'A great day in Crown Point': Fire department receives $2.26M federal grant to hire 7 firefighters

"It's a great day in Crown Point, Indiana," U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, told city officials and firefighter/paramedics. 

The crowd gathered Tuesday morning to celebrate Crown Point Fire Rescue receiving a $2.26 million grant through the FEMA-Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, program.

After applying for SAFER funding for nine years, the city was selected as one of 118 recipients for the first time this fall. Three other communities in Indiana received the SAFER grant, and Crown Point was the only municipality selected in Northwest Indiana.  

The grant will fully cover the salaries and benefits of seven additional firefighters for three years. Mayor Pete Land said Crown Point's financial consultant, Financial Solutions Group Inc., has already prepared a sustainability report, confirming that the city will be able to maintain the new positions when the grant money runs out. 

"As the city grows, we have a responsibility to be able to manage and protect our resources," Land said, explaining that the city's businesses, residents and visitors need assurance "that, should they be in need of our fire assistance, we're here."

Over the past decade, Crown Point's population has gone from 27,000 to about 34,000. In 2008 the fire department had 19 firefighters; it has 53 this year.

Fire Chief Mark Baumgardner Jr. said the seven new hires will allow the department to staff the ladder truck and have 16 firefighters working per shift during all three shifts.

"Staffing a fire department is challenging," he said. "For example, if a department wanted to add just one additional ambulance to the street, this requires two firefighter/paramedics per shift. That's six firefighters total that you have hire just to put out one additional ambulance."

Serving the city of Crown Point and Center Township keeps the department busy. Since starting as a full-time Crown Point firefighter in 2008, Baumgardner has said the number of calls the department responds to has more than doubled to 5,000. 

'Now the hard work begins'

What it means to be a firefighter has changed over the years.

With more certifications, newer equipment and fewer volunteers, firefighters "must literally be a Swiss army knife of skills and knowledge," Baumgardner said. 

"A modern-day firefighter must do much more than extinguish fires. They must be emergency-medicine practitioners, knowledgeable about getting anyone out of any situation, at any time, as quickly and safely as possible while under physical and mental stress." 

Hiring firefighters has also become more difficult.

Recruitment fairs used to take up entire high school cafeterias; now the department "is fortunate to fill a few tables" with interested candidates, Baumgardner said. To address the nationwide issue, Crown Point Fire Rescue developed a hiring committee. 

"But now the hard work begins. Recruiting, interviewing and selecting seven new firefighters to join our family," he said. 

The department will start advertising soon on social media. The city has until early spring to fill the positions, a deadline Baumgardner says he is"confident" they will be able to meet — he has already heard from a few interested candidates. 

"We have a great department full of men and women who are here 24 hours a day, every day, ready and willing to walk into any situation they are called to," he said. "I am humbled and proud to be able to support them and the great work that they do.

"The SAFER grant helps us take a huge leap forward to fulfilling our mission to the community."