VERNON TOWNSHIP — The Vernon Township Fire Department is creating a volunteer group to provide various forms of support for first-responders during longer emergency events.
The department’s fire corps will be made up of fire personnel, retired personnel and community members who want to be involved. Along with the fire department, it will also be available to assist other public safety agencies in Hancock County.
Ray Hashley, captain of the fire corps, said the corps will provide tactical and rehabilitation support for longer events. That could include providing first-responders with water, snacks and spare air bottles, he said. The corps will man the fire department’s Tactical Support Unit 438, a rescue truck that was part of the former Fortville Volunteer Fire Department’s fleet. It has lights if needed for nighttime events and can be equipped with items like pop-up tents and chairs.
The fire department is having an informational meeting on the fire corps at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11 at Vernon Township Fire Station 3, 600 Vitality Drive, Fortville. An application process will follow for those interested in volunteering, along with training and regular meetings.
“It’s just a great way to get the community involved; it’s a great way to support first-responders,” Hashley said.
Not all of the fire corps’ members have to be those who would respond to emergency scenes, he said. Hashley added the fire department is also looking for volunteers to help administrate and assist with education, special projects and fundraising.
“There’s a lot of opportunities for people to come with the talents they have and to be able to be a part of the Vernon Township Fire Territory Fire Corps,” he said.
Hashley said the concept of a fire corps is fairly new for the area but that Vernon Township is modeling its program in part on one that serves the Fishers Fire Department and other public safety agencies in Hamilton County along with Marion County’s northeast corner.
Jim Chrena is one of the leaders of the fire corps there and has served on it for about 12 years. He said it has about 22 members and a core group of 11 or 12 who come from a variety of professional backgrounds.
They are dispatched to longer emergency events in the fire corps’ rehab support unit. Among the items that the unit can be equipped with, Chrena said, are a generator, heaters, misters, pop-up shelters, a portable toilet and toiletry kits and clothing for those who lose belongings in house fires.
First responders appreciate having that kind of support on long calls, he said.
“Firefighters are typically on duty for 24 hours,” Chrena said. “If they get dispatched to a fire at 10:30 in the morning and it’s a big one, they might be out there till 7 o’clock the next morning.”
He and his fellow volunteers have brought towels cooled by ice to gear-covered firefighters on hot days, and coats to victims who’ve had to flee burning homes in the winter.
“It’s a pretty rewarding volunteer opportunity,” Chrena said.
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WHAT: Vernon Township Fire Department Fire Corps informational meeting
WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11
WHERE: Vernon Township Fire Station 3, 600 Vitality Drive, Fortville
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