Union Township Board addresses more questions and concerns, Lakeville Fire Department

 

LAKEVILLE, Ind. -- Confusion in Lakeville once again with the Volunteer Fire Department, after a few firefighters claimed they were recently terminated without explanation. 

“We made a vote to either accept or deny the applicant,” says Trisha Carrico, a Union Township Board Member. 

In a public meeting Tuesday evening, the Union Township board and trustee explained that not everyone who submitted an application was chosen to return to the department.  

“When they come in, we meet and we discuss, we talk with the chief as well, and then we make our choice on whether they are hired or not,” Carrico explains. 

The new administrative chief, Chief Tony Reeves, who is now part of the hiring process, says he wasn’t able to employ some of the applicants due to lack of information.   

They also say this is why there was a delay in getting the department back up and running weeks ago, before it did on May 24th.  

“The chief was waiting on either certifications or driver’s licenses, all the information we need in order to move forward to employee that individual, and so we did not receive those,” says Carrico. 

They say the firefighters that were hired back on are still volunteers despite the department no longer being under the Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department Inc. entity; that entity was the one that was not paying taxes which caused the shut down about two months ago.  

“It’s Union Lakeville Fire Department now under the trustee, so that previous entity does not exist and technically, has not existed, that’s why we could not contract with them,” explains Carrico. 

The board says there is now a roster of 15 active firefighters, but they’re still looking for more.  

“Fifteen is not enough,” Carrico worries. “I mean I don’t think anything’s enough, but at the end of the day we would love to see it grow.”  

The board encourages anyone that may be interested in serving the community by becoming a volunteer firefighter to reach out to the trustee to get connected. You can contact Kelly Carrico at 574-279-5000.