Turkey Creek Fire Territory Chief Mickey Scott reported the quote for commercial insurance covering property, equipment, auto, crime, general liability, management liability and umbrella liability coverage, was less than anticipated. The fire territory budgeted $63,593 and the actual bid was $63,414, a savings of $179.

Scott made the report during the regular monthly meeting of the Turkey Creek Fire Territory’s board Thursday night.

Scott also updated the board on the remount and refurbishment of the equipment truck. Life Star Rescue Inc. from Van Wert, Ohio, made a bid of $249,802.26 for the work. The bid includes five new SCBAs that need replaced. The bid also includes a 2015 chassis at the 2014 price as a 2014 chassis was no longer available after the bid was submitted. The truck will probably be sent to Life Star Rescue Inc. sometime in February for the work to start. The board accepted the bid from Life Star Rescue.

During the storm in November, the fire department lost the electrical supply to its radio repeater causing a loss of communication with the Kosciusko County Dispatch Center.

The fire department currently does not have any way to know if it has lost the repeater during an electrical outage unless communication is lost with the dispatch center. The department is working on getting a quote on a backup generator to be installed to avoid similar problems in the future.

The department received a check for $4,000 as a refund for the tuition of an employee going through paramedic training. The reason for the refund is the school received the same amount from the U.S. Treasury. Veterans Administration paid for the tuition of the employee since he was a military veteran. Originally when the department agreed to pay the tuition it received a commitment from the employee to serve on the department for four years.

The employee made two suggestions for the board to consider, donate the $4,000 to the volunteer firefighters and he would fulfill his end of the contract, or nullify the contract. The board approved making the donation to the volunteer firefighters. “I think that’s noble he wants to donate it and noble he wants to stay under contract,” said fire territory board member Brad Jackson.

Bill Musser asked about a dry hydrant in Pickwick Park malfunctioning recently. Scott explained to the board the fire department could not get a draft from the hydrant. It is unclear what the problem is with the hydrant. The department will have to see if heavy equipment may have run over it.

(For a more in-depth account of the meeting, see this week’s issue of The Mail-Journal.)