Turkey Creek Fire Board members Larry Martindale, left, Corky Wong, Tom Hoover, John Heckaman and Dennis Darr. (Photo by Ray Balogh)

SYRACUSE — Turkey Creek fire and township advisory boards Monday, July 8, unanimously approved Fire Chief Mickey Scott’s proposed 2020 operations and equipment replacement budgets.
Scott proposed $1,894,899 for operations and $635,000 for equipment replacement. The operations total represents a 3.99% increase from this year’s budget, which includes a 2% salary increase for the chiefs, captains and full-time firefighters, paramedics and EMTs.
The equipment replacement budget includes $300,000 for half the cost of a new fire engine, $200,000 for an ambulance and $135,000 for three power cots.
The motorized cots are necessary to help protect firefighters from back injuries associated with hefting a manual ambulance cot or negotiating it over rough terrain.
Scott also said the department’s existing cots are several years old and frequently subject to repairs. “We have to take an ambulance out of service if we don’t have a cot,” he said.
Fire Board
Scott presented the department’s year-to-date budget. With half the year elapsed, the department has expended 37.09% of its yearly allocation.
Also in his June monthly report:
• The department responded to 13 fire calls and 106 EMS calls, with no property loss in the territory from fire. “We did provide mutual aid on structure fires twice to neighboring fire departments,” said Scott. The department has averaged 108 emergency runs per month this year.
• Department personnel underwent 440 hours of fire and EMS training on subjects including farm-related emergencies, radio repair, preplanning fireworks displays, public education, elevated rescue procedures, fire behavior, treating patients with blood disorders, extrication from vehicles, traumatic brain injury and neonatal post-delivery care and resuscitation.
• The department will hold a CPR class at 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, at Fire Station 1, 402 N. Huntington St., Syracuse. The class is free and open to the public. To sign up, call (574) 457-4100.
• A purchase agreement was signed for $579,078 for a new fire engine.
Township Board
According to Trustee Julie Close’s June report, the township disbursed $600 for rent assistance, $1,350 for utilities and $598.93 for food. All figures were down from May’s totals.
Scott reported the installation of a Safe Haven baby box at Fire Station 2 will commence after the contractor finishes with a box in Warsaw. No date has been set for the Turkey Creek installation.
The fire board will next meet at 6:45 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12, in Syracuse Town Hall. The township advisory board will meet at 7 p.m.