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Executive Services Office
Executive Services Office:
Division Chief Joseph Krebsbach
Finance
The Finance Division works as a liaison for IFD with the City Controllers Office and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Department of Public Safety. Upon receipt of guidance information established by the Controllers Office, the Finance Division is responsible for the maintenance and dispersal of IFD's budget. Like any large organization, most of IFD's budget (approximately 85.4%) is used to pay for personnel costs like salaries and health insurance.
There are five characters (sections) in the IFD budget:
Indianapolis Fire Department
Operating Budget |
| SECTION |
SUBSECTIONS |
BUDGET % |
Personnel Service
Character I |
Salaries
Overtime
Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Pensions
State and Federal Programs |
85.4% |
Materials and Supplies
Character II |
General Office Supplies
Computer Supplies
Building Materials
Repair Parts
Garage and Motor Supplies
Medical and Food Supplies
Uniforms |
2.4% |
Services
Character III |
Professional Services
Temporary Services
Waste Collection
Postage
Utilities
Infrastructure Maintenance
Advertising
Legal Settlements and Judgments |
5.9% |
Properties & Equipment
Character IV |
Land
Buildings
Vehicles
Lease & Rental Equipment |
3.7% |
Internal Charges
Character V |
Fleet Maintenance
Central Services |
2.6% |
Communications
The Communications Center of the Indianapolis Fire Department is located at the Metropolitan Communications Agency (MECA) building. MECA is a multi-agency facility serving the needs of eight Marion County fire departments and the Wishard Hospital Ambulance Division. The communications center is responsible for fire and EMS dispatch services for all of Marion County with the exception of the town of Speedway and the cities of Beech Grove and Lawrence.
Agencies Served by the IFD Communications Center
Wishard Memorial Hospital Ambulance Division
Indianapolis Fire Department
Pike Township Fire Department
Washington Township Fire Department
Perry Township Fire Department
Franklin Township Fire Department
Warren Township Fire Department
Lawrence Township Fire Department
Decatur Township Fire Department
Wayne Township Fire Department
The communications center has absorbed tremendous increases in workload in the last few years. Prior to 1994, the center was responsible only for dispatching IFD vehicles and Wishard Hospital Ambulances. Since that time, by absorbing the added workload of dispatching the additional seven township fire departments, the center increased its activity levels in excess of 50% and square miles of area served by more than 200%. In spite of that workload, the center maintains its impressive average reaction time of 54 seconds (reaction time is defined as the time between the answering of the phone and the time that the run is dispatched).
The Indianapolis Fire Department's Communications Division consists of about 36 civilian employees and 10 to 15 contractual employees. The communications center is staffed and operated with four shifts working twelve-hour assignments. All full-time personnel are required to be APCO (Association of Public Safety Communications Official) Telecommunicators Certified and APCO Emergency Medical Dispatch Certified within six months of employment.
Additional responsibilities of the communications center include the provision of radio communications hardware (see Radio/CAD Identification Table) to all IFD units and assisting department personnel in troubleshooting communications problems. The communications center staff also researches complaints or inquiries concerning any event in which communications might have a role. Center personnel also perform tape research on emergency incidents as requested by department chief officers.
Pension
The purpose of the Indianapolis Fire Department Pension Division is to keep records on each pensioner's taxes, insurance, and benefits status and to disperse the appropriate pension payments. This office also assists the families of both retired and active firefighters at the time of death and is the official representative of the Indianapolis Fire Department at the funeral. The Pension Division is dedicated to serving the retired officers and their dependents. The division is committed to the enforcement of laws protecting the Pension Fund. The division is also committed to educating active officers in preparation for their retirement.
Firefighters who retire with 20 years-of-service are eligible to receive 50% of the annual pension base. Firefighters who retire with more than 20 years-of-service are eligible for greater percentages of the pension base. Pensioners would receive the 50% of the pension base, plus one percent for each six-month period served over 20 years, up to a maximum of 74%. Monthly pension benefits are derived by using the pension base multiplied by the percentage to be received by the pensioners. There are currently about 900 individuals receiving pension benefits, including firefighters on pension, firefighters on disability pension, and widows and children of retired firefighters.
There are actually two pension programs for Indianapolis firefighters. Those firefighters who were hired before 1977 are paid through the City of Indianapolis. Those hired after 1976 are paid through the State of Indiana Public Employee Retirement Fund (PERF). The firefighter who is the longest active member on the IFD pension has been receiving benefits for over 40 years. He is Clarence Hill, who retired April 17, 1966. The oldest firefighter currently receiving pension benefits is Frank Marren, who was born May 27, 1912.
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