VERNON TOWNSHIP — Firefighters are now on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the first time in Vernon Township’s history.
Township trustee Florence May said as of Oct. 1, shifts made up of paid part-time and paid-per-run firefighters are now scheduled and on station at all times at the fire station at 600 Vitality Drive, Fortville.
Paid-per-run firefighters also continue to operate out of a fire station in McCordsville, but THEY aren’t scheduled and on station, as the facility cannot accommodate firefighters to stay there for extended periods of time.
May said it marked “an incredible shift” from when she took over at the beginning of the year, when there were two paid-per-run outfits with no one on station.
“We’ve taken nine months to get to this point,” May said.
That’s a few months ahead of the township’s goal for reaching on-duty firefighters 24/7, she continued, which was by the beginning of next year.
Historically, the township has owned most of the firefighting equipment and contracted with paid-per-run departments in Fortville and McCordsville. The recent staffing shift is part of the township’s plan to consolidate fire protection efforts as population grows and interest in paid-per-run firefighting falls.
Todd Jordan, Vernon Township fire chief, said the department started in May with about 15 paid part-time firefighters working Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. while depending on paid-per-run firefighters responding from off station during nights and weekends.
Jordan said the number of firefighters responding during nights and weekends lacked at times. The department then started a recruiting process that drew about 40 to 50 people interested in becoming members of the department and working shifts on station as paid-per-run firefighters.
About 20 of the new recruits didn’t have any firefighting training, Jordan said. He along with several other members of the department are certified instructors, who are providing that training free of charge.
Jordan said he then hired 20 more paid part-time firefighters, making a total of about 35.
About 20 members of the department are firefighter/paramedics, Jordan said, which will help when the township takes over ambulance services on Jan. 1, 2020.
“I feel that I have a good, strong group of firefighters,” Jordan said.
The community expects firefighters to be able to respond from a station at all times, May said, adding she’s spoken with residents who were surprised to learn that hasn’t been the case.
“I just congratulate Chief Todd Jordan, because he’s the one who made it happen,” May said. “Just hard, hard work.”
