'Unusual partnership' called in for Overland Park dam, spillway inspection Thursday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Overland Park Fire Department announced Tuesday that its technical rescue team will assist a city engineer on Thursday morning with an inspection of a pipe below South Lake Park.

Inspectors are set to make a 150-foot trek up the pipe, which is 20 feet below the lake, at 9 a.m. Thursday.

South Lake Park is located north of W. 87th Street between Metcalf Avenue and Antioch Road.

The fire department said the focus of their partnership with inspectors is to mitigate risks such as air contamination, obstructions, and structural failure.

"This partnership will ensure the inspector’s safety, while providing the fire department with a unique training opportunity," a spokesperson with the fire department said.

OPFD said the team will provide ventilation to the spillway pipe while monitoring air quality, as well as test their new confined-space communications systems.

The Overland Park Parks Department will also provide boat assistance for the dam inspection.

Every three years, the City of Overland Park conducts an inspection of the dam and spillway pipe at South Lake Park to ensure that it's operationally sound.

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