The first ever recruit class from the Buck Creek Township Fire Department graduated Friday after four weeks of intense training. The class includes Dalton Stewart, Parker Mohr and Chris Brumley to A Shift; Marcus Beckmann, Trey Stotts and Eddie LeMaster to B Shift; and Ashtyn Gosnell, Nicole Stephenson and Tim Birrer to C Shift.
BUCK CREEK TOWNSHIP — Due to so much growth in the western part of Hancock County, officials with the Buck Creek Township Fire Department have needed to hire more firefighters for several years now.
On Friday, plans to grow the fire department became reality.
Complete with the sound of the Indianapolis Public Safety Pipes and Drums, which played at the graduation ceremony, the first full recruit class graduated as first year firefighters and were immediately put into service.
Jessica Elliott, public information officer for Buck Creek Township Fire Department, said the new recruits worked hard to earn the right to be firefighters and noted the department is pleased to have them on board.
“We are very excited to bring this group of young and energetic firefighters on to our department,” Elliott said. “With the new class we will now have 10 people per shift.”
The class consisted of nine recruits who worked through four weeks of intense training to earn their firefighter positions.
“Our training was a little bit shorter than most departments, but this was our first class so it was a little bit of learning experience for everyone,” Elliott said. “We’ll figure out what might need to be changed as we move on down the road with the next class.”
During the four weeks, the recruit were taught the basics of EMS and fire safety. During the EMS training, the recruits were taught about pediatric advanced life support (PALS), advanced critical life support, (ACLS), CPR and Emergency vehicle operations course (EVOC).
On the fire side of the training, the recruits were able to learn skills about how to handle vehicle extrication, fire behavior, forceable entry, engine, ladder and tanker operations, hose advancement, speaker operations, hazmat, and they were even able to get a few hours in over at the Hancock County 911 Dispatch Center.
The recruits were also able to go through search and rescue training and rapid intervention teams (RIT) training, vertical and horizontal ventilation training and air flow paths for containing fires.
Officials noted the hiring process would not have been possible without Buck Creek Township Fire Deaprtment Chief Brandon Wilch and Trustee Micki Simunek who have worked hard to get the class on board.
“We are very excited and proud of how far the department has come,” Wilch said. “We all have put in a lot of work to get the department where it is today. With the incoming personnel, we are now able to staff multiple apparatus at a time, which gives Buck Creek Township additional coverage without having to pull as much mutual aide help from the surrounding departments.”
Officials also thanked county government from the Hancock County Redevelopment Commission, Hancock County Commissioners and the Hancock County Council for the financial support.
All nine of the new firefighters will continue working and training now that they are in service and are considered official “probationary firefighters.”
The assigntment of the new firefighters and their shifts are Dalton Stewart, Parker Mohr and Chris Brumley to A Shift; Marcus Beckmann, Trey Stotts and Eddie LeMaster to B Shift; along with Ashtyn Gosnell, Nicole Stephenson and Tim Birrer to C Shift.
