Whitestown Fire Board reviews 2026 budget rollout as aging trucks rack up costly repairs

WHITESTOWN, Ind. — At its regular meeting Wednesday, Aug. 6, the Whitestown Fire Board reviewed an initial rollout of the 2026 budget, received monthly operations and EMS billing reports, and heard detailed updates from the fire chief about mounting repair costs and out-of-service days for multiple ladder trucks.

The chief told the board the budget increase is driven largely by contract-related pay changes that would move the base pay for full-time firefighters to $79,000 and produce “trickle down” increases in performance pay and longevity. The presentation proposed moving several pay-related lines — holidays, stack pays, the $4.57 match and vacation cash-out — into the full-time firefighter line so they are shown as part of that position’s cost.

The Nut Graf: The discussion matters because the department’s operating and capital choices for 2026 will need to account for both recurring costs tied to personnel contracts and near-term capital pressures: multiple front-line ladder trucks have required expensive repairs and lengthy downtime this year, narrowing available reserve capacity and increasing the urgency of budget decisions.

Chief’s operations and EMS figures: The chief reported July totals including 182 calls for the month and a year-to-date total of 1,182 calls. He said the EMS division recorded 379.5 training hours, 77 patient contacts and 75 transports in the month; the chief…