The Marrs Twp Water/Dive Rescue Team was organized in 1995 after an incident in the town of Mount Vernon in which a 10 year old boy had drowned. After that incident a group of Firefighters from Marrs Township and Black Township Fire and Rescue Departments decided to put together a Water/Dave Rescue Team to service the surrounding areas.
Both departments developed their own respective teams shortly after that time, after assessing the individual needs of their areas.
The areas of Marrs Township and Black Township are bordered by many miles of river bank from the Ohio and Wabash Rivers, not to mention the the numerous streams, ponds, and lakes.
Both departments started their respective teams with very little funding, and the members of the departments purchasing their own dive equipment. A used ambulance was purchased, and with little money and a large amount of teamwork, sweat, and time, it was made operational and put into service. It was an uphill struggle all the way.
Over the past 20 years, there have been many changes in the fire service. New recruits would join to fight fires, where as today, more than 75% of the runs made are medical and very few are for fire. Some years we have had more Water/Dive runs than structure fire runs.
One thing that has not grown with the Water/Dive Rescue Team was the ambulance that was used to transport our personnel and equipment to the scene. The ambulance had become a maintenance nightmare and was no longer capable of serving the needs of the Water/Dive Rescue Team and the community and was in need of replacement. A new Dive Rescue truck (9 Rescue 10) was designed in 2006, and was delivered in late July of 2007.
We have seen a rising interest in the Water Rescue Service from the new members that have joined and with the proper training have prepared them for the services they will be providing.
Over the 20 year time frame that the team has been in operation, we have seen a lot of progress and changes. We have made many great strides and have grown into one of the premiere Water/Dive Rescue Teams in the area. We have been called to assist in many parts of the Tri-State area, from Central Indiana, to Illinois and Kentucky. We have mutual aid agreements with Ohio Valley Search and Rescue and the surrounding departments.
When called upon for assistance with a water incident or search, we are one of the first on the list to be called due to our professionalism, commitment, and pride we take when we put our team on or near the water.
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Your $52 Annual Donation – Just $1 a Week,
Makes a Difference and Saves Lives.
As we presented in our 2018 Newsletter, community donations funded the purchase of life-saving Zoll ResQPump ACD-CPR Devices to equip five of our trucks last year. Your Marrs Township Volunteer Fire Department was an early adopter of these cutting edge CPR devices designed to improve survival from cardiac arrest. The Zoll ResQPump allows the rescuer to perform active compression-decompression CPR, which promotes complete and active chest recoil. Early results are in: Since your Marrs Township Volunteer Fire Department added these devices last year, we have had two patients who, upon arrival by our first responders, had no pulse. They were resuscitated using the Zoll Pump and had a pulse when we arrived at the hospital, giving them the best possible chance at survival. Your donation helps make purchases like this possible.
This year, Marrs is once again at the forefront, this time in firefighter safety. Department Captain Floyd Hines, who oversees our firefighter personal equipment, has spearheaded our transition to new jet-style firefighting helmets. Our current helmets are over 15 years old and due for replacement. The new helmets have a much different look, are lighter weight, lower profile and more comfortable, all of which helps the firefighter performance. We were able to help beta test these helmets before their release and provide feedback to the manufacturer. The helmets are now approved by the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA). The jet-style design of the Cairns® XF1 Fire Helmet reduces snag hazards, provides a personalized fit, and houses its own integrated light module. Plus, the soft goods are removable, washable, and replaceable, helping firefighters align with cancer awareness programs as written by the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. We have Purchased eight so far. With your support, we will continue to convert to the new styles as funds become available.
Thank you for your annual donation. The donations do indeed help us save lives and protect our volunteer firefighters, making a real difference right here in our Marrs Township community. Donated funds will go towards the update of Rescue 1 in the upcoming years. Rescue 1 is a 1999 Ford Rescue Truck and the second oldest in the fleet. It will be updated like Rescue 7 was two years ago with an estimated cost of $175,000.
9A1 | Rick Williamson | Chief | EMT | 34 Years Of Service |
9A2 | Andy Harbison | Assistant Chief | First Responder/Dive Rescue Team | 11 Years Of Service |
9A3 | Keith Damm | Assistant Chief | First Responder/Dive Rescue Team | 23 Years Of Service |
9A4 | Larry Schenk | District Chief | First Responder | 45 Years Of Service |
9A5 | Jay Hile | District Chief | EMT/Dive Rescue Team | 17 Years Of Service |
9A6 | Matt Hulsey | District Chief | First Responder/Dive Rescue Team | 10 Years Of Service |
9A7 | David Simmons | Captain | EMT | 6 Years Of Service |
9A8 | Dan Jordan | Captain | EMT | 9 Years Of Service |
9A9 | Floyd Hines | Captain | EMT/Dive Rescue Team | 11 Years Of Service |
9A10 | Bill Goff | Captain | EMT/Dive Rescue Team | 5 Years Of Service |
9A11 | Robert Stuffle | Captain | EMT/Dive Rescue Team | 9 Years Of Service |
9A12 | Cody Reese | Lieutenant | EMT | 2 Years Of Service |
9A14 | Jacob Zoch | Lieutenant | EMT | 4 Years Of Service |
9X15 | ||||
9X16 | Tim Peterson | Firefighter | 3 Years Of Service | |
9X17 | Andy Logan | Firefighter | First Responder/Dive Rescue Team | 32 Years Of Service |
9X18 | Dylan Hile | Firefighter | New Member | |
9X19 | Jonathan Chamness | Firefighter | 1 Year Of Service | |
9X20 | John Montgomery | Dive Rescue Team | 20 Years Of Service | |
9X21 | Tyler Sprinkel | Firefighter | 3 Years Of Service | |
9X22 | Gayle Schmidt | Firefighter | EMT | 3 Years Of Service |
9X23 | Bryan Schmitt | Dive Rescue Team | 8 Years Of Service | |
9X25 | Amy Woodley | EMS | EMT | 5 Years Of Service |
9X26 | Brandon Woodley | Firefighter | EMT | 10 Years Of Service |
9X27 | Kris Scott | EMT/Dive Rescue Team | New Member | |
9X28 | Jeff Bassemeier | Firefighter | 13 Years Of Service | |
9X29 | Rick Roos | Firefighter | EMT | 23 Years Of Service |
9X30 | ||||
9X31 | Lisa Hines | 3 Years Of Service | ||
9X32 | ||||
9X33 | Matt Anderson | 3 Years Of Service | ||
9X34 | Steven Lupfer | Firefighter | EMT | 7 Years Of Service |
9X35 | John Schmidt | Firefighter | 8 Years Of Service | |
9X36 | Nick Raber | Dive Rescue Team | 2 Years Of Service | |
9X37 | ||||
9X38 | Patrick Fischer | Firefighter | 17 Years Of Service | |
9X39 | ||||
9X40 | ||||
9X41 | ||||
9X42 | Justin Crowley | Firefighter | 7 Years Of Service | |
9X43 | ||||
9X44 | ||||
9X45 | Dale Wilzbacher | Firefighter | EMT | 40 Years Of Service |
9X46 | Sandra Hile | 2 Years Of Service | ||
9X47 | Joe Mayer | Firefighter | Investigator | 5 Years Of Service |
9X48 | Payge Marx | Firefighter | EMT | 4 Years Of Service |
9X49 | Josh Lunceford | Firefighter | ||
9X50 | Alex Jordan | Firefighter | EMS | 2 Years Of Service |
9C20 | Mike Hile | Cadet | ||
9C21 | Cadet | |||
9C22 | Cadet |
9A91 | ||||
9A92 | Patrick Fischer | Firefighter | 17 Years Of Service | |
9A93 | Brandon Woodley | Firefighter | EMT | 10 Years Of Service |
9A94 | Alex Smith | Firefighter | EMT | 10 Years Of Service |
9A95 | Rick Roos | Firefighter | EMT | 23 Years Of Service |
9A96 | Matt Hulsey | Firefighter | 10 Years Of Service | |
9A97 | Jacob Zoch | Firefighter | EMT | 4 Years Of Service |
9A98 | David Simmons | Firefighter | 6 Years Of Service | |
9A99 | Dale Wilzbacher | Firefighter | EMT | 40 Years Of Service |
The members of the Ladies Auxiliary will pursue their mission statement through activities supporting the fiscal, public service, and response support needs of the Marrs Township Volunteer Fire Department Firefighters, EMS, and Divers.
Working toward this goal, the Ladies Auxiliary will provide service and assistance by being involved in activities such as, but not limited to, the following:
Respond to request for assistance during fires and other situations that require the MTVFD personnel to be on scene for an extended period of time.
Initiate community service outreach programs.
Provide fundraising efforts for Ladies Auxiliary and Marrs Township Volunteer Fire Department.
Open and maintain communication with neighboring Ladies Auxiliary boards for partnering and learning purposes.
Support fellow fire department members and/or families in times of need or crisis
Actively recruit new members for the Marrs Township Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary.