The Terre Haute Fire Department needs an additional $400,000 from the City to maintain operations for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The THFD has been forced to deplete its overtime allowance due to retirements and injuries and will need the infusion of cash to keep the highly trained, highly paid department funded.

The Terre Haute Fire Departments annual budget is several million dollars more than Bloomington IN. and Gary IN, but Terre Haute does have a smaller population. The Bloomington Fire Department and Gary Fire Department have experienced poor leadership in the past preventing them from maintaining funding at Terre Haute’s level.

Several Cities across America have even resorted to not sending a fire engine out with an ambulance call. This is becoming increasingly popular as municipalities look to trim Fire Department Budgets.

A year long review of city operations determined that a freeze in top line spending for multiple years for the THFD should be implemented to bring the department in line with other high spending departments in Indiana. This recommendation was sent to the steering committee as part of an effort labeled “Terre Haute Competes”. The project started in 2016 when the city was looking to cut the budget due to deficits. The steering committee has decided to hold off on those recommendations and instead find sources of revenue.

The Terre Haute Competes study can be located and viewed at the following location:

https://www.mapquest.com/places/sycaore-ridge-landfill-pimento-in-357599920