Frye's Volunteer Firefighter Scholarship Bill Passes Committee

Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at 10:12 AM

By Mike Perleberg @mikedup84

House Bill 1064 seeks to award Ivy Tech Community College scholarships to young people who volunteer with their local fire department.

File photo.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) – A southeastern Indiana state lawmaker’s bill aimed at increasing participation with Hoosier police and fire departments is advancing to the House floor.

State Rep. Randy Frye (R-Greensburg) is a retired Indianapolis firefighters. He has authored House Bill 1064, which would establish the Ivy Tech Public Safety Scholarship.

The bill was passed by the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee this week.

According to Frye, this scholarship would provide tuition for a public safety officer to pursue any certificate or associate degree program offered by Ivy Tech Community College for two academic years or less.

"The demand for new public safety officers in Indiana is high,” Frye said. “This scholarship would help recruit young people to this rewarding career while encouraging them to grow their skills and remain in our community.”

For the first two years of the program, it would only be available to volunteer firefighters. In 2021, it would open up to all public safety officers, including paid firefighters, police officers, and EMTs. Those receiving the scholarship would have to possess a high school diploma.

According to the Indiana Volunteer Firefighter's Association, there are 824 fire/rescue departments/organizations in the state. A growing number of those volunteer departments are having trouble recruiting new firefighters as older members retire.