Rush County consist of nearly 409 square miles. At any given moment, and in the event of an emergency, trained township firefighting volunteers can and frequently are called upon to assist law enforcement personnel and other responders in a variety of emergencies.

There currently are eight volunteer departments in Rush County: Anderson, Carthage, Glenwood, Manilla, Posey, Raleigh, Rushville and Jackson Township.

During the coming months the Rushville Republican will run a series of articles regarding the volunteer departments and the role they play in emergency response.

The first in the series is the Rushville Township Volunteer Fire Department.

The area covered by the volunteer department is the central part of the county and is bordered roughly by CR 200N to CR 500S. The east/west boarder of coverage is CR 250E and CR 400W.

During 2007, the department was called into action 168 times. Responders assisted medial personnel 52 times during the year and made 35 runs to the report of fires. Fire calls ranged in nature from grass fires as a result of the dry summer and fall months to structure fires.

Rescue units responded to 23 vehicle accidents, 17 of which resulted in bodily injury.

Some of the most important types of calls requesting assistance were public service in nature. Calls reporting gas leaks, electrical wiring problems and lifting assistance were received 37 times by the dispatch center.

Rush County Community Foundation funds were used during the year to purchase a repeater for the township radios. The repeater is housed at the firehouse.

The department donated the use of this repeater to the Rush Memorial Hospital Ambulance service and their staff. This will enable the EMS radios to be better heard in outlying areas of the county.

Rushville Township members are grateful for the Community Foundation’s appropriations and its assistance.

In an effort to look forward, the department has identified a number of challenges in regards to 2008.

Training, safety measures and equipment have been singled out as focal points to be addressed in coming months.

Members of the department believe that they, like other volunteer groups, are dedicated men and women willing to give their time and effort to assist in saving lives and property.