By Jeff Kenney Staff Writer
CULVER — A number of Culver’s volunteer firemen were on hand last week for a lengthy discussion concerning the much-debated fate of a siren installed — though not yet operational — on Culver’s north end, at the town council’s regular meeting.
Among the firemen speaking out was Pete Peterson, who said the agency is “at a loss for words” over the council’s decision last meeting not to sound the siren for fires, but for tornados only.
“Maybe there was not enough research done before it was put there…why does the siren go off? To notify people that the firemen are coming through, and to notify the firemen that there’s a fire. We carry radios but they’re not attached to you permanently. The siren is tremendous if you’re working in the yard, outside, that sort of thing.”

Fire Chief Mike Grover noted that he spoke with NIPSCO and learned that there are several locations around town with three-phase power, which is required for the existing siren to operate. Grover also said he learned that the siren was originally purchased for $6,000 in April, 2003 by the town with the agreement of the high school that it would be placed in the area of the school. The siren, however, was put to work at the town hall temporarily while that siren was repaired, said Grover.
He explained that the town hall siren “is extremely old and the chimney it’s sitting on is old and may be unsafe. This should have been looked into. I just found this information today in a few hours.”
Town Manager Sean McDermott said placement of the siren on the north end of town (near the Roth home in the Lake Shore Drive area) was researched extensively, with board member Sally Ricciardi adding that she understood the school to have decided the siren would disturb students.
Ricciardi also noted she has carried an EMS radio for 28 years. “If I’m crawling into a hole in a house,” she said, “I set it at the entrance and crank it up.”
Grover responded that firemen are on duty 24 hours a day, unlike EMS volunteers, who take shifts. A number of firemen described work situations that make carrying their radios at all times difficult or impossible, such as work in ditches, concrete, and roofing. Grover added that the previous Friday, the county had to call his cell phone to report that all the department’s radios were completely dead. He added that he had spoken to north end veterinarian Georgette Samuelson, who had expressed concern about the siren disrupting animals in her care, and she agreed to a test period of using the siren for fires.
Audience member Bill Roth, who attended previous meetings to express concern over the noise generated by the new siren and resultant property value issues due to its proximity to his home, said he understood the siren to have been a tornado siren from the start.
“You’re right, Mike,” he said, addressing Grover. “It’s an error. Something occurred. A siren was found and nobody knew where it came from, and we find out it’s worth $6,000. Unbelievable…you’re suggesting putting the fire sirens back on that pole when two weeks ago, this group voted against that.”
Roth added that a petition of his neighborhood was presented to the council concerning the siren.
McDermott proposed a compromise that involved using the new siren for fires while the town removed the outdated town hall siren and replaced it with a new, louder single phase siren downtown which would cover both ends of town, leaving sirens on each end as tornado alerts only.
Council member Lynn Overmyer suggested a plan similar to McDermott’s, but with a guarantee that the new, central siren (which McDermott noted might not be best located at the town hall) be able to cover all areas of town and that a solution – if not final installation — be reached by the council within 60 days, by July 15. Grover added a request that the fire department be involved all through the process. “If a solution is not reached (by July 15),” said council president Ralph Winters, “you can bring in the tar and feathers.”
In other business, passed was the first reading of an ordinance annexing 15 parcels near Long Point into the town of Culver.
Town Attorney Ron Gifford noted that he will wait for the second reading of the ordinance until Aug. 12 to make sure all notices to the public and the seven property owners in the area have had time to be properly handled.
It was also noted that the area, once annexed, will change from precinct two to precinct one for voting purposes.

Discussion was had concerning issues with a two inch water line in the Liberty Street area which has caused complaint from one resident at the “dead end” of the pipe who has complained of low water pressure and unpleasant water as a result of the location and type of line to his home. Town manager McDermott said he spoke with four homeowners in the area and received a resounding “no” when asked if they would connect to a six-inch water line – at their expense -- if the town replaced the existing line. McDermott said he could find no precedent to abandoning the old line and forcing residents to hook to the new, and so felt the town would have to absorb the cost of each home hooking in. He also added that Culver has several one and two inch lines and that a comprehensive plan should be drawn up to replace lines once the town has GIS and other data.

Winters, asking McDermott to send letters to all residents on the line, noted that infrastructure problems like this one have been left unaddressed by previous councils. “I think I would appreciate having the opportunity for decent water service,” he said. “However…I have difficulty proceeding with this project.”

The board concurred that further study of problem lines will need to be done, with Winters adding that he will call the resident with water problems.

Fire chief Mike Grover distributed a run sheet to the council explaining that his department had 19 fire runs between January and March, and 498 total training hours for his men between early December, 2007, and April 19, 2009. He noted there are 20 members of the department now. Audience member Sue Roth, who said she worked for decades in insurance, added that Culver has a very favorable fire insurance rate because the firemen are tested and are “as good as they are at what they do.”

EMS director Millie Sytsma reported that her department had 26 ambulance runs in April, with 116 total this year through April. She said the EMS has been conducting a number of CPR classes, including many for the Culver Community School Corporation, which now requires all of its staff to be CPR trained. She said she is hoping the school board may approve a stipend towards purchase of new mannequins, instructional DVDs, and other equipment used in training. She said she hoped to have an answer for the council as to the stipend, and would like to discuss funding for at least five mannequins.

Sytsma also emphasized the EMS’ staffing issues, adding that the department’s executive board is considering moving the service to a paid, rather than volunteer service. “We don’t want to lose control of the ambulance service for the town,” she said. “Our concern is, if another company comes and offers to do it for less money, you could lose local service. We don’t want to be caught with no resources. We’ve never been without coverage, but volunteers are a dying breed.”

She also expressed appreciation to the fire department, whose number of volunteers she said is “amazing,” for its assistance of the EMS when called upon. She said a number of EMS volunteers are working extra 12-hour shifts to cover the time needed.

The council also agreed to further investigation of requirements for busying NISCO cables in the town park, a project park director Kelly Young previously asked the council to help fund. NIPSCO requires $10,537 to bury the cable, and the park is approximately $5,500 short. “It does disturb me that they commit to a project every year and come to the town to bail them out,” said Winters. “It seems the budgeting process there isn’t working.”

Ed Pinder noted that the town had pushed the park, in the past, to bury the cable, part of a three-phase project which began last year with burial of wire near the Vandalia depot. The burial, he said, was also part of a grant awarded the park some years ago. The board agreed to investigate the history of the matter and whether burial is required or not.

The council approved a request from St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church to close two streets for a Memorial Day weekend event at the church.

Two new sets of brooms for the town’s street sweeping vehicle were also approved, and the council agreed to purchase equipment for use in automatic sampling of sewer gas on Academy Road. A utility shed to house the equipment will be built as well, but the council agreed to examine options as to the aesthetics of the structure, which will be placed at the second manhole east on Academy Road.

Discussion of annexing the western section of Jefferson Street to State Road 17 was tabled for further discussion.

Council member  Lynn Overmyer raised concern about a house on South Main Street presently elevated on “stilts.” “School will be out soon,” she noted. “The safety of the kids is an issue.”

It was pointed out that the addition of a chain link fence around the property could be required.