By Andrew Harp
The Evening News and the Tribune
UTICA, Ind. — Utica Fire & Rescue is now getting ready to provide EMS services in addition to fire protection with two ambulances at its disposal.
The department, which is currently all volunteer, was formed around a year ago by the Utica Township Fire Protection District, shortly after New Chapel EMS was ousted from the district and following the dissolution of the Jeffersonville / Utica fire territory.
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Utica Fire & Rescue Chief Joe Jarles said he bought two used ambulances from a broker in Houston, Texas. One of them was from Utah and the other from Hawaii.
Jarles said these ambulances will not be used for transport, but solely for 911 emergency services.
Jarles said both ambulances cost altogether $160,000. Other costs include $60,000 for a heart monitor and $33,000 for an auto pulse and other equipment. Overall, the cost of the EMS vehicles and equipment is up to $280,000.
He said with the two ambulances, they’ll have one that’s on the road at all times and an auxiliary that will back it up. Jarles said he expects the ambulances to be on the road starting 7 p.m., Nov. 16.
The district was previously in a difficult financial position due to former Clark County Sheriff and convicted criminal Jamey Noel’s crimes of stealing from the fire district. He is now currently serving a prison sentence.
Jarles said that a settlement with Noel was reached earlier this year with the court along with the assistance of the attorney general’s office. The department received a settlement of $650,000.
He said that the department is now debt-free after liquidating some fire equipment and vehicles that it was previously making large payments on. The fire district board previously had a second station, but it was sold since it was in Jeffersonville.
Paul Price is the new medical chief for Utica Fire & Rescue. He previously worked at the St. Matthew’s Fire Department and Anchorage Fire Department in Kentucky. He currently works at Oldham County EMS. He will be overseeing the EMS operations of the department.
At this point, Jarles said they will have about 50 volunteers working at the department. He said all volunteers will be trained on the ambulances. He said they have around 15 EMTs, two or three advanced EMTs and seven paramedics. Jarles said they will train volunteers on the ambulances every Monday night.
“We’re going to do a lot of good training and we’re going to continue to add to the EMS capabilities in the area,” Price said.
On Nov. 2 , Price was there teaching a group of the department’s volunteers EMS training. He said that they have a set training schedule that meets the needs of the national requirements.
For now, he said the department will be basic life support, then move up to advanced life support, EMT and then advanced EMT.
Price said that, nearly everywhere, EMS capabilities have been strained, and that ambulance run numbers are not going down. He said the growth of Utica also shows the need to have this service in place.
“It always helps to have more resources available to help meet the need that’s going to become even greater,” Price said.
The department is also working on a system with other departments in the county of closest unit response that would make it so that instead of an ambulance responding to its own assigned area, whatever ambulance happens to be the closest would be that one that would be called.
However, Heartland EMS, Clark County government’s contracted EMS company, will still be the primary responder for Utica Township.
In the future, Jarles said they would like to have a second station for the department. He also said that they would like to have paid crews.
“I hope the citizens of Utica are as proud, as having the service, as we are,” Price said.
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