Residents of the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood continue to resist plans by Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) Chief Ernest Malone to consolidate their closest fire station with the station in nearby Broad Ripple.
Malone’s proposed plan would close Station 16 at 5555 N. Illinois St. and merge it with Station 32 at 6330 Guilford Ave., about 1.6 miles away.
The consolidation is part of Malone’s “2016 Redeployment Effort,” which involves reviewing the utilization of IFD’s personnel and equipment to ensure efficiency and proper placement in the community. In other words, Malone wants to be sure IFD’s resources are allocated in a way that will maximize their impact and make the best use of tax dollars.
Malone presented his plan and took questions at the March 14 Butler-Tarkington Neighborhood Association (BTNA) meeting, showing a series of maps illustrating where Station 16’s coverage area currently overlaps areas covered by Stations 12, 31 and 32.
Malone also touched on the potential for increased demand for IFD services in Broad Ripple, saying the community’s development plan calls for an increased number of buildings, which could mean an increased number of fire events.
The presentation did not win the favor of the BTNA, which voted unanimously to oppose the plan after “universal opposition was expressed by neighbors and board members” at the meeting, according to BTNA’s website.
The BTNA has since sent a letter and petition to Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett expressing concerns about the consolidation proposal.
“Butler-Tarkington had a number of public safety issues last summer, and the police department has recently expanded one of its focus areas to include more of it,” the letter, dated March 15, says. “We have been diligent in working to promote public safety in the neighborhood. Accordingly, we believe it is a significant setback for our closest first responders, whose presence we cherish, to vacate the area.”
According to Malone’s presentation, Butler-Tarkington’s Station 16 had 1,336 runs in 2015, compared to 1,548 by Station 32 in Broad Ripple.
Other aspects of Malone’s plan include consolidating Stations 52 (11224 House St.) and 54 (8025 S. Combs Road) into a centralized station — repurposing Station 54 into an IFD fitness facility and selling Station 52 — in addition to changes at IFD headquarters and relocation of one of IFD’s battalions.
To see Malone’s presentation and other information, visit BTNA.org.
