Francesville board member requests more fire department funding

Francesville Town Council member Susan Overton came before the county council on Aug. 11 to request additional funding for volunteer fire departments. The item first came up at the Francesville town board meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 6 as they were discussing fire contracts. The board ultimately approved increasing the fire contracts by 5% for 2026. On Aug. 11, Overton advised that there are five volunteer fire departments in the county and they all put their lives on the line when they get a call. Since being on the town board, Overton said that she has learned the reality of funding for volunteer fire departments. She informed that Pulaski County had approximately 1,060 runs last year and 20-40% of those are fires and the rest are medical calls or accidents.