Dave Little, Fire Captain

He was on scene of a house fire in Overland Park in 2011 that tragically killed an 8-year-old girl who was having a sleepover at her friend’s house. The home did not have a working smoke alarm.

“Seeing her covered in soot and knowing that she was my daughter’s age, knowing that she didn’t survive, and finding out the homeowners didn’t have a working smoke alarm — it really affected me,” said Dave Little, Lenexa Fire Department Captain — Prevention Division. “If that hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have considered going into prevention.”  

That tragic incident ignited a shift in Dave’s perspective on fire safety. 

“I didn’t know how old my smoke alarms were, and I didn’t have them in every bedroom,” he said.  

The next morning after his shift, Dave bought new smoke alarms and installed them throughout his home.  

“Even as a firefighter, I hadn’t taken these precautions seriously,” he admitted. “I wanted to make sure my family was safe.” 

With this newfound understanding came a challenge: how to share crucial fire safety information with the community to prevent others from facing such a tragedy. 

“Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years,” he emphasized. “The date it was made should be on back of the smoke alarm. If it’s over 10 years old, or you don’t see a date, throw it away and replace it with a new one."

When a smoke alarm beeps in the middle of the night signaling low batteries, Dave urges homeowners to take it seriously.  

“I would rather you call 911 at 2 a.m. and have them come out to make sure your smoke alarm is working properly then having you smack it off the ceiling with a broom and going back to bed,” he said. “Chances are you’re not going to have a fire that night, but same chances are you’re not going to get up the next morning and replace the battery and put it back up.”  

For smoke alarms, Dave suggests sticking with the type already in the home if they have wires that plug into them. He also recommends alarms with sealed 10-year batteries that don’t require annual battery replacement.  

“Ideally, you should have a smoke alarm in each bedroom, outside of each bedroom, and on every level of your home,” he said.  

The Lenexa Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Division, which includes Dave and four other dedicated staff members, is responsible for a wide range of community safety initiatives. This includes reviewing new building plans, overseeing annual fire inspections, investigating fire incidents, issuing burning permits, and hosting public events like the annual Fire Open House. 

"I love the team that we have” he said. “We're all there because we want to be there. You have to have some passion for prevention.” 

Dave discovered the meaning of passion as a teenager by observing his half-brother Jim, who was eight years older, wholeheartedly pursuing his own interests.  

“I didn't spend a whole lot of time with him growing up because of the age difference,” Dave said. “But I do remember going to Alabama to see him graduate basic training and it was like going there and seeing the base... it really stuck with me. I looked up to him and everyone who was serving.” 

As he entered his senior year of high school, his parents encouraged him to pursue college, but Dave had different plans. 

“I was ready to be done with school; I just wanted to go be an adult,” he said. I went to talk to a recruiter, and I enlisted in the Army.”  

After graduating from basic training in September 1995, Dave was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, and later spent time in Kuwait before leaving the Army in 1998. Upon returning to Kansas City, he decided to follow in his father Sam’s footsteps and become a police officer. 

“I always looked up to him and I remember playing with his handcuffs and going to the police station with him,” Dave said. “He worked a lot of overtime so my mom would make dinner for us, and we would eat at home, then she’d wrap a plate with aluminum foil, and we'd take it to him. He would meet us in the breakroom, and I just enjoyed being around him and the other police officers.” 

But after four years as an officer, Dave felt a shift was needed.  

“I was becoming kind of a negative person,” he said. “The majority of police officers have the ability to go to work and leave it at work but I had some difficulty doing that.”  

Determined for a change, Dave returned to school.  

“I had met some firefighters at the previous City I worked for and got to talk to them about their job,” he said. “It seemed like a job I would enjoy more.”  

While working full time, Dave earned his EMT certification and completed courses to become a firefighter.  

“At the time, the City of Lenexa was the only fire department hiring so I applied and got the job,” he said. “It was like starting over.” 

Dave’s early days in firefighting deepened his appreciation for teamwork.  

“The firefighting profession is very unique in general because you spend a 24-hour shift with your crew,” he said. You eat all your meals together. You go to bed at the same time. And between training and calls, you have time to bond at work.”  

For two decades, it has been the people that has kept Dave serving the City of Lenexa.  

“It’s really about the people that I work with — the support we have from leadership in the fire department, city administrative leadership, the community, everything,” Dave said. 

After 14 years of working in operations and becoming a lieutenant, Dave was ready for another career move.  But this time, within the same field.  

“The shift firefighter can be difficult for family life,” he said. “It seems like you’re on shift for every birthday, baseball or football game, and any special event is on one of the 9 or 10 days a month you’re working. But there’s tradeoffs with everything.”  

When an opening in the prevention division arose, he jumped at the opportunity. 

“When I interviewed for the job, I told them about that 2011 fire and how I wanted to educate the public,” he said.  

Now, as a Fire Captain in the Prevention Division, Dave engages with the community, helping residents address home safety concerns and checking smoke alarms in homes of the elderly and disabled. 

“You would be surprised at how many residents have lived in their homes for 50+ years and never changed their smoke alarms,” Dave said. “I hope they never have a fire in their home, but it makes me feel better knowing that if there is a fire in their home, they’ll have a better chance of getting out and surviving because they have working smoke alarms.” 

Whether on a fire truck or not, the fire department staff are dedicated to helping people.  

“I’m proud of my 14 years in operations,” Dave said. “Being a firefighter is rewarding. You’re there for people on their worst days. But working in prevention is equally rewarding, knowing I’m helping others indirectly by educating them to prevent tragedies.”  

Dave lives in Lenexa with his wife, Kathrine, and their dog, Ember. Together, they have a family of four children: Nick, Audrey, Mason, and Emily. Outside of work, Dave enjoys home improvement projects, outdoor trips with Kathrine, and being involved with his church, continuing his commitment to serving his community in every aspect of his life. 

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Published Oct. 7, 2024