May 15, 1998

Fire Chief: Tax increase needed

       If White River Township residents want reliable fire service, they’ll have to pay for it.  Fire Chief Mike Dutton on Wednesday outlined the department’s 10-year plan for the White River Township Fire District Board.  The plan includes building a third fire station, purchasing an aerial truck and an ambulance and adding 25 full-time career firefighters.  Residents owning a $150,000 home would pay an additional $7.25 per month in taxes to make the plan work, said the district board’s accountant, Eric Reedy.  No decision has been made.  Another meeting is planned for 7 p.m. June 16, at Fire Station 2 on Fairview Road.  Dutton urged the board to take the plan seriously and to approve the tax increases.  He said the department is playing catch-up and can’t adequately cover its territory with current staffing.  The WRT fire protection district covers 25 square miles — including about 30,000 residents and about 200 commercial buildings.  In 1992, the fire department was dispatched to 721 runs. Last year, there were 1,242 runs.  Johnson County Planning Director Jeff Colvin said 80 percent of the county’s growth occurred in White River Township. He expects that to continue. By 2015, the township’s population is expected to reach 56,000.  Dutton said it takes rescue teams 11 minutes to reach some destinations, mainly near State Road 37. Industry standards suggest that firefighters should be on the scene within four minutes.  If they do reach the scene in time, often they must wait for “mutual aid” from another fire department, to provide an aerial truck to reach high roofs.  Resident Nancy Miller said that she would support higher taxes in exchange for better fire service.  Miller lives off Olive Branch Road, close to one of the fire stations. While she isn’t worried about response times for herself, she said the whole community needs to be protected.  “I would be willing to pay $87 more a year,” Miller said. “I’d rather pay that than lose someone.”  Another resident, Terri Corinko, who lives near State Road 135, agreed.  “I believe in better fire protection,” Korinko said. “It’s very important.”  The board members didn’t deny there was a problem in the district, but they cautioned that the plan needed to be scrutinized before a decision is made to raise taxes.  Board member Charles Shufflebarger said he is concerned about future expenses.  “I want to look at the plan real close,” Shufflebarger said.  “To me the budget is tight all down the line to do this.”  Another member, Butch Sutton questioned whether all River Township’s growth was occurring in the fire district.  While Colvin said there were 400 new homes built last year, Sutton wondered many fell in the Bargersville Fire District, which also covers the southern part of White River Township.  Sutton also said he would not support any plans for the department to operate its own ambulance service.  “I don’t know why we would get in that business,” Sutton said.  The fire department has contracted out ambulance service to a private company, EMAS – but the company’s hospital certification is now in limbo.  The fire chief has promised the department will provide ambulance service temporarily until the situation is resolved.   Board member Bill Patterson said he sees the need for even more staffing than Dutton outlined.  Unfortunately, the money isn’t there.  “I don’t know what else could be done,” Patterson said.  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)

 

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