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Thorntown fire chief seeks $10,000 to upgrade underused engine, requests town truck for department use
Summary
Fire Chief JT Whitaker told the Town Council Jan. 26 that Engine 31 has only about 13,000 miles and requested $10,000 for upgrades to make it an all-purpose truck; Whitaker also asked that a white town truck formerly used by the building inspector be assigned to the Fire Department full time. Clerk-Treasurer Aly Hickman said funds are available.
JT Whitaker, the newly installed Thorntown Fire Chief, told the Town Council on Jan. 26 that Engine 31 is underutilized with roughly 13,000 miles and asked the council to authorize $10,000 in upgrades so the vehicle can serve as an all-purpose truck.
Whitaker also asked that the white truck previously used by the town building inspector be made available to the Fire Department as a full‑time vehicle; he said crews increasingly face overlapping calls (medical runs followed by alarm or crash responses) that make flexible equipment important. Clerk‑Treasurer Aly Hickman said the PS LIT – FIRE DEPARTMENT fund has sufficient balance to cover the $10,000 request.
Whitaker reviewed the department’s current leadership and staffing structure and the department’s capital timeline, saying new turnout gear is projected for 2028 and a replacement engine is forecast for 2030–2031. No formal vote on the $10,000 request was recorded during the meeting; Whitaker’s vehicle‑assignment request was discussed but not put to a separate motion.
The council did not object to further discussion of the white truck’s assignment; council members did not raise additional budget objections at the Jan. 26 meeting. The council may revisit the request in a later meeting if members ask for further detail on specific upgrades or vehicle transfer procedures.
