The White River Township Fire Department’s staffing level hasn’t increased in two decades, despite the area it serves being among the fastest growing in the county and state.

The White River Township, Greenwood and Bargersville fire departments combined now serve more than 120,000 people, up nearly 20% from 2010, according to recently released U.S. Census data. While the area’s population has grown substantially, the fire departments are not growing at the same rate, mostly due to staffing issues, local fire officials said.

The National Fire Protection Association publishes guidance for fire departments across the United States, including standards departments should follow when responding to fires. A minimum of four firefighters is recommended for each rig, a minimum of 14 firefighters is recommended for fires at single-family homes, and a minimum of 27 firefighters is recommended for fires at open-air strip malls and up to three-story apartment buildings.

All three departments meet the recommendations for fires at single-family homes, but would need help from other agencies to respond to anything bigger than that.

White River fire asking for more

White River Township Fire Chief Jeremy Pell talks to newly hired firefighters on Thursday, Sep. 9, 2021 during a training session at Station No. 53. Scott Roberson | Daily Journal

Though the number of residents served by the White River Township Fire Protection District has grown to more than 48,000 from 35,000 in 2010, the department has had the same staffing level — 17 firefighters and EMTs — since 2001.

Staffing levels are the number of firefighters and/or EMS personnel on the street at any given time. For White River, ambulance staffing levels are separate from firefighter staffing levels, as ambulance employees are EMS only, Chief Jeremy Pell said.

The department covers 26 square miles that include hundreds of homes and businesses, and is responsible for about 48,000 people, according to a department estimate.

In August, the White River Township Fire Department asked the Johnson County Council that an additional $364,394 be added to this year’s budget to convert two part-time positions to full-time. The goal was to ensure the department can continue to operate at the same level it has for years. It is having trouble keeping full-time staff and is paying more in overtime than is needed, Pell said.

For years, the department has relied on part-timers to fill in for people on leave and, in some cases, full-time staff. But that is not possible anymore, Pell said.

“We’re trying desperately to keep 17 firefighters on the street, but we’re not able to do it because there are not enough part-time people available,” he said.

“This is just the new reality. We are a community of 48,000 people. We can’t drop that staffing.”

The pay rate for part-time firefighters is $13.05 an hour, which makes it hard to find someone willing to work, especially during a pandemic, Pell said.

“In our society, you can’t find someone to work at McDonald’s for $15 an hour. We certainly are not having a lot of success finding somebody to work as a firefighter for (around) $13,” he said.

The department found itself working its full-time firefighters overtime, which added stress, and is also expensive and inefficient. Converting the positions will make it safer for first responders, reducing the chances of injuries as a result of being overworked, Pell said.

“This fire department will give everything it has within its ability to protect this community. It’s our obligation to make sure they have the tools to do that safely,” he said.

With the release of census data this year, the department expected the population growth in its service area to be even bigger than what was anticipated, Pell said.

White River Township, which is served by three departments, now has more than 52,000 people — a 24.6% increase since 2010.

As development continues on the county’s west side, and construction of Interstate 69 inches closer, emergency calls are likely to go up. Pell expects the department’s emergency calls to increase by 20% this year, which will push the district over 4,200 runs.

“Our department must keep pace with that growth if we’re going to provide the same quality of life that we have over the years,” he said.

Based on NFPA standards, White River Township fire would barely be able to respond to a fire at a single-family home based on that standard, and would have to request assistance from other departments for fires at open-air strip malls or three-story apartment buildings.

Greenwood fire adding staff in threes

To the east, Greenwood, like White River Township, is experiencing substantial growth, and the city’s fire department, also like White River Township, is trying to keep up.

Greenwood’s population grew to 63,830, up from 49,791 in 2010. The growth is to be expected, said Darin Hoggatt, Greenwood’s fire chief.

“We knew that we were going to have an increase in the number of people not only living in the area, but also working in the area. That was something we planned early on,” Hoggatt said.

The city built Greenwood Fire Station No. 94 in 2006 on North Graham Road, and relocated Station No. 93 last year to West Cutsinger Road to accommodate growth and lower response times to certain areas of the city.

The city’s next big move is to build another fire station, which the department is already planning to do. The fire department’s fifth station would be built sometime in the next five years on the southeast side of the city. While the exact location is not yet known, it will likely be near the Worthsville Road interchange of Interstate 65, Hoggatt said.

Greenwood fire has also increased its staffing level through the years. In 2010, the department had about 110 firefighters, 28 of which were full-time. Today, the department has 61 full-time firefighters and 30 part-time.

On a typical shift, the department has 21 staff on duty — 20 firefighters and a battalion chief — and that number is expected to grow, Hoggatt said.

The fire department was budgeted for 64 full-time firefighters and civilian staff in 2021, and will likely add three more next year. Over the next four years, the number is projected to incrementally increase by three new positions a year, for a total of 79 by 2026, according to city documents.

The department will likely add more firefighters once the new station is built, too. Hoggatt does not want to pull firefighters from other stations to staff the new one, he said.

Still, there are some concerns about keeping up with growth.

“We need to make sure we’re growing our fire department and all of our public safety (agencies) … with the population as it’s growing,” Hoggatt said.

Based on NFPA standards, the department would easily be able to respond to a fire at a single-family home, where a minimum of 14 firefighters is recommended, by itself. However, it would need to request assistance from other departments for fires at open-air strip malls or three-story apartment buildings, where a minimum of 27 firefighters are recommended.

Bargersville fire eyeing future needs

To the south, Bargersville is one of the fastest growing communities in the state. Its population grew by more than 138% since 2010, to 9,560, and town officials do not expect that growth to slow down any time soon.

When Bargersville’s Deputy Fire Chief Mike Pruitt started at the department in the 1980s, there were 300 to 400 emergency calls a year. This year, the department expects as many as 4,000 runs, he said.

“We’ve done a pretty good job over the years of meeting that demand,” Pruitt said.

Like the other departments, officials are concerned about keeping pace with the growth.

Pruitt has been a part of the department for more than 36 years. Thirty years ago, the department was all volunteer, he said. In 1992, it became a fire protection district, an area that county officials established for the purposes of fire protection and prevention. Under Indiana law, any area can be established as a fire protection district, however, no parts of the district can be completely separate from one another. It can also include municipalities as long as they consent by ordinance. They also have to be self-supporting.

Ten years ago, the department had nearly 70 firefighters, both full-time and part-time. Today, the department has the same number. The department’s staffing level today is for 14 firefighters and EMS personnel, including a battalion chief and two ambulances.

The department’s coverage area has also changed since 2011. The department now covers 71 square miles, an increase of 7 square miles, and serves about 25,000 residents. The department expanded its coverage area to include a township in Morgan County due to I-69 construction and a future interchange at State Road 144, Pruitt said.

The department, like the others, is also concerned about turnover among part-time firefighters, many of whom work at several different departments. The pool for trained firefighters is only so deep, making it difficult to find part-time firefighters who can dedicate time to Bargersville fire, he said.

“We’re in competition for their time,” Pruitt said.

As Bargersville continues to grow, the department is eyeing the potential for new stations, as well as additional equipment and personnel.

“We know we’re going to have to pay personnel better and we’re going to have to buy more apparatus,” he said.

Based on NFPA standards, Bargersville fire is exactly at the minimum level recommended to fight a fire at a single-family home. The department would not be able to respond by itself to fires at strip malls or three-story apartment buildings.