Turkey Creek Fire Board members Larry Martindale, left, and Tom Hoover listen intently to one of Fire Chief Mickey Scott’s requests to allocate equipment replacement funds. Photo by Ray Balogh.

By Ray Balogh
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — Turkey Creek fire and township advisory boards Monday, May 10, approved three expenditures for the Turkey Creek Fire Department. All appropriations will come from the department’s equipment replacement budget.

• $32,000 for the replacement of the department’s aging thermal imaging cameras. The current equipment is “approximately 15 years old and due for replacement,” said Fire Chief Mickey Scott. “We did conduct research and utilize different thermal imaging cameras provided for demonstration purposes.” The quoted amount includes a $2,000 credit for exchanging the current equipment.

• $6,810 for 10 new mattresses and mattress covers for firefighters. “We have utilized the mattresses we currently have for several years and they are in need of replacement,” said Scott. A first respondent discount by the vendor, Brooklyn Bedding, reduced the purchase amount to $6,356.

• An amount not to exceed $7,000 to replace the department’s 20-year-old rescue and ventilation saws. The purchase includes the saws, blades, two battery-powered chain saw conversion kits and two spare chains. With negotiated discounts, the expenditure with shipping will total $6,339.30.

Fire Board

Scott presented his monthly report for April:

• The department responded to 21 fire calls and 107 EMS calls during the month. The year-to-date total is 457 fire and EMS responses.

• Department personnel completed 487 hours of fire and EMS training. Topics included bloodborne pathogens, preparing for and responding to acts of violence, pharmacology, emergency scene accountability, ice rescue scene size up and storm spotter training.

• The furnace and air conditioning units at Station 2 were replaced.

• Scott applied for a “$149,000 and some change” grant from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to purchase mobile and portable radios. The grant is scheduled to be awarded between August and October.

• Dental and/or vision insurance coverage for full-time department members will begin June 1.

Noting May 16-22 is National EMS Week, Scott said, “We would like to acknowledge all our fire and EMS personnel for outstanding pre-hospital emergency medical care provided to citizens in our community every day. We appreciate the support we have received and continue to receive from our community during these trying times.

“We could not continue to provide this crucial and exceptional level of service without the outstanding support of our community. We are all very fortunate and should be proud to have a highly trained and excellent EMS service protecting us each and every day.”

Township Board

At the request of township attorney Andrew Grossnickle, the board approved a resolution for $772,854 in additional 2021 appropriations. The advertised public hearing yielded no participation from the public. The amounts approved were:

• $393,409 for the fire territory general fund

• $128,500 for supplies

• $240,945 for other services and charges

• $10,000 for capital outlay

Township Trustee Julie Close reported April poor relief disbursements of $200 for rent, $3,379.55 for utilities and $796 for food. She explained the spike in utility payments, which tripled those of March, was occasioned by a staff member’s illness that delayed the processing of March payments until April.

Close also reported a $18,990.58 transfer of funds to the fire territory for payment of equipment damage reimbursed by insurance.

The fire board will next meet at 6:45 p.m. Monday, June 14, in Syracuse Town Hall. The township advisory board will meet at 7 p.m.