Knight Fire Out Of Service

[Xplorer4x4]

This is the radio traffic signaling Knight Township Fire Department Out of Service, Jan 1, 2011. For nearly 30 years Knight stood guard, protecting the residents of Knight Township and surrounding areas. It has been an honor and privilege working with such a fine group of firefighters.

[wasim12]

Awesome video but im a bit confused. Becasue of budget they've shut down the entire department?

[Xplorer4x4]

Yes, the department is a county volunteer department. The department covers part of Knight Township. The former trustee for Knight Township mismanaged something like $80,000 of the the township money. Some of which would go to Knight township Fire Department(KTFD) who needed $180,000 to stay open for one more year. She spent the money on thins like New Kids on the Block concert tickets, among other useless stuff. Fire protection for Knight Township will now go to Evansville Fire Department. The area of Knight Township was recently annexed and given to Evansville Police Department to handle rather then the Vanderburgh County Sheriffs office.

BTW I am not a ff for Knight Township, the guy who posted the video was at one time. I just copy and pasted his description.

Older music video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJbzQjAt5FI

[erfd]

I'm sorry, but that fucking pisses me off. I couldn't imagine that happening to my dads dept. The video actually made me tear up a little.

Quote from City site:

The four-year interlocal agreement between the City of Evansville and Knight Township for

EFD to provide fire protection, fire prevention and emergency medical services to the area of

Knight Township outside the City limits will begin on January 1, 2011, and expire on December

31, 2014. Under terms of the agreement, Knight Township will pay the City $153,000.00 or the

maximum approved fire protection and prevention tax levy for 2011, whichever is more, the first

year and an amount to equal the maximum tax levy the subsequent three (3) years.

So, they will end up paying nearly the same for fire protection anyway?

Source: http://www.evansvillegov.org/Index.aspx?page=9&recordid=874&returnURL=%2fIndex.aspx%3fpage%3d39

[Xplorer4x4]

Well $153K is a new number to me. The media has been reporting $120K if memory serves me right, but the local media suck anyways. Every single say there are typos on the articles. People make typos, sure, but these are professionals paid to do things like proof read and spell check. Ranting on the local media aside, if it is now up to $153K, I am shocked. I was surprised the department gave up with out a fight. I mean they did not even attempt a fund raiser or anything. Sure, $180,000 is alot of money to raise, but consider this. There are over 10,000 residents in there district. This means at $18 for 10,000 people, this would raise the $180 needed.

The thing that worries me, fire protection won't be effected much. EFD can pick up the slack and in some cases be there as quick as, if not quicker then EFD, but they are responsible for dive rescue on this side of town. They had one station just about a mile from one of the 3 boat ramps in town. It was not station 24/7 though. However the other station was more or less a few miles up the road as well. They must feel a real need to be prepared for dive rescue as they have 2 old ambulances set up to pull either a scorpion rescue boat, a trailer with 2 jet skis, and one had a small metal boat strapped to the roof. If Evansville Fire were to launch there boat at the closest ramp to there station housing there dive rescue team, at 35 MPH it would take them about 20 min to reach the other ramp from the time they launch. That's not counting prep time. If they were to drive to the ramp KTFD used, it would be exactly a 9 mile drive, so maybe 10-15 mins travel time by land.

I live on the Knight Fire/Evansville Fire district lines so I saw them about once a week atleast usually.

[erfd]

Well $153K is a new number to me. The media has been reporting $120K if memory serves me right, but the local media suck anyways. Every single say there are typos on the articles. People make typos, sure, but these are professionals paid to do things like proof read and spell check. Ranting on the local media aside, if it is now up to $153K, I am shocked. I was surprised the department gave up with out a fight. I mean they did not even attempt a fund raiser or anything. Sure, $180,000 is alot of money to raise, but consider this. There are over 10,000 residents in there district. This means at $18 for 10,000 people, this would raise the $180 needed.

The thing that worries me, fire protection won't be effected much. EFD can pick up the slack and in some cases be there as quick as, if not quicker then EFD, but they are responsible for dive rescue on this side of town. They had one station just about a mile from one of the 3 boat ramps in town. It was not station 24/7 though. However the other station was more or less a few miles up the road as well. They must feel a real need to be prepared for dive rescue as they have 2 old ambulances set up to pull either a scorpion rescue boat, a trailer with 2 jet skis, and one had a small metal boat strapped to the roof. If Evansville Fire were to launch there boat at the closest ramp to there station housing there dive rescue team, at 35 MPH it would take them about 20 min to reach the other ramp from the time they launch. That's not counting prep time. If they were to drive to the ramp KTFD used, it would be exactly a 9 mile drive, so maybe 10-15 mins travel time by land.

I live on the Knight Fire/Evansville Fire district lines so I saw them about once a week atleast usually.

Ya, I'm really surprised they gave up too. They could easily raise money, everyone loves firefighters

But on money side, it is 153,000 or more depending on the tax levy. That was directly from the site.

Any way, I really hope the fire fighters are able to stay involved in fire fighting some how...

[Guest Firefighter18256]

good tribute but wow that is bs. This almost made me cry seeing a brother fire department go down

[Xplorer4x4]

Ya, I'm really surprised they gave up too. They could easily raise money, everyone loves firefighters

But on money side, it is 153,000 or more depending on the tax levy. That was directly from the site.

Any way, I really hope the fire fighters are able to stay involved in fire fighting some how...

Yeah usually you see them by wal-mart once a year atleast raising donations.

As for money, yeah I know you got it from the site, I read it. Just saying the media has been reporting $110K.

There are 3 or 4 other volunteer fire depts in the county. I know for a fact 3 are, not sure about the 4th. One of which is actually a combo department with paid and vollys, and then there is Evansville Fire if they decide to get paid for there work.

[TacticalRooster22]

Why can't they just shut down one station? Stupid budget cuts for stupid things...people will die and the whole town will burn without a fire dept!

[erfd]

They still have fire coverage, the stupid thing is they are going to pay very similar cost for the city to cover them rather than pay for thier own dept.

[TacticalRooster22]

Well yeah I know they'll still have coverage, but I think it's stupid how they're paying the same without the dept. Just keep it!

[SirMoo]

I expect that the person who wasted money on concert tickets is being tried for fraud? But why couldn't a small tax be added to fix this problem? Or has the whole fire service been struggling for a while?

[Xplorer4x4]

Why can't they just shut down one station? Stupid budget cuts for stupid things...people will die and the whole town will burn without a fire dept!

Well one station is not manned 24/7 as it is. They unmanned house has an Engine, a Brush truck/fast response medical truck, and one half of the dive rescue equipment.

They still have fire coverage, the stupid thing is they are going to pay very similar cost for the city to cover them rather than pay for thier own dept.

Not to mention this is a Volly department, so I imagine costs are much lower then when you have to pay a full time staff.

I expect that the person who wasted money on concert tickets is being tried for fraud? But why couldn't a small tax be added to fix this problem? Or has the whole fire service been struggling for a while?

I dont recall what the charges are off hand, but she has plead guilty. Google Linda Durham for more info if your interested in the charges.

Now as for a tax, thats what I said above. At 10,000+ residents, if they implemented something like a $30 tax a year per building/apartment they could easily raise $180K, or more, and from the reception of the public, I can imagine that most would have gladly paid such a small fee to keep the dept open. As I understand it, they did indeed struggle though. A large part of that was the fact they signed a contract for 5 years, I believe, to set there annual budget. Like everyone else, they didn't know gas would hit $4 a gallon. Fuel costs seemed to be a big problem for them.

[Xplorer4x4]

Update on this, the former trustee of Knight Township was sentenced earlier this week in regards to the $70,000+ she stole from tax payers money..the bitch was sentenced to 3 years in prison. She has already granted something like 270-280 or so days served seeing as she has been in jail since being indited. Now keep in mind, in the State of Indiana, every day served with good behavior is actually counted as 2 days. So assuming jail time counts in this regard, I estimate she has less then a year to serve in prison assuming she can remain on good behavior.

It's a wonder prison can accommodate her in the first place. This woman, not that she deserves to be called that imo, is so fat, she literally has to take up two chairs. I am not kidding. I used to work security for a friend of mine who put on a Professional wrestling show in town. She literally had to take up two seats. That's not a fat joke, it's the truth.

The department is slowly but surely fading. At Midnight Jan 1 2011, Knight Township Volunteer Fire Department officially went out of service. This past weekend, what was left of there trucks and equipment, was officially auctioned off putting yet another chapter in the end of Knight Township Volunteer Fire Department.

If any one likes to ponder the idea of conspiracy theories, for better or for worse, this comes at a time the Governor is talking about abandoning the idea of township government completely in the State of Indiana, and the mayor has built a new arena downtown rather then fixing the aging sewer system of the city that is known to flood streets, and even peoples homes at times, during heavy rain.

Excuse my ranting, if you will, but welcome the Fed up city of Evansville,IN.

[lacofd_FF51]

this is exactly why people should go and support their local fire department!

this was sad

[Texas_DPS]

even if you support it ( i do when i can, go FWFD ) they can still get their hands on it and take it away from the FF's

[Xplorer4x4]

Yeah the chief said that even though they could have raised the money, he was worried about being able to fund the department for another year after that...sounds like an excuse to me. Why not cross that bridge when you get there?

Oh well, I guess the extra money the city is getting is going to good use though as the city is spending $800,000 for a new 107 foot Quint. Looks like a Ferra.