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Vernon Township Fire reports rising EMS demand, plans new crew and equipment
Summary
Vernon Township Fire Chief Mark Elder told the McCordsville council on March 10 that total run volume increased about 10–12% in 2025, EMS calls make up "70 plus percent" of calls, and simultaneous-call frequency rose, prompting staffing additions and new programs including whole-blood administration and a grant-funded drone team.
McCordsville — Vernon Township Fire Chief Mark Elder told the town council on March 10 that the department saw a notable increase in calls in 2025 and is taking steps to maintain service levels.
Elder said total run volume rose about "10–12%" year over year, EMS incidents alone rose about 14.6%, and motor vehicle crashes with injuries increased roughly 19.1%. "The large green section is our EMS call volume which by all means 70 plus percent of our calls are EMS related," he said during a PowerPoint presentation. He reported the department’s average total response time from dispatch to first unit on scene is "6 minutes and 28 seconds."
Chief Elder flagged an increasing number of simultaneous calls as a growing operational challenge: last year the department was sent on a second call before finishing an initial one 367 times; 44 times it was sent on a third call, and there were multiple incidents with three or more overlapping calls. "21% of our incidents occur while we were already on another call," he said.
To address demand, Elder said the department finished hiring six individuals and expects the dedicated crew for Medic 431 to complete orientation by the end of the month and be placed in service by mid-April. He also highlighted two new programs introduced in 2025: an on-scene whole-blood administration program (the department administered blood to seven patients since September) and a grant-funded drone program used for fire mapping and searches; Elder said the drone program cost taxpayers nothing under a Ninstar grant.
Elder briefly reviewed training and community-risk reduction efforts, noting training hours affect Insurance Services Office credit and that the department uses Greenfield’s fixed training facility for live-fire training. He also previewed the pending arrival of the department’s first Quint ladder truck and said the department will invest time in driver and operations training before placing it in service.
Council members asked follow-up questions about committee matters and data reporting. Elder said earlier records-management system issues had limited monthly reporting but that the system was recently corrected and staff would resume regular reporting.
Provenance: presentation begins SEG 035; Q&A and hiring confirmation SEG 305–336.
