Georgetown Township Fire Protection District

Your Fire Apparatus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Board of fire Trustees for the Georgetown Township Fire Protection District is pleased to announce the hiring of Oral “Bill” Banta as Chief of the Fire Department. Board Chairman Michael Moody Said the Board was pleased with the hiring process. “We were excited about the overall quality and depth of experience our large group of applicants possessed. Chief Banta has the perfect blend of experience and demonstrated leadership needed to lead our fire department, especially during these difficult times,” said Moody. Chief Banta has over 30 years of experience in the fire service, including 20 years with Louisville Fire before retiring from his position as a District Chief. For the past 10 years Chief Banta has provided emergency response training through his own company to various local municipalities. He is a licensed paramedic and also serves as a volunteer firefighter with Scottsburg Fire Department. Chief Banta stated, “We will focus on providing top quality service during these current times. We are going to put plans and resources in place that will allow the Department to grow as the community grows. Georgetown Fire Department is going to offer excellent career opportunities for career firefighters while maintaining its long-standing strong volunteer firefighter tradition.”

Georgetown Township Fire Protection District Seeking a Fire Chief

The Board of Fire Trustees for the Georgetown Township Fire Protection District, which is located in Floyd County, Indiana, is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Fire Chief. A qualified applicant must at minimum have formal training and experience in modern fire administration methods, emergency medical care and procedures, special operation such as, hazardous materials, water rescue, technical rescue and at least 15 years of experience in fire and emergency medical service with progressive supervisory experience to include at least five years of upper level public safety management in a paid position. All requirements should meet State of Indiana certificate requirements, IFSAC, or equivalent.

· High School Diploma or GED and 60 hours of college credit toward a degree from an accredited college or university

· Valid driver’s license

· State of Indiana Firefighter I and II certification or IFSAC

· State of Indiana Safety Officer certification or National Fire Academy or IFSAC

· State of Indiana Fire Officer II certification or IFSAC

· State of Indiana Fire Strategies and Tactics certification or IFSAC

· State of Indiana Hazardous Material Awareness and Operations Certification or IFSAC

· State of Indiana Fire Instructor I certification or IFSAC

· NIMS 300

· EMT basic

· Complete Fire Officer III and NIMS 400 within 12 months of hire

· A residence within or closely adjacent to the GTFPD’s territory in order to be able to respond to any incident, which may require the attention of the Fire Chief, in a reasonably short timeframe and willing to reside within the District boundaries within a year of employment

The above list should be considered the minimum requirements. Please forward your resume, a cover letter, and contact information for three professional references to gtfpd@afpfirm.com. The deadline for submitting your resume is 5:00pm Monday February 17, 2020. Qualified applicants will be contacted by email or phone if they are selected for an interview.

The salary for Fire Chief is dependent on experience between the range of $75,000 – $85,000 per year, plus benefits and take-home command vehicle.

A full job description for the Chief position is available here:

http://www.georgetowntwpfd.com

For immediate release:

The Board of Fire Trustees for Georgetown Township Fire Protection District of Floyd County has taken preliminary steps to change the direction of the fire department it oversees. Fire Chief Richard Bader resigned his position today (Jan 15th, 2020) at the request of the Fire Board. Board Chairman Michael Moody stated: ” The Board felt that a change in leadership of the fire department was necessary for the organization to move past recent controversy and focus on providing quality fire, rescue, and emergency services.” Board members are actively working with transitional leadership, including the current Deputy Chief and other members of the department, to ensure continuity of operations during this interim period until a new fire chief is named. A hiring committee will now start the process to identify qualified candidates and hire a new fire chief.

The Mission of the Georgetown Township Fire Department is to provide quality fire, rescue and emergency services to the residents of Georgetown Township and the Town of Georgetown. Mr. Moody said, ” The Board is taking steps to minimize distractions that might get in the way of the fire department operating in a highly professional manner. We want the community to know that the Board takes its oversight role seriously and to feel confident that the high level of service they have grown accustomed to will continue in the future.”

The Board looks forward to communicating with our community as this process moves forward.

Do you have what it takes to be a Volunteer Firefighter?

Do you have the courage to act?  The ability to perform?  To be the one running into an emergency when everyone else is running out?

If so then become a volunteer firefighter.  The Georgetown Township Fire Protection District is looking for motivated individuals with strong morals and integrity to join our team.  You will get the satisfaction of helping your community, training, and other benefits.  If interested please stop by our headquarters at 5610 Corydon Ridge Rd., Monday thru Friday from 9am to 5pm, call 812-948-0288 to set up a differnet time to pick up an application and meet the staff or click on the How to Apply tab.

Becoming a volunteer firefighter with the Georgetown Township Fire Protection District may be one of the most rewarding things you ever do.

A Brief History of the Georgetown Volunteer Fire Department and GTFPD

In the early 1950’s Georgetown did not have an organized fire department to help battle the fires that seem to become more numerous with the use of coal for heating in the mostly wood frame houses. The first firetruck that the town’s people used was a 1927 model that was housed in a one bay block garage located at State Rd. 64 and then Old State Road 64 (Georgetown Greenville Road).

In 1953 a large portion of the downtown area was destroyed by fire. The towns feed mill, grocery stores and one home was lost.

Read more »