the city and rural county. They train twice a month and serve in several areas, including city and rural fire response, rescue work and fire investigation.
Scott Platt, who has served about 17 years with Colby Fire and roughly a decade before that in eastern Kansas, called volunteering “a good way to give back to the community.” He said the department’s close-knit culture is one of its best features: “It really is a pretty close-knit group, family.”
Platt said new volunteers are welcomed, and there are ways to learn whether the work is a fit. “Come in when we have our different function, come in and ask questions, look at the trucks, look at the station,” he said. The department is open and welcoming to people who want to find out more.
That openness matters because the department needs volunteers. Plumisto said the roster can hold about 30 people and that it was closer to 20 at the time of his interview. Firefighters have families and other responsibilities, he noted, and the department understands that “family is first.”
Several local employers also help make the response possible. Some allow volunteer firefighters to leave work when a call comes in, and some continue paying them while they serve. That support can make the difference between a firefighter being available and a call going unanswered.
The work is often unseen: training on equipment, maintaining trucks and hose, and preparing for situations that residents hope never to happen. Plumisto said the department takes pride in keeping its trucks clean and ready, and in practicing skills such as ladder work and using breathing equipment.
The school visits offer a visible reminder of what that preparation is for. Firefighters give children practical knowledge and help families think ahead. Volunteers and their employers give the community a team ready to respond when prevention isn’t enough.
Plumisto put the relationship simply: “It’s your fire department.” Anyone interested in volunteering is encouraged to speak with Chief Scott Hilbrink and learn more about serving Thomas County.
