BY BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
The Decatur Fire Department has taken a huge hit in personnel.
Fire Chief Jeff Sheets told the city’s board of works and safety Tuesday night that three members of the regular contingent have resigned. “Basically, one-third of our staff,” he said.
Sheets was, however, quick to tell council – and the public – that “everything is being covered. We are moving shifts around so we will have everything covered.”
The three who left – James Clark, Brian Braun and Taylor Gage – are joining the Northwest Fire District in Allen County. The district covers Huntertown and three townships, Perry, Washington and Eel River in a rapidly growing area of Allen County.
Increased pay was obviously one consideration for the move. Sheets said the district will pay an additional $10,000 a year for a firefighter who’s also a paramedic.
One of the three already is a paramedic and another is taking classes to become one, Sheets said. He did not give names.
“This is a tough one; three young, good firefighters are lost,” Mayor Dan Rickord said.
The three departures leave the department with six regulars, plus Chief Sheets and Deputy Chief Chad Baumann
Sheets did, however, introduce the name of Maddux Hillery of Union City, Indiana, as a possible new addition to the staff. Although he would need local training, it would be a lateral move since he is already on the state’s PERF (Public Employees Retirement Fund).
The local fire board has given its approval. “Everyone liked him,” Sheets noted.
Given the severe loss of numbers, Decatur’s board of works and safety moved to suspend the normal hiring process and gave Sheets the go-ahead to get Hillery on board.
He was also given approval to begin the hiring process to add two more to the department.
TWO BACK? Sheets has been trying to fill out the department’s paid-on-call (POC) firefighter staff. These are members of the department who are paid for each fire call they respond to.
The department is currently four short of its full complement of 25 POCs and a recent application process brought forth six names.
However, the chief said that for various reasons – didn’t return paperwork, failed the agility test, over the age of 40, for example – just one applicant qualified.
Two of the three regulars who left, however, would return as POCs, the chief said.
That sparked a debate over bringing the two – Sheets declined to name them – back.
Councilman Tyler Fullenkamp was skeptical, asking: What if they sat around the station and recruited some of the other regulars?
After more discussion, the board left the decision up to Sheets on whether to bring them back as POCs.
Sheets pointed out that to return, both would have to serve a six-month probationary period. That would give him some leeway.
OVER 40: Board members and the mayor questioned the reason for the rule limiting paid-on-call hires to under 40.
There are already some local POCs who exceed that limit.
It’s a state requirement for new hires, it was pointed out. Police departments have the same regulation for reserve department hires.
A discussion with City Attorney Anne Razo followed as she said she may have found a loophole in the state regulation.
No decision was made.
(Decatur recently dropped its age requirement for POCs to 18.)
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