Fire departments are essential to every community, with over 20 in Lawrence and Orange counties alone. More than 70% of Indiana's fire departments are run by volunteers, who struggle to maintain adequate funding and staff. Seconds count when responding to a fire and our communities, especially in rural areas, depend on these selfless Hoosiers. In turn, they need more than fundraisers to cover their costs and better training to do their jobs.
As chair of the House Local Government Committee, I'm aware of these concerns. That's why I supported a new law allowing counties to allocate up to .05% of their public safety local income tax to township fire departments, fire protection territories and districts, and volunteer fire departments.
This builds on a law passed in 2022, which I supported, giving fire protection territories the same taxing authority as fire protection districts so they aren't competing with other public services for property tax revenue. Fire protection territories are managed at the township level while counties oversee districts. It's critical that we give local officials as many options as possible to improve funding for our fire departments.
Firefighting also requires a lot of training. New recruits average 12-14 weeks of both classroom instruction and hands-on drilling. With 14 Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy training sites throughout the state, some recruits must travel long distances to get to one. That can be especially daunting for volunteers who have other jobs and commitments.
To make this vital training more accessible, the state's new two-year budget includes a $7 million investment to add more training sites and enhance existing locations. An additional $10 million over the next five years will be used to upgrade training equipment so our firefighters are better prepared on the latest technology and best practices, and trained to handle dangerous scenarios they may encounter. Ongoing training isn't just about protecting Hoosiers, but also firefighters. The more they can work on their craft, the better their chances are of making it home.
This new law to give locals more flexibility to fund their departments and a boost to training funding will help Hoosier fire departments recruit and retain more personnel, and ensure they have better access to the training necessary for them to carry out their jobs and protect our communities.
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State Rep. Chris May (R-Bedford) represents House District 65,
which includes all of Lawrence County, and portions of Jackson, Orange and Washington counties.
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