February 6, 2004

WRT to add fire personnel

       The White River Township Fire Department plans to more than double the number of full-time firefighters responding to emergency calls. 

After three years of asking state officials to raise taxes so the department could afford to hire more firefighters, officials this year have permission to raise an additional $1.7 million in property taxes to fund, for the most part, additional firefighters’ salaries. 

For White River Township fire protection district property owners, the increase will cause the property tax rate for the fire department to nearly double.  For example, owners of a home assessed at $100,000 will notice about a $44 increase in their tax bills this year.

More firefighters are needed to ensure timely responses to the increasing population and number of emergency calls the fire department receives, the state’s tax commissioner found.  The five-member fire protection district board unanimously approved the increase on Monday.  “We’ve been operating under the minimum for so long,” Chief Michael Tibbetts said.  “It is a godsend that this happened.”

The increase in staffing will bring the department up to National Fire Protection Association standards for serving the White River Township population, Tibbetts said.  More than 300 firefighters are expected to apply for the 19 positions, and fire department officials will likely need six months to test, interview, hire and train the new firefighters.

A first-year firefighter earns an annual salary of $34,643, according to information from the fire department.

Cost of a six-week training school, pension, workmen’s compensation, health insurance, vacation benefits, a clothing allowance, sick days and equipment raises the annual cost of hiring a firefighter to $75,000 to $80,000, Tibbetts said.

The new personnel are expected to begin work in October, but residents will notice the tax increase on the bills they receive this spring.

Fire department officials in 2003 conducted a public meeting at the White River Township library to explain to residents the need for the tax increase and the impact on homeowners.

State tax officials also conducted a hearing on the matter.  The final tax rate will be certified by the state Department of Local Government Finance.  Local government units should be notified of their individual tax rates this month.

Fire department officials have said that more firefighters were needed to respond to automobile accidents and fires in the district.  With only 14 full-time firefighters and 58 volunteer firefighters, the department often had only five or six firefighters responding to the scene of a personal-injury accident when eight firefighters were needed, Tibbetts said.

Even more worrisome was the lack of firefighters available to respond to residence fires.  Sometimes only 12 firefighters went to the scene when at least 18 were needed to search for victims and fight fires.  “If I show up with 12 people, how am I going to rescue somebody and put the fire out at the same time?”  Tibbetts said previously.  “That’s never going to happen.”

The number of emergency calls has been increasing about 20 percent per year, with the department responding to 1,700 calls in 2003.

The new firefighters will be trained as firefighters/EMT’s, and most will work as private engineers, Tibbetts said, driving the engines and staying with the equipment during a fire run.  For example, the firefighter may work on the water pumping system or ventilate a burning building.

Applicants will take a certified physical ability test that is used by fire departments across the United States, Tibbetts said.  The department will conduct oral interviews, agility tests and criminal background checks on the applicants.  The new firefighters will train at a Wayne Township facility in Marion County where Tibbetts’ brother, Harry Tibbetts, works as training director.  White River Township will rent the facility for $50 per day and spend $15,000 training the new firefighters during a six-week period.  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)
 
 
Click HERE to visit the current hiring information page

  

---