April 20, 1998

Sounding the alarm over fire protection

       People moving into White River Township see a safe community that offers nice homes, good schools and a low tax rate.  But they might not know they are moving into a community where the fire department says it is inadequate to serve the growing population.  “We are dodging the bullet,” said Fire Chief Mike Dutton. “We are playing Russian roulette, and each new home that is put in here is like putting another loaded cartridge in the revolver.”  Dutton said he isn’t trying to frighten residents, but he said there is a problem that needs to be addressed.  Industry standards recommend that fire department units arrive on the scene within four minutes of the first call.  It’s taking White River firefighters seven to 11 minutes to reach some homes.  Firefighters are doing their jobs, Dutton said.  The problem is that there are not enough firefighters and support staff to meet the demands of the second-fastest growing township in Indiana.  In 1992, the station had 721 runs. In 1996, it reached 1,245.  Last year, there were 1,242 runs.  Seven volunteer firefighters are on duty each day. State regulations mandate there should be at least 10.  The issue goes beyond the safety of residents.  Firefighters themselves are at risk, too.  Dutton said that for every two firefighters who go to an emergency there should be two firefighters outside on standby to rescue the firefighters at the scene.  White River Township isn’t meeting that goal. The shortage is tossed around the station like a bad joke.  “We say around here that if the house catches fire next door and the guys are on another run, it will be just me and the chief to fight it,” said Eric Brown, division chief.  The White River Township Fire Department covers 25 square miles that includes 28,000 people and about 200 commercial buildings.  The Bargersville Fire Department also serves parts of White River Township, but firefighter Mike Pruitt said his department deals with the end that is less populated.  By 2015, White River Township is projected to have 56,000 people.  Those estimates worry Dutton.  The solution starts with more funding, he said. The problem is finding a way to get it.  Tax revenues have not kept pace with growth, he said.  “We need to increase funding,” Dutton said. “We are playing catch-up right now. And we still aren’t there.”
 

Too many close calls

Dutton can back up his claims by turning to Feb. 4 on his run logs.  At 6:17 am., firefighters — who are also trained as emergency medical personnel — responded to a personal-injury accident on Smith Valley Road. The accident required extrication from a vehicle, and all seven firefighters from both stations responded.  At 6:25 am., the station received an emergency medical call from the 900 block of Dreamy Street in the Carefree Estates.  All the emergency apparatuses were at the other scene. Luckily, Scott Cassin, a division chief and paramedic, was at the station. He drove in his personal vehicle to save the man who was in cardiac arrest.  Firefighter Jeremy Pell tells another story about sitting and waiting for a train to pass as a mobile home burned in Friendly Village on County Line Road.  The call came in at 12:58 a.m. April 10. There is no fire station on the other side of the railroad tracks. While the station owns land on the other side of the tracks, there isn’t money for a new station, Dutton said.  As the trailer burned, firefighters sat helplessly on the other side of the tracks.  Chief Dutton, who lives in the area, responded in his truck within six minutes.  “But he was one man with no water,” Pell said.  The firefighters were at least six minutes behind the chief because of the train, making the response time at least 12 minutes.  “The home burned up the whole kitchen, and luckily no one was home,” Pell said. “Once we got there, we did an excellent stop (to the fire), but it was getting there that was the problem.”  While firefighters can use other departments to help, the response time is still slow. If the Greenwood department is called to assist on a fire, it could take 15 minutes for them to get to White River Township, Dutton said.  Michael Ball lives across the street from the mobile home that sat burning as firefighters waited to get across the train tracks.  “I don’t like that at all,” Ball said. “I have two kids, and I want them to have a fair chance as any other kid in getting out.”
 

Digging for dollars

The department used to be in worse shape until the fire district board was established, allowing a taxing district to provide fire service with volunteers.  In 1997, the fire department received 28 cents on assessed valuation in the township. The library receives 29 cents.  In 1996, the department received 18 cents on every $100 per assessed valuation in the township. For the same year, the library received 28 cents.  The disparity doesn’t please Dutton.  “We all like libraries,” Dutton said. “But everyone wants a truck that will save their baby from a burning house, too.”  The reason the fire department rate increased in 1997 is because the department included a debt fund to help pay for needed equipment.  Dutton said that rate will go back to 18 cents in six years.  Schools receive the most money in White River Township, $5.38 per $100 of assessed evaluation in 1997.  If the fire department wants to receive more money, there needs to be a change in legislation that would increase taxes for White River Township residents.  Tug Sutton, a member of the White River Township Fire District Board, said the fire department is a priority, but everyone needs to look at what funds have already been provided.  “I think all of us need to balance service with the tax rate,” Sutton said. “I share the firefighters’ concern and the taxpayers’ concern. This is not a problem that happened overnight, and it’s not going to be solved overnight. I’m frustrated with the money issue too.”  Part of the problem is that White River Township is an unincorporated area, which means it doesn’t have full-time fire or police service.  “People move down here and want a rural setting, but they don’t have police and firefighters on every corner,” Sutton said.  “If they want that, they will have to pay for them point blank.”  Sutton knows that’s not a popular opinion and said he would feel better if the majority of White River Township residents said they would support more taxes to see more firefighters and police.  But even the man who knows how his neighbor’s trailer burned in Friendly Village balked at extra taxes.  “I don’t know about that,” Ball said.  Yet a few houses down the street, Mary Ann Kiggins said she thinks extra taxes would be “worth it for the protection.”  “I don’t think the taxes would raise that much,” Kiggins said. “I would like to see a solution to this problem.” 
 

A search for solutions

If the fire department is to increase staff and build a new station, taxes would have to be raised by allowing the fire district board to receive funds from the state’s cumulative fund.  That money would be used to purchase equipment for the fire station’s future needs.  Butch Sutton, chairman of the White River Township Fire District Board, said balancing the fire department needs with the goal of maintaining a low tax rate is a difficult proposition.  “We feel responsible to worry about the tax side and the fire protection side,” Sutton said.  “The fire department doesn’t have that obligation, and that’s probably good.”  Butch Sutton said the fire district board will have a meeting at 7 p.m. May 13 to discuss the issues with the fire department.  “As the township continues to grow there will be needs, but we have to determine if they are huge enough to make major investments,” Sutton said.  “We need to be cautious and intelligent.”  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)

  
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