CTES History

The Center Township Trustee is responsible, by law, to provide fire protection for the areas of the township that are outside the incorporated city limits. Historically, the township has contracted with the city of Muncie to provide the fire protection for the unincorporated areas. However, in 1999, the City sharply raised the price they requested to provide the firefighting service.

In 2000, the City’s request exceeded what the Township could raise through taxes by over $200,000. Negotiations with the City to reduce their requests continued for 16 months, with no movement. The steep increases in the amount of compensation requested by the city led Center Township Trustee, Dick Shirey, to begin to explore other alternatives.

One option explored was to contract services from the surrounding volunteer fire departments. The plan would have provided fire protection for Center Township, while providing the other townships with funds to increase their fire fighting capacity. However, several of the other townships did not feel they were prepared to accept additional responsibility, and the offer eventually fell through.

With the City’s demands too high, and the established volunteer departments unable to help, Mr. Shirey began to explore the possibilities of adding a new volunteer department in Center Township. The plan, which eventually took shape, includes a volunteer fire department with two fire stations, seven fire trucks, and over 60 volunteers. Additionally, the new firefighting capabilities to areas that are in need of greater fire protection.

The Center Township Volunteer Fire Department began taking applications from volunteers in November. By the time the department opened, over 50 volunteers had been accepted to the department, many with previous firefighting experience. Those that did not have previous experience had already attended the basic firefighting courses offered by the Township.

On December 28, Chief Gary Green radioed Delaware County Dispatch to inform them the new department was “online” and taking calls. The department operated out of a temporary station in downtown Muncie until the two new fire stations were built and ready in March of 2001. The department currently employs several part-time, “on station” firefighters during the hours of 8 AM and 3 PM every day. The fire station has been manned 24-hours a day, every day, since it opened.

The Center Township Volunteer Fire Department is comprised of many experienced firefighters, operating modern trucks and equipment to provide the highest level of service to the citizens of Center Township, and all of Delaware County.

Sixty volunteer firefighters currently staff both of Center Township’s new fire stations. More than one-third of the volunteers hold advanced training certifications, adding to the expertise and professionalism of the Center Township squad.

The Instructor certification, allowing for on-site training of new recruits, is presently held by ten of the volunteers. More than fifteen of the Center Township’s staff are First Responder certified, giving them the authority and skills to assess the situation if they are the first to arrive on the scene.

Ten firefighters have completed EMT training for medical emergencies, and twelve are proficient in Haz-Mat procedures. Over twenty of our volunteers are trained to handle auto, semi, and/or bus disentanglement after accidents. Six Center Township firefighters are equipped to lead arson investigations when necessary.

Finally, Master FireFighter certifications, one of the highest certifications available, are proudly held by Six volunteers, demonstrating their commitment to excellence in this honorable occupation and remarkable fire fighting abilities.

The new fire force has top-of-the-line equipment at their disposal. Shared between the North and South stations are three pump trucks and two tankers that help to generate maximum water pressure and flow to effectively extinguish fires. To reach and control taller fires, two aerial trucks can easily shoot water wherever necessary, as well as assist in victim rescue.

Two fire trucks maintain foam capabilities, which have often proven essential in chemical fires. “Jaws of Life” equipment plus generators, lights, and other crucial professional fire fighting apparatuses are also accessible for the volunteers to ensure exceptional fire coverage for the township.

Each new station contains ample office space, sleeping quarters, showers, and laundry facilities so that Center Township can offer 24-hour firefighting capabilities. In order to guarantee proper staffing throughout the day, paid staff will attend each station during the hours of 8 AM to 5 PM.

The North Station is located near the Woods Edge Apartment Complex, one of the most rapidly growing and inadequately covered areas of Muncie. This vantage point will also give the North Station’s fire squad easy access to Robinwood Addition and other neighboring developments. The South Station sits right in the heart of the Industrial Center, providing close proximity to many of the surrounding businesses in that area.

There are a multitude of reasons volunteer firefighters do what they do. Many simply enjoy the risk and excitement, the heightened adrenaline pumping through their veins. Self-satisfaction is another reason. for some By saving a family’s home or a person’s life, the volunteers enjoy a sense of fulfillment their lives. Naturally, people tend to feel better about themselves by serving the needs of others before their own.

Being a volunteer - giving of one’s self - is a way that this extraordinary group of people can provide for the community they live in. Center Township’s new Fire Chief, Gary Green, says that many of his volunteers just want to help and “to be able to contribute back to the community.” The firefighters have strong connections to the township, and they volunteer to express their gratitude for everything their neighborhoods have given them. The volunteers see this position as a means to begin paying back for the amount of satisfaction they feel from living in Center Township.

What better way to serve those people they love and the neighborhoods they work and play in, than to serve them so sacrificially? Devotion like this is often invisible in today’s culture, but it is good to know that such an outstanding group of men and women are supporting this community to the best of their abilities.