Dennis Darr, left, is sworn in by Turkey Creek Township attorney Andrew Grossnickle Monday, Feb. 11, to the Turkey Creek fire and township advisory boards. Darr was absent in January when the other board members were sworn in for 2019. (Photo by Ray Balogh)

SYRACUSE — Turkey Creek fire and township advisory boards Monday evening, Feb. 11, unanimously approved $38,000 for the purchase of a new pickup truck for the fire department.

The truck currently in service, a 2004 two-wheel-drive Chevrolet pickup, was donated to the department about 12 years ago.

The new truck, a 2019 four-wheel-drive Dodge RAM, is priced at $44,965 with a dealer discount of $12,728. The vendor offered a trade-in credit of $1,500 for the 2004 truck, bringing the total purchase price to $30,972.

Fire Chief Mickey Scott said the “expense to install emergency lights, siren, controls, transfer the emergency radio from the other truck and have lettering applied on the truck is around $7,000.”

He estimated the delivery of the truck at 12 to 16 weeks and the modifications to take an additional two days.

Scott said he found the blue book price of the 2004 truck to be $3,000 and suggested he try to sell it. Advisory board member Bill Dixon commended Scott for his diligence in maximizing the return on the truck.

The multiuse vehicle is used to run errands, pick up supplies, return soiled hose to the fire station for cleaning during firefighting events and perform other tasks, according to Scott.

Fire Board

Scott filed his January report, in which he stated:

• The department responded to 20 fire calls and 95 EMS calls. The territory suffered $24,000 in property loss, but department responses saved an estimated $200,000 in property value.

• Department personnel underwent 408 hours of training on subjects including vacuum tanker operations, online suicide prevention, water and ice rescue, medic unit driver responsibilities, blood-borne pathogens and pharmacology review.

• Firefighters Brandtt Allen and Gregory Scott completed their 21-month paramedic classes and have been state certified as EMTs.

• Joshua Taylor and Layne Neal have begun their probationary firefighter/EMT full-time employment.

• Other department members attended a fire training class in Goshen and will attend EMS training and a certification class in Leesburg next week. Two members are in EMT basic class.

• Firefighters Geoffrey Ellingwood and Taylor have been accepted into the next Goshen paramedic class to run from April 18 through December 2020. The board approved expenditure of the $14,000 tuition for the two attendees.

• The department obtained a grant to purchase new cardiac monitors for the Turkey Creek, North Webster and Warsaw-Wayne fire departments. The monitors “have reportedly been shipped and we hope to receive them early to mid-week next week,” said Scott.

Township Advisory Board

Township Trustee Julie Close presented her financial report for January. The township disbursed $950 in rent and $1,774.26 in utilities for poor relief. Figures for food disbursements were unavailable and Close agreed to provide the board with a supplemental report.

Gary Stover and Russ Carlson represented the homeowners of Enchanted Hills to inquire about progress on installing a tornado warning siren for the residents and visitors to the east side of Lake Wawasee.

“I think it is a valid request,” said Stover. “I talked to (county emergency management director) Ed Rock and he said funding by grant is a long shot. We are willing to match funding if we can.”

Stover said, “We have a beach front and two parks with visitors during the summer, so we have a lot of people outdoors.”

The fire board will next meet at 6:45 p.m. Monday, March 11, in Syracuse Town Hall. The township advisory board will meet at 7 p.m.