TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) –Terre Haute firefighters work to save lives and protect property, responding to nearly 15,000 calls for help a year. During their downtime, they form family-like bonds.
WTWO headed to Terre Haute Fire Station #5. It was around 10 a.m., and firefighters were getting ready for breakfast. It’s one of two meals the firefighters will eat during their 24-hour shift that began at 7 a.m. and lasts until 7 a.m. the next day. They eat, sleep, and work out at the fire station. Several of the firefighters say it’s around the table, while eating, that they form those close friendships.
“I get paid to hang out with my friends,” Pvt. Jacob Adkins joked.
He and the others also get paid to save lives.
“I’m the back-stepper on the ladder company, which just means I’m usually part of a search,” added Adkins.
And like all Terre Haute firefighters hired from 2007 on, Pvt. Adkins is a trained paramedic.
“I also work on an ambulance sometimes,” he said.
Roughly 70 percent of the nearly 15,000 emergency runs the department makes each year are medical. Lt. Michael Shelton is also one of the firefighters assigned to Station #5 built on 9th Street downtown in the late 1800’s. He said there are many things he likes about being a firefighter from the camaraderie of co-workers to helping people.
“It’s seeing somebody on their worst day, and you make their day better. Sometimes that’s just talking to them. Sometimes that’s treating them for a medical emergency,” Lt. Michael Shelton said.
There are a total of 150 firefighters currently on the department, including six females. About 40 firefighters are on the job each day staffing the city’s 8 fire houses. Each person works a 24-hour shift with two days off in between. While there are many positives about the job, multiple firefighters mentioned that being away from their families for 24 hours can sometimes be tough.
“You’re gonna miss birthdays, you’re gonna miss Christmas, all of the other holidays you just don’t get to spend with them,” said Lt. Shelton.
“Thankfully, the fire department can be its own family. We lean on each other a lot when it comes to missing those kinds of events,” added Capt. Nick Arnold.
Arnold says to apply to be a Terre Haute firefighter, you need to be at least 19 years old, but no older than 39. You have a valid driver’s license and a high school diploma or GED. You can not have any felonies.
“We encourage anyone who is interested to apply,” said Capt. Arnold.
Applicants must pass a physical test, take an aptitude test, and go through an interview process. Captain Arnold said, over the next 12 months, the department is looking to hire 12 to 18 more firefighters.
It’s a career, those we spoke with find very rewarding. It’s also a career with a lot of longevity. The mandatory retirement age is not until 70-years-old.
If you would like to apply, keep watching the THFD’s Facebook page. Here’s a link.
Some interesting facts from the THFD:
- Firefighters split the bill for the food they eat while on duty.
- Firefighters pitch in to pay for cable and internet service at their firehouse.
- The most emergency calls of the day are generally received from noon to 6 p.m.
- The busiest month of the year in 2024 was October.
- The busiest day of the year in 2024 was June 25 due to severe weather.
- The average THFD response time is 4 minutes 27 seconds.
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