Matthew Stanley, right, is sworn in as a firefighter/EMT by township attorney Andrew Grossnickle during the Thursday, Dec. 12, meeting of the Turkey Creek fire board. (Photo by Ray Balogh)

SYRACUSE — Judging from the comments of board members, Turkey Creek fire and township advisory boards Thursday, Dec. 12, made one of their easiest decisions of the year as they each unanimously approved Fire Chief Mickey Scott’s request for expedited purchase of two ambulance cots and power load systems.

“If we accept delivery of the two cots and power load systems by the end of 2019 and arrange to have the invoice paid in 2020, we will save $7,668.20 off the purchase price of each cot and system, resulting in a net saving of $15,336.40.”
The cots were already scheduled for replacement in the fire territory’s 2020 equipment budget.

“This is a no-brainer,” said fire board member Tom Hoover before moving to approve the purchase. “We would have to be crazy not to do it,” said advisory board member Bill Dixon during that board’s vote.

The fire board asked Corky Wong to continue as its at-large member for 2020 and the township board appointed David Darr and John Heckaman as their representatives to the fire board for next year.

The township board also appointed Andrew Grossnickle to serve as township attorney for another year.

Fire Board

Matthew Stanley was sworn in as a firefighter/EMT during the meeting. Grossnickle administered the oath.

Scott issued his November report, which included:

• The department responded to 15 fire calls and 97 EMS calls during the month. Territory fire damage was limited to $400 from an oven fire. The department has responded to 1,326 emergency calls in 2019 through November.

• Department personnel completed 447 hours of training on such topics as inventory and inspection of apparatus, equipment and supplies; tanker operations; new cardiac arrest and CPR protocols; basic and advanced airway techniques; cardiology and respiratory meds; and IV practice.

• The demo ambulance the department ordered has been delivered and mobile radios and cot have been installed. “It was taken in on Dec. 2 to have the graphics wrap applied,” said Scott, a project expected to take one or two weeks.

Scott wrapped up his report by thanking the boards and town council “for working well together and with our department this year.

“Together we have made some big improvements for our department in 2019. We look forward to working with everyone in 2020 to continue to improve and provide the best care and protection we can to our citizens.

“We wish everyone in our community a happy and safe holiday season,” he said.

Township Board

The board approved amendments in the salary ordinance for fire territory employees and officers in 2020, foremost of which would require the department to pay up to a third of an injured employee’s wages “for the period of time specified for applicable temporary benefits under Indiana’s Worker Compensation laws.”

The change was made to rectify the shortfall caused by 77 PERF’s noninclusion of such payouts under its policies.

Township Trustee Julie Close reported November poor relief disbursements of $900 for rent, $1,716 for utilities and $499.50 for food.

The township also paid $7,800 to contractor Denise Wiggs for mowing all the township’s cemeteries during the 2019 season.

The fire board will next meet at 6:45 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13, in Syracuse Town Hall. The township advisory board will meet at 7 p.m.