Indiana enactes HEA1454 for firefighters known as the Department of Local Government Finance bill

Indiana legislative session a success for our volunteer fire service.

This bill is known as the Department of Local Government Finance bill. It contains many provisions, one of them realities of, and is expanded to assist with funding for volunteer departments. The bill allows each county council to enact a Local Option Income Tax (LOIT) of .01 to .05%. The funds would be used for the volunteer fire service only. To keep things in perspective, a .01% LOIT on a $50,000 annual salary would be $37 per year. By contrast, when the volunteer fire department loses members or closes, homeowners will see an increase in their home insurance. The LOIT money would be distributed to volunteer fire departments based on the assessed value within their coverage district excluding farm ground. The new money, should the county council decide to pass the LOIT, would be in addition to that currently received by the volunteer fire department. Additional 10 million dollars has been appropriated for volunteer firefighter gear and air packs. Departments would apply to the Department of Homeland Security to receive their equipment. Seven million dollars has been claimed to provide additional firefighter training across the state. I hope you agree this year’s legislative session was a success for our volunteer fire service. The constant pressure to raise money and obtain the required training is causing our volunteer fire departments to lose membership. Finally, the Indiana Volunteer Firefighter Scholarship is intact with Ivy Tech. Any active volunteer firefighter may attend Ivy Tech free of charge, including books.