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Structure of county-wide fire protection explained here
By Dennis Marshall
NEW HARMONY, Ind. — A proposal to reorganize fire protection across much of Posey County would place paid firefighters at stations in six locations, add part-time personnel to cover daytime shortages, and bring participating departments under a single countywide district.
The plan was presented at three public meetings over the weekend, including one Sunday, Oct. 11, at Ribeyre Gym in New Harmony.
Local fire stations and volunteer companies would remain, but participating communities would shift to a countywide fire protection tax rate of up to $0.3519 per $100 of assessed value, replacing their existing local fire protection rates. Several departments reported missing runs because not enough personnel were available to respond.
“We have a lot of excellent volunteer firefighters in this county,” Black Township Fire & Rescue Chief Jay Price said. “But there’s just not enough. We’re not available 24 hours a day and that’s causing a problem.”
The plan envisions a phased transition beginning in 2028, with additional personnel and operational expansion through 2032. It has not been adopted. County commissioners and participating towns still face decisions about establishing the district. Mount Vernon, which operates its own department, would remain outside the proposed district, with mutual aid continuing.
__PAID STAFFING__
The presentation identified six locations for full-time personnel: Poseyville, New Harmony, Wadesville, the Marrs Township stations on St. Phillip Road and Ford Road, and Black Township’s Industrial Road station.
Under the station-level plan, three full-time personnel would be assigned to Poseyville, two to New Harmony, two to Wadesville, two to each Marrs Township station and three to Black Township. Six part-time positions would address daytime shortages primarily in Smith Township, Griffin and Point Township. Heavy rescue units would be based in Poseyville and Black Township.
No stations would close. Three already have living quarters — Black Township and both Marrs Township stations — while others would need accommodations built.
The proposed structure places a fire chief over a deputy chief and specialized leadership positions for operations, administration, training, emergency medical services and special operations. North and South Battalion Chiefs would oversee field operations.
“Today in this county, every fire department works together if they have to,” Price said. “Every department, one way or another, has automatic aid.”
On a structure fire or fire alarm in much of the county, at least two departments are dispatched under the current arrangement, he said. The proposed district would build on that existing cooperation. Price said the county’s apparatus is in good condition, but the shortage is people.
“Our equipment is in excellent shape all across this county,” he said. “We have good fire equipment. Our townships and our towns have done excellent on being able to provide that, but we just don’t have the people to get on it.”
Volunteers would remain part of local companies and work alongside paid personnel. Those who cannot meet interior firefighting standards could still drive apparatus, assist with command, direct traffic or handle logistics. Existing volunteers could also apply for the part-time positions.
__MISSED RUNS AND RISING COSTS__
Figures presented at the meeting showed how often several departments were unable to respond to calls during a recent period. Poseyville recorded 178 runs and could not respond to 38 calls. New Harmony recorded 218 runs and could not respond to 25. Griffin recorded 127 runs and could not respond to 10, while Marrs Township recorded 273 runs and could not respond to nine. Point Township recorded 68 runs and could not respond to seven. Smith Township recorded 102 runs, with an average of two to five members on scene. Black Township recorded 430 runs, with an average of four to seven members on scene.
A department’s inability to respond did not necessarily mean an incident went unanswered.
The departments responded to approximately 2,150 incidents in 2025 across 419 square miles and a population of about 25,000. Their work includes emergency medical calls, hazardous materials incidents, rescues and other responses in addition to structure fires.
Equipment costs have risen sharply too. A personal protective equipment package that cost $11,750 in 2020 now costs $24,475. Fire engines have risen from about $400,000 to $850,000–$1 million, and ladder trucks from $700,000 to $1.7 million–$2.2 million. Firefighter I/II certification requires roughly 150 hours before a person can work inside a burning structure; EMT training can add another 160 hours.
__PROPOSED TAX STRUCTURE__
The consolidated rate of up to $0.3519 per $100 of assessed value would replace existing local fire protection levies for participating communities. The presentation projected an initial 2028 impact of roughly half that rate, with larger personnel additions beginning in 2029. A Fire/EMS local income tax of up to 0.40 percent is modeled beginning in 2029 to help offset property taxes, though that revenue is not guaranteed. The models assume annual growth in assessed values and income-tax collections and account for Indiana’s circuit-breaker limits and changes under state law.
A fire protection district would operate as a separate taxing unit. Money collected for the district would be dedicated to fire protection and could not be diverted to a general fund, consultant Dustin Dillard said. Dillard, who has overseen multiple mergers and currently serves as fire chief of a large district in Monroe County, said the figures are based on a medium budget intended to meet basic staffing standards.
“All the dollars we’re talking about here are collected directly by the Fire Protection District and utilized by the Fire Protection District Board,” he said.
The presentation listed approximately $1.86 million in existing fire protection funds across the local units in its 2025 snapshot. That figure is a baseline for the current system, not a direct comparison with the proposed district’s projected costs. Tax-impact tables in the packet provide estimates by property type and community; actual bills would depend on assessed values, existing rates, circuit-breaker limits and other factors.
Some rural property owners could see improved Insurance Services Office classifications if response boundaries are removed, the presentation said. Any insurance savings would depend on individual properties and carriers and are not guaranteed.
__LOCAL IDENTITY AND GOVERNANCE__
Local station names, patches and community identities would remain. The district would be governed by a board of fire trustees under Indiana Code 36-8-11. The presentation described a board of roughly 15 members appointed by county commissioners to four-year terms, with representation from participating townships and towns. Members would need direct knowledge of fire protection; current firefighters and current elected officials would be ineligible.
Shared administration is intended to reduce paperwork, compliance and fundraising demands on volunteers while creating a more dependable pool of personnel, according to the presentation. The plan also calls for common operating procedures and data-driven deployment decisions. Dillard said a district could improve eligibility for federal staffing grants; he cited other departments that received multiyear grants during phase-in periods.
__WADESVILLE CONSIDERS ALTERNATIVES__
Wadesville-Center Township Volunteer Fire Department has formally opposed a centralized countywide department. In a resolution published in September, the department said consolidation could burden rural taxpayers without guaranteeing faster response times or additional local staffing. It pointed to its recruitment efforts through North Posey County schools and its use of ultra-high-pressure equipment as reasons it has avoided the staffing shortages reported elsewhere.
At the New Harmony meeting, Wadesville-Center Township Fire Chief Steve Williams said the department was exploring alternatives because it already operates as an established district. He said discussions with the other chiefs have remained cordial. Commissioners, however, would have the authority to include the area in the district or dissolve the existing district, according to the presentation.
The presentation lists Wadesville as one of the six locations for full-time personnel. Departments that do not join initially could join later. Existing equipment and assets could be transferred to the district and would return to the local level if the district were later dissolved. Earmarked fire protection funds already held by towns and townships would remain available for local use or could be directed toward the district.
The situation would be more complicated for an incorporated town that declines to join while the surrounding township participates. Mutual aid could continue, but funding and operational relationships would change.
__DECISIONS AHEAD__
According to the presentation, county commissioners must act by Dec. 31, 2026, for the district to take effect Jan. 1, 2028. The process calls for formal notice, a public hearing and a 30-day remonstration period. Missing the deadline would push the earliest start to Jan. 1, 2029.
Incorporated towns would need to pass ordinances to join, while county commissioners would handle the process for unincorporated areas. The communities that ultimately participate and the final makeup of the governing board remain undecided.
No dates for the commissioners’ formal public hearing or town council votes were provided at the public meetings. Residents with questions can contact their township trustee, town council members or the Posey County commissioners. The steering committee developing the proposal includes fire chiefs and township trustees.