Safety board told Zionsville faces persistent firefighter staffing shortfalls; six recruits start shifts June 19

The Safety Board was told on June 15 that the Zionsville Fire Department faces persistent staffing shortages and is planning a budget request for six additional firefighter positions.

The Fire Chief told the board that six recruits graduated from the academy on June 5 and will begin transitioning to shift work the week of June 19, with a formal swearing-in scheduled at the July 6 town council meeting. "As of last Friday, June 5th, the six recruits that we had in the recruit academy have graduated," the Fire Chief said, and added that the recruits would be "hitting the shifts as of June 19th."

Why it matters: Department leaders said current staffing levels require frequent mandatory overtime to meet minimum coverage and that vacancies, retirements and the planned dissolution of Perry Township Volunteer Fire Department will compound shortfalls without new hires. "The staffing crisis in the fire department is real and it is present," the Fire Chief told the board, noting that Deputy Chief Gibbons has worked extended shifts to fill gaps.

Board members and staff outlined the timing and constraints for filling positions. The chief said recruit ride-along and on-the-job training timelines vary by prior experience—typically three weeks to a month for those with prior experience and as long as two to three months for those without—and that the department plans to send recruits to a January academy class with Pike Township. The chief reiterated the intent to include six firefighter positions in the upcoming budget request to restore apparatus staffing toward industry standards.

The board was also told that the Perry Township Volunteer Fire Department has said it plans to end service in January 2027 but has verbally agreed to provide volunteer coverage until the new station is operational, no later than July 2027. Department staff cautioned that if no additional hires occur by 2027, splitting staff to cover Station 295 could reduce service levels for units such as Medic 293.

To address clinical capacity, the department has opened a targeted hiring process for paramedics and is accepting applicants who are enrolled in paramedic school. The Merit Commission approved the process, which is posted on the town website.

The meeting closed discussion of staffing after board questions; the chief said further staffing reports will show when probationary firefighters are cleared to operate ambulances and that the town will continue to refine budgeting and academy timelines as retirements and light-duty assignments become clearer.