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Paoli establishes municipal volunteer fire department, names Austin Farris chief
Summary
The Paoli Town Council voted March 24 to create the Paoli Municipal Volunteer Fire Department, appoint Austin Farris as chief at $15,000 per year paid from the LIT fund, accept a training-center property, and amend town code to require departmental reports and file fire-department bylaws for public inspection.
The Paoli Town Council on March 24 voted to establish the Paoli Municipal Volunteer Fire Department and unanimously appointed Austin Farris as its fire chief with a $15,000 annual salary to be paid quarterly from the Local Income Tax (LIT) fund.
President Theron Owen presented the proposal and Councilman Danny Hickman moved to appoint Farris; Councilwoman Donna Dillard seconded. The council also unanimously accepted the fire training center property from Paoli Volunteer Fire Department Inc. and approved amendments to the town code to place the fire-department bylaws on file for public inspection, except for portions classified by Indiana law.
At the meeting Chief Farris told the council there are 17 certified firefighters ready to join the new municipal department and five others interested in certification. He said he will inventory all department gear and equipment on April 1. Councilman Hickman requested the town attorney review the legality of camera placement on the newly accepted property after Councilwoman Bobbie Bostock noted that a safe-haven baby drop box on the premises imposes restrictions on camera location and associated town responsibilities and fees.
The council voted unanimously to amend §32.52 to raise the allowed number of volunteer firefighters from up to 15 to up to 30 and to add a subsection to §32.53 requiring bylaws be kept on file at the town offices. Separately, the council amended §30.18 to require departments to present a report at every town meeting and to allow residents to request inclusion on the meeting agenda.
What happens next: Chief Farris will conduct the April 1 inventory and attorney Lyn Tucker Fullen will research camera-placement restrictions and related obligations tied to the baby drop box. The council did not record further fiscal or implementation timelines at the session.
