While every day in the Legislature is memorable to me, I consider this past week to be a defining moment in my career. Having spent over 20 years as a professional firefighter, I know firsthand the sacrifice that these men and women make on a daily basis. In my current role as chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee, I have always made it my priority to pass legislation which honors that sacrifice and makes life a little easier for those who give so much.
When I began my career as a firefighter, it seemed odd to me that there was no uniform training system. Police officers have an academy. Why not firefighters, I thought? At that time, it never crossed my mind that one day I could be in a position to change that.
This past week, I introduced legislation which would create an Indiana State Fire Academy. This academy would aim to provide consistent, high-quality training to firefighters regardless of what city or town they work in. Currently, firefighters are able to go through different training and take different tests, but in the end, they all end up with the same certifications. This training varies widely across the state, and without a set standard, this can hinder cooperation between units.
Just in the past month, Indiana experienced a large fire at a luxury apartment complex in Fishers. The fire was so large that it took the collaboration of the Fishers, Noblesville, Carmel and Indianapolis fire departments to put out the blaze. This is a perfect illustration of why we should have uniform standards and the same training requirements for firefighters throughout the state.
Under this bill, the academy will be placed under the jurisdiction of the Indiana State Fire Marshal to ensure that all of our local units are on the same page and all the training programs are devolved by the people with firsthand knowledge of how our firefighters should be prepared.
After I presented this legislation, various public safety officials offered the committee their perspective on the bill. A representative from the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association testified that nationally, there are fewer fires today than in the past. However, these fires are burning hotter and faster as a result of the number of petroleum products used nowadays. While many professions find on the job training useful, fighting a fire is not the time for such training and poses a significant public safety risk.
Standing before our committee and presenting what I feel is a necessary and admirable piece of public policy has been one of the greatest honors of my career. While this is a public safety bill, meant to decrease the number of civilian fire fatalities, this is also designed to decrease injury amongst firefighters and better prepare them for the situations they will encounter. As a firefighter, there was not much that I was afraid of; however, the one thing I never stopped worrying about was not returning all of my men home the next day.
As this legislation continues to move through the committee process, and hopefully onto the House floor, I will continue to be a strong advocate for the people of Indiana and those who keep us safe. I appreciate all of the positive feedback I have received so far, and I encourage you to reach out to me at any time if you believe there is a way that we can make this legislation even better. If you are interested in learning more, please visit www.iga.in.gov and search for House Bill 1182.
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