Volunteer fire department to add more info to trucks

A volunteer fire department in Bartholomew County will be getting more information when it heads out on runs under an agreement Monday with the county government.

The county commissioners approved an agreement between the Harrison Township Volunteer Fire Department and the county dispatch center and IT department, that will allow more detailed information to be sent to township fire trucks on runs.

Scott Mayes, IT director for the county, explained that the agreement would allow county dispatchers to share the information and for the county to facilitate the appropriate equipment installations and system security. Mayes said that there are strict requirements on cybersecurity for the information that will be shared.

Commissioner Carl Lienhoop said that the annual license fee is about $4,250 and the equipment cost is $7,600. The costs for the agreement will be paid by the fire department.

Mayes said that a similar arrangement is already in place with the Hope Police Department.

According to Fire Chief James Olmstead, the agreement will give the department access to notes attached to the logs from dispatchers that can provide vital information on a run. For example, he said a recent call to service only indicated a person had fallen. But when firefighters arrived they realized the person had fallen from their roof, through a skylight onto a concrete floor, which he called critical information.

Commissioners approved the agreement and said that more county departments are expected to be seeking similar access soon.