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Ohio Township asks council for $2 million to keep firefighters, staff new Paradise Station
Summary
Ohio Township fire chief Scott Foreman and trustee Chad Bennett told the council their $2,000,000 PSLIT request would sustain 18 full-time firefighters, fund a new fire inspector position and pay six additional firefighters to staff Paradise Station for the first six months of territory operations.
Scott Foreman, Ohio Township fire chief, presented data on call volume and staffing shortfalls and asked Warrick County Council for a $2,000,000 PSLIT appropriation to sustain care and staffing. Foreman said the township has used PSLIT money to hire 18 full-time firefighters and that volunteers (41 on the roster) are no longer sufficient to cover increasing daytime demand. "We're asking for $2,000,000, to continue our lit funding that started 5 years ago," Foreman said during his presentation, noting that 72% of runs occur during daytime hours when volunteers are less available.
Township trustee Chad Bennett told council staff had provided a state Department of Local Government Finance projection of $17,029,000 for next year and asked the council not to reduce the distribution below 6% for fire departments so Ohio Township could maintain salaries and staff Paradise Station sooner. Chief Foreman emphasized response-time concerns, saying "every 2nd counts" and that his department is currently "0% compliant with industry standards on getting the right amount of people to the scene," underscoring the staffing gap the township reports.
