At its first quarterly meeting of the year the West Porter Township Fire Protection District made changes to its board officers and legal counsel.

Craig Klauer, formerly the vice chair, was voted chair replacing Joe Wiszowaty. Don Niemeyer, who had been secretary, was voted vice chair. Rob Rabelhofer was voted secretary and Greg Kosmoski remained treasurer.

Valparaiso attorney Adam Sworden was retained as legal counsel replacing the firm of Blachly, Tabor, Bozik & Hartman. “The attorney that’s been with us 35 years since the inception of the district is great,” said Rabelhofer, referring to Dave Hollenbeck. “I just think maybe we need a change of pace, a shot in the arm.”

Rabelhofer said Hollenbeck has discouraged the district from entering into its own emergency management services agreement, continuing to rely on Porter County to provide those services. “I don’t think that gave us the best success here and I think that set us back,” he added.

He said research revealed the district could enter into an EMS contract and it did so with its fire services provider Lakes of the Four Seasons Volunteer Fire Force for the first time in 35 years. That move will raise the cost of the contract from $155,000 in 2024 to $251,000 in 2025, allowing the fire department to make better use of its three ambulances.

“Now, during the day, there should be two staffed at all times,” said LOFSVFF Chief Kevin Heerema. The emergency medical technicians and paramedics staffing those ambulances will also all be cross-trained to fight fires. In fire departments where all staff are paid, full-time employees that’s the norm, but often isn’t the case with volunteer fire services like LOFS that rely on a combination of part-time employees and volunteers.

In reality, the LOFSVFF has been providing the bulk of those services without a contract until now. Heerema said his department was already covering 90 to 95% of the district’s EMS calls.

The board intends to seek additional appropriations from the county to help offset the increased contract costs. Calls are up as the service area of West Porter Township, the town of Winfield, and Winfield Township continue to grow, particularly in the town of Winfield. Heerema said his department responded to 15% more calls in 2024 than the previous year, jumping from 1,488 to 1,714 calls.

Of that increase, 10.8% was attributed to mutual aid, 13.4% to Winfield Township, and 21.3% to the town of Winfield. Heerema said the department averages five-and-a-half calls a day and will be on track to reach 2,000 calls by the end of the year.

“It’s nothing all day and then five in 45 minutes,” he said of the vagaries of emergency calls.

He also reported that five part-time staff members are transitioning from EMTs to higher-skilled paramedics. “I think learning that we have extra help” has brought in more applicants, Heerema added regarding the five new applications he’s received lately after increases in staffing were made possible by funding from the town of Winfield, Winfield Township and the WPTFPD.

In other business, the board voted unanimously to create a public information officer position to be filled by Rabelhofer following posts on Facebook that appeared to be officially sanctioned by the board. “There’s been some bad information on it and if it’s official this board should have approved it,” Rabelhofer said.

He said he would take his time launching any official media accounts and would do so with full board approval but confirmed with Sworden that legal action could be taken against anyone posing as an official representative of the board.

“As long as you own it and control it,” Sworden said, social media accounts were legally defensible against unauthorized postings.

“We can’t have that this year,” he said, referring to any efforts to revive talks with the town of Winfield and Winfield Township regarding the formation of a fire territory.

Finally, on that note, Klauer commented, “This isn’t dead in the water, the territory. We’re going to collaborate, the five of us.” A motion was then unanimously passed to modify a resolution authorizing the board vice chair and treasurer to serve as the contract negotiation committee going forward.

Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.