3/21/2007
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Warren Township agrees to merge fire department with IFD
Merger to save millions for taxpayers, enhance fire service & protection for city, township
Indianapolis – Warren Township Trustee Jeff Bennett and Mayor Bart Peterson today announced that they have reached an agreement to merge the Warren Township Fire Department (WTFD) into the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD). According to the agreement, the merger would take effect July 1 of this year.
The consolidation means the area formerly served by WTFD will officially become part of the IFD service district, creating efficiencies and enhancing fire service for East side residents while saving taxpayers at least $2 million every year.
Last night, the Warren Township board approved a resolution authorizing the merger. The agreement now must be approved by the Indianapolis City-County Council, which will take up the matter next week.
The consolidation of WTFD into IFD marks continued momentum for Indianapolis Works, which calls for merging all township fire departments into IFD – a move that would save up to $20 million total every year.
“Today marks the coming together of two great fire departments, which can only mean great things for the people of Warren Township and the City of Indianapolis,” Mayor Peterson said. “This merger means millions in annual savings for township taxpayers, improved safety and training for firefighters, and enhanced fire protection for East side neighborhoods.”
The merger of IFD and WTFD will improve service by:
- Bringing additional specialized fire service to Warren Township, including enhanced hazardous materials response capability with additional equipment and resources.
- Improving firefighter training and safety, through better access to enhanced training opportunities.
- Enhancing arson investigations by bringing to Warren Township the IFD model of partnering with IMPD fire investigators to solve arson cases.
“This merger, along with the successful merger in Washington Township, is showing why the consolidation movement needs to spread countywide,” Trustee Bennett said. “It’s about putting the interests of taxpayers first and providing the best possible fire service.”
The merger agreement also outlines that:
- Property tax rates for fire service will be frozen in Warren Township at this year’s rate until at least 2009;
- The ambulance service in Warren Township will continue to be managed by the fire department and will cover the same service area it does now;
- Ambulances will continue to be staffed by qualified civilian paramedics, and no civilian paramedic or firefighter will be laid-off or forced to relocate their position;
- All pension obligations will remain with the department where they were incurred, meaning property taxes used to pay for IFD past pension obligations will not be spread to the township; and
- The merger allows Warren Township to avoid taking out $1.2 million annual emergency loans to fund basic fire operations – a direct savings to taxpayers.
“The township’s current budget is in dire financial straights right now,” said Bennett, who was elected to his first term as trustee last November. “This merger puts us in a position to avoid a substantial tax increase and begin putting our budget on firm fiscal footing for the long-term.”
Peterson applauded Bennett and Warren Township Fire Chief Brian Sanford for their leadership in initiating the merger.
“Jeff Bennett and Chief Sanford deserve a great deal of credit for having the courage and vision to make this significant decision and move public safety and fire protection in our community forward,” Peterson added. “Both of them have shown that they can put the needs of Indianapolis and Warren Township’s residents and taxpayers before everything else.”
Background. Warren Township will become the second township fire department to merge into IFD. Earlier this year, the first fire merger in Marion County became official when the Washington Township Fire Department became part of IFD, a move that will yield more than $7 million in savings annually.
Mayor Peterson, working with the Indiana State Legislature, is continuing efforts to change current law to allow the city to consolidate all the remaining township fire departments as part of his crime package. In a bi-partisan vote last month, the State House of Representatives for the first time passed a bill giving the City of Indianapolis the authority to consolidate the remaining township fire departments into IFD. The bill, HB 1568 is now being taken up by the Indiana Senate.
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