October 1, 2009

Fire departments study joint operations

       More firefighters, fire trucks and ambulances are needed in northern Johnson County, no matter if White River Township Fire Department merges with the Greenwood Fire Department, township Fire Chief Jeremy Pell said.  The Center Grove area has outgrown the township's fire department, which is not able to respond to two simultaneous calls without help from a neighboring department because of the current staff level, Pell said.  The Center Grove area has outgrown the township's fire department, which is not able to respond to two simultaneous calls without help from a neighboring department because of the current staff level, Pell said.  Staffing needs will be addressed in a merger study between the township and the city departments, which is now under review by Pell and Greenwood Fire Chief James Sipes.  "One of the biggest issues in this is the staffing on duty," Pell said. "We want to be able to handle another run, whether that's another fire or an EMS call."  The White River Township-Greenwood merger study group asked the fire departments to study joining, which would have to be done independently of a union between the city and township governments and requires a separate process.

         This month, before firefighters completed their own study, White River Township-Greenwood merger study group chairman Pat Sherman suggested that the new city would convene a commission to join the fire departments if they had not merged by the time the new city had incorporated.  "It wasn't unexpected that the government merger group would recommend that," Pell said. "But that's only if the merger happens. We're looking at ways to work together more closely, whether or not the governments merge."  Greenwood is a city fire department governed by the mayor, city council and board of public works, while the township has a fire protection district that's overseen by a board appointed by the Johnson County Board of Commissioners and that serves the township north of Stones Crossing Road.  The final report from the fire departments' study, which is still in progress, will address a need for more firefighters in northern Johnson County, Pell said.

         The Center Grove area's population grew faster during the housing boom of the past decade than the department has, Pell said. It has 35 full-time and 70 part-time firefighters, with 17 firefighters on duty on any given shift.  Currently, the department has enough firefighters to respond to only a single fire or car accident but not enough to handle multiple calls at once. If second call comes in while firefighters are battling a blaze or cutting open a crumpled car, they have to call a neighboring department such as Greenwood, Indianapolis or Bargersville.  Those departments might be out on their own calls, which can slow response times. National standards call for the first firefighters to arrive at the scene of an emergency within four minutes, but just driving from Greenwood to a call in Center Grove can add at least three minutes in travel time.  "With vehicle accidents, seconds could mean the difference if someone makes it or not," Pell said. "With fires, they double every 60 seconds. We view this as a critical public safety issue."  White River Township firefighters respond to about 3,000 calls or year, or about eight a day. Calls often come in at the same time, particularly during rush hours when more vehicles are on the road, Pell said.

         The township is using a $650,000 federal grant to fund a new ambulance and a crew of firefighters trained as paramedics. A long-term goal is to have the department staff and operate two ambulances in the township.  Some form of merger with Greenwood would mean a broader tax base, which would make it easier to hire more firefighters and bulk up the staffing on any given shift, Pell said.  "We already go out on the same runs all over northern Johnson County and operate seamlessly together, but we could take that to the next step," he said. "There's the question of whether there would be a legal union."  In their merger study, the fire departments are looking at ways they can work more closely together, such as through joint purchasing, whether or not there's a merger, Pell said. The departments train together and jointly respond to all fires and most calls. They share a tactical rescue team, which specializes in rescuing people from trenches, collapses buildings and other dangerous places.  Since this spring, firefighters have looked at how the two departments could operate as a single agency. Department heads and firefighters of all ranks with specialized knowledge have served on study groups that have reviewed different areas of focus such as human resources, code enforcement, operations and support services.  Ten study groups compiled information in those areas that's broken into the categories of what the White River Fire Department is doing, what the Greenwood Fire Department does, and how it would work if they came together.  They've reviewed the different policies, procedures, compensation structure, staffing and health and wellness programs.  The study groups have turned in their preliminary reports, and Sipes and Pell are reviewing the findings, particularly what would change if the two departments were to join. The two chiefs are preparing a comprehensive report, which will include recommendations for working together even if there isn't a legal consolidation, Pell said.  "We want to closely review this and be careful with how we present it," Pell said. "We want a plan that will result in better fire protection for all the residents, be fair to the taxpayers and just result in the best possible public safety."  Once complete, a report will be presented to the White River Township Fire Protection District board and the merger study group, Pell said.  The White River Township fire department operates in a protected fire district, so the county commissioners would have to agree to dissolve the district before a merger of the departments could take place. The departments could decide to merge even if the proposed merger between Greenwood and White River Township fails, such as if voters reject it.  (Reprinted with permission from the Daily Journal)
 

      
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