State Fire Marshall
Statewide, Kansas
How we verified this
As of August 2026 the Kansas State Fire Marshal's talkgroups on the Kansas Statewide Interoperable Communication System (KSICS) are paired clear/secure, with the primaries in the clear ("871 FireMarshl Inv 1 — D") and the secondaries encrypted ("872 FireMarshl Inv 2 — Investigations 2 - Secure — D Enc", plus HazMat, SAR, Command and Tac 3/4 secure variants).
Encryption Details
What This Means
Only the tactical side is closed. SWAT callouts and sensitive operations are encrypted; ordinary calls for service may still reach a scanner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is State Fire Marshall radio encrypted?
Yes. State Fire Marshall uses P25 AES-256 encryption. Only the tactical side is closed. SWAT callouts and sensitive operations are encrypted; ordinary calls for service may still reach a scanner.
Can I listen to State Fire Marshall on a police scanner?
Partially. State Fire Marshall encrypts its tactical channels, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.
Why did State Fire Marshall encrypt their radio?
The reasons offered are almost always the same two: officer safety and operational security. Whether either was tested against a real Statewide County incident is rarely part of the public record, whereas the consequences are easy to observe — no real-time accountability, and neighbouring agencies still in the clear left working around the gap.
Can Statewide County reverse the encryption decision?
It can. The radios support open and encrypted operation equally well, so this is a configuration and a policy, not a constraint — and policies set by Statewide County officials are policies those officials can revisit when constituents press for it.
What can I do about State Fire Marshall encryption?
Put the question to whoever signs off on State Fire Marshall's radio budget: why full encryption rather than a delayed feed or tactical-only channels? File for the recordings and the decision documents alongside it, and link up with neighbours and local reporters in Statewide County so the ask arrives as a group rather than a one-off.