CLARK COUNTY, Ind. (WDRB) -- The new Tri-Township Fire Department takes over service at midnight Friday for Union, Carr, and Silver Creek Townships along with the town of Sellersburg.
Sellersburg Fire Department leaders handed over the keys at 5 p.m. Friday, leaving the Tri-Township fire chief and a team of firefighters and volunteers to move trucks, gears, technology and equipment into the headquarters and two stations.
The Tri-Township Fire Protection District has been contracting a private company, the Sellersburg Volunteer Fire Department, to provide service. Tri-Township decided to not renew the contract and instead create its own fire department. There will be no tax increase to make the change. And Tri-Township Chief Amir Mousavi said the department will actually be providing more services by being trained for and responding to medical calls.
There is a laundry list of final details that need to be handled in order to seamlessly transition into the new buildings, but Mousavi said it is all coming together with extra help and support from neighboring fire departments. Tri-Township is still waiting for its radios to be delivered, so the Jeffersonville Fire Department is lending enough to cover everyone.
Mousavi said residents will not have an interruption of service. Once it strikes midnight, when anyone calls 911 within the district, Tri-Township will be responding.
“We’ve been meeting with neighboring jurisdictions, 911 director, signing off on some final automatic aid agreements," Mousavi said. "So if you’re within our service area, we will be dispatched. The Tri-Township Fire Department will be dispatched."
He said the Clark County 911 Center will no longer be dispatching Sellersburg on calls.
As part of the agreement, Sellersburg Volunteer Fire is turning over three buildings and two fire trucks. Tri-Township is purchasing what will be its fifth truck for the fleet in 2020.
Mousavi said his team is excited to serve and protect the district.
Fire Chief Amir Mousavi has been tasked with building a fire department from the ground up in less than 90 days.
“It is exciting to be able to serve a community,” he said. “Most here have spent most of their lives doing this. It’s a passion.”
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