Jasper Boosts Public Safety with Staffing and Equipment for JFD and JPD, Issues Winter Safety Reminders for Residents

At the Jasper Board of Public Works and Safety meeting on Tuesday morning, the JFD provided some important safety reminders for residents. 

With the holidays approaching and temperatures dropping, Fire Chief Kenny Hochgesang provided some winter safety tips. He said that alternative heating devices were responsible for 332 deaths in the US from 2019-23. The chief said to make sure it devices have a safety tip feature with auto shut off. Home appliances should never be used as heating devices. Carbon monoxide poisoning events go up in winter as well, so homes should be equipped with a CO2 detector. Electrical fires can also be caused by incorrect or overuse of extension cords, so residents should be cautious when putting out holiday decorations. 

Interviews were held for the vacant lieutenant position, and the board approved Chief Hochgesang’s recommendation to promote Robert Eckerle. The board also authorized awarding the low bid of 2,024,598 for a tower truck to American Fire and Safety, with delivery in November 2028. 

Police Chief Chad Dick provided his monthly report for November, noting that weather conditions and Thanksgiving holidays contributed to an even busier month. Dick gave an overview of the JPD’s activities and updates regarding staffing. The recently approved Dispatch Supervisor position has been opened. The department has had some challenges with staff retention, as replacing officers is a lengthy process. The board approved conditional position officers to the two remaining candidates so that they can complete the remaining steps of the hiring process for when vacancies become available. 

Heart of Jasper Director Kate Schwenk provided a brief report on the organization’s activities for 2025, thanking the board for their support. The 2026 contract for Heart of Jasper was approved, allocating $50,000 for the façade grant and $10,000 for operating funds. A discussion was held to determine the best process for responding to requests regarding the newly installed perimeter lighting. This year, they were set according to the courthouse schedule. The board will continue discussions to determine a procedure for requests. Lighting will be determined by the courthouse schedule until a decision is reached. 

In other business, distributed claims of 3,662,640 approved as presented. These included a Cultural Center payment from the EDIT fund for $357,000 and a pool lease payment from the Central fund for $85,000. The board approved the release of two performance bonds for $1,211,979 on Northridge Estates and established a 2-year maintenance bond of just over $300,000. Street Commissioner Jeff Theising presented the annual supply bid items from the special Board of Public Works and Safety meeting held on November 25. Bids were awarded as recommended. 

For more information on these and other updates, visit jasperindiana.gov or JasperGov-Indiana on Facebook.


 - By Drew Hasselbring