Governor Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security announced a $10 million state investment in new personal protective equipment (PPE). This new equipment will allow volunteer firefighters across Indiana to better serve their communities.
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Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department, Starke County EMS, and fire personnel were called to several accidents Monday afternoon as a result of inclement weather.
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A bill that aims to strengthen the rights of professional firefighters was advanced Monday by the Indiana House of Representatives. House Bill 1015 would extend to full-time firefighters the same protections that the General Assembly put in place for police officers last year, according to the bill’s author, Representative Jim Pressel.
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An outside company will be evaluating Starke County’s radio system for the firefighters in order to come to a firm conclusion on what issues plague the radio communication with the county and firefighters and the firefighters themselves.
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The Starke County COAD is looking for local restaurants and businesses willing to donate food, beverages and other resources to first responders during lengthy emergency situations.
This would be a local effort similar to canteen services offered by the Red Cross. Starke County EMA Director J. Nier would assist the COAD with this initiative. When a major incident occurs and responders are expected to be out in the field for an extended period of time, she would call on COAD members to get resources to the scene as soon as possible. Continue reading
Firefighters from several departments told the Starke County Commissioners on Monday night that they continue to have problems with radio communication.
Culver-Union Township Fire Chief Terry Wakefield told the town council members last week that he’s received three applications for firefighters.
The fire department has suffered from a dwindling roster of firefighters and Wakefield has been soliciting for applications from Culver or Union Township residents for the past year hoping to gather interest in training to be a firefighter.
Firefighters with the Koontz Lake-Oregon Township Fire Department sold a fire truck to a group of firefighters from Mississippi last week.
The crew arrived at Koontz Lake on Wednesday night to look at the 1989 fire truck for sale. The firefighters agreed to purchase the fire truck for $15,000 and drove it home the next day.
Oregon Township officials considered the purchase of a bottle filler system for the Koontz Lake-Oregon Township Fire Department during their meeting Tuesday night.
Fire Chief Andy Lawrence explained that he needs to take the air bottle tanks to the Walkerton-Polk Township Fire Department to refill as their current compressor is outdated and can no longer adequately fill the tanks. He’d like to have one at the station so they won’t have to rely on using Walkerton’s equipment and creating more wear and tear on that equipment than necessary.
The tanks are worn by the firefighters to aid them with breathing when battling fires.
The Indiana Homeland Security Foundation has allocated more than $175-thousand to the state’s public safety agencies, including some in the local area.
The Culver-Union Township Fire Department is in need of volunteers. Officials with the volunteer fire department say it has shrunk to just 20 firefighters. Continue reading
A bill preventing firefighters from serving on Township Boards was approved in Indiana about two years ago, but State Senator Jim Arnold is trying to exempt firefighters under new legislation.
Senator Arnold has filed a bill that would allow an individual to serve as both a member of a Township Board and a volunteer firefighter. The move comes after many rural areas have been experiencing problems finding individuals to serve in government.
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One person has died in a house fire that occurred at 7315 E. 100 N. in Starke County. Washington Township Fire officials, along with the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office, are investigating the fire that occurred at midnight.
Here is just some of the news that made the news in the Kankakee Valley this week:
