A Utica, Indiana fire board is taking action to shore up emergency services after Jeffersonville stopped a fire territory last month due to a new state law limiting its funding.
The Utica Township Fire Protection District board voted last week to create the Utica Fire and Rescue Department, a volunteer department dedicated to coverage to Utica and Utica Township.
Joe Jarles, who was appointed as fire chief after stepping down as president of the district board last week, said he hopes to have 30 firefighters ready to start work by Jan. 1. They’re also looking to recruit support staff for jobs like maintenance and cleaning. They’re accepting applications now, and will also do interviews at an open house July 28.
“I think that we'll be successful,” Jarles said. “I think with the level of people that we have that are going to help with training, I think that it will be a department that Utica can be proud of.”
Last year, the board ended a facilities use agreement with the Utica Township Volunteer Firefighters Association, also known as New Chapel EMS. It came amid the criminal investigation of former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel, who had previously operated it. The board also ended a fire services contract.
The district has been covered through an agreement with the Jeffersonville Fire Department, but that expires at the end of the year. In spring, and after hurdles including legal action, the entities approved the fire territory. It was originally planned to provide fire and EMS coverage to Jeffersonville, Utica and Utica Township.
But a recent law capped what the territory can levy in property taxes to pay for operations and officials said it was no longer feasible, even without EMS. Clark County currently provides contracted EMS coverage.
Jarles previously said the district can’t afford its own coverage without support like the partnership with Jeffersonville. He said it’s in debt due to Noel’s crimes.
But the board is making it work — with plans like selling more expensive assets such as fire trucks and replacing them with used ones. They’ve also had a lot of local departments and others stepping up to help with things like donated or loaned equipment for training and other necessities to get the department running.
“A lot of people recognize that this was not a normal situation,” Jarles said. “Firefighters see the situation that the department's in, and they want to help correct this.”
Jarles said while having dedicated coverage has been a long time coming, “this is not the result we wanted,” he said. “We wanted to be part of Jeffersonville. We wanted paid Jeffersonville professional firefighters.”
Jarles said Noel “put the community at grave risk” in a “horrendous situation of greed.”
But he said they’re moving in a positive direction.
“What’s behind us is behind us and we’re moving forward,” he said. “This is going to be good for the town of Utica and Utica Township.”
Along with Jarles as chief, the volunteer department’s staff include his son, Eric Brown, as deputy chief, Shawn Bostock as assistant chief of logistics and Andy Oates as assistant chief of communications.
The board and department are hosting an open house at 7 p.m. on July 28 at 5820 Utica Pike in Jeffersonville. Applications can be found here.
Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec Inc., the Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation, and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County.
