By Andrew Harp
The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
UTICA, Ind. — People are working to build a solid foundation for fire protection in Utica and Utica Township after circumstances led to this protection being interrupted.
Utica Fire & Rescue will be the new volunteer fire department that is a fully-staffed, 24/7 entity that will conduct fire and medical runs, but not EMS transport.
It will be fully controlled, owned and funded by the Utica Township Fire Protection District Board of Trustees.
To be more transparent, Utica Fire & Rescue is having an open house at the fire station, located at 5820 Utica Pike in Jeffersonville, at 7 p.m., July 28.
Corydon resident Shawn Bostock is the deputy chief of logistics and supply for the department. He began volunteering at the fire station to clean it after former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel was incarcerated after pleading guilty to several felonies including theft and corruption.
The board then ended its contract with New Chapel EMS last August, which then led to an interlocal agreement with the Jeffersonville Fire Department to provide fire protection in the area, although the agreement ends by the end of the year.
A fire territory was then proposed to possibly capture tax funding for JFD to then have paid staff to provide fire and EMS at the stations in Utica Township, but due to state legislation, this was rescinded by the Jeffersonville City Council in June.
Bostock said he is a retired firefighter himself and was asked to be put in this role at the department.
“We had to do what was best for all, and that was the volunteer model,” Bostock said.
Board of trustees President Joe Jarles, who is retired from the Fern Creek Fire Department in Louisville, said they have received 40 to 46 volunteer firefighter applications from many different places including firefighters from Jefferson County ( Kentucky ), Jeffersonville, Tri-Township, Sellersburg, Henryville and Monroe Township.
“They’ve seen our plight,” Jarles said.
He said they are hoping to have the department operational by January. He said he is in conversation with experienced instructors from Indiana and Kentucky to provide instruction. He said they plan on having recruit classes from August to January.
Jarles said they are selling nearly all the fire equipment they have, including three apparatuses, to purchase used equipment, since 80% of their budget would go toward making payments on these fire trucks.
He said area departments have also donated equipment, including one in Jefferson County that donated 30 pagers.
The purpose of the open house is to meet and interview applicants and for them and their families to also see the fire station and what they do. The general public is also allowed to attend.
“When we received the firehouse back from New Chapel, it was in horrendous condition,” Bostock said.
Bostock said the department is being supported by the JFD, New Albany Township Fire Department and the Monroe Township Fire Department.
“We want the citizens of Utica to know they are in good hands,” Bostock said.
Jarles said they will continue to operate alongside JFD until they feel they can operate on their own.
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