Crawfordsville appoints new fire chief

    The Crawfordsville Fire Department recently elected a new slate of officers and more than doubled the number of volunteer firefighters on their force. In November, the department went from having eight volunteer firefighters to 17. Roy Felts, who has been a firefighter in Crawfordsville for the past eight years, became the department?s new fire chief.

    Felts was born in Crawfordsville and had visions of being a firefighter even in his youth.

    ?It was something I had thought of doing a long time ago,? said Felts. ?As soon as I was old enough to join, I signed up to be a firefigher.?

    Felts joined the fire department in 2001 when he turned 18. That is the minimum age at which a person can be covered by insurance in the state of Iowa.

    The promotion to fire chief came with more responsibility, said Felts.

    ?I?m in charge of overseeing the ground operations and the day-to-day operations of the fire department,? said Felts. ?I also have to coordinate training schedules and ensure that the department complies with all state and federal regulations.?

    It?s that last part that Felts doesn?t care for. He said getting entangled in bureaucratic red tape is not one of his favorite things to do.  

    ?The most difficult part of the job is sitting down at a desk for hours at a time and doing paperwork,? said Felts. ?Paperwork can drag on. There are a lot of forms you have to fill out when you deal with OSHA and FEMA.?

    Felts said he is thankful for the support he receives from his fellow firefighters, which can only grow now that the force has doubled in size.

    ?The part of the job I like the most is working with other firefighters,? said Felts. ?We really got a good group of guys. They want to go out and get the job done. They want to make sure their training is up to date. It makes my job a lot easier when the rest of the team is willing to do that.?

For the full article, see the Dec. 11 edition of the Washington Evening Journal.