Tri-Township Fire & Rescue (IN) Receives Donated Lumber for Training

Jan. 31—SELLERSBURG — To help with the training of the next firefighters to join Tri-Township Fire& Rescue, PC Lumber and Hardware donated lumber to be used for training props.

In total, there was around six trailer loads of lumber donated to the fire department. Tri-Township has already started on making some of the props for the training for eight new recruits. The lumber was donated to Tri-Township earlier this week.

With the lumber, they will be building a roof ventilation, window bailout, basement egress water mapping, entanglement and wall breach props. These are made to help make the recruits competent in all the different rescue skills they need to be a firefighter.

Working with local businesses is important to Tri-Township since they are a small agency.

“Most fire departments historically are very community-oriented and community-supported,” said Fire Chief Amir Mousavi. “Our area is so busy and growing so fast that we can’t operate with volunteers anymore, but we are still very community based and oriented.”

Tri-Township keeps good relationships with many of the businesses in communities they serve, which is Silver Creek, Carr and Union Townships.

Many of the organizations and businesses step up to help the fire department when needed, Mousavi added. Tri-Township steps in when they need help as well when they need training inspections of have questions about safety issues.

Supporting local businesses and organizations is something that is important to PC Lumber & Hardware, said Mike French, the yard and warehouse supervisor.

“Tri-Township Fire Department, they’re in our backyard,” he added. “We like to support the fire department in any way we can. Really, it’s in our best interest to do what we do here to help train the cadets.”

PC Lumber had previously donated some wood to the fire department on a smaller scale. This time they were able to donate about three units of sheathing oriented strand board and about 15 bundles of mixed lumber.

French sees the donation to Tri-Township as a way to bring back the sense of community instead of everything being business.

“We’re just proud to have Tri-Township Fire Department and what they are and what they’ve become,” French said. “We’ll always be supporters of theirs.”

With the lumber they donated, it should last the fire department quite a while, French added.

The lumber will be used for a prop that is designed to put the recruits through common scenarios that they will experience while out responding to fires when they become a firefighter.

“These are all the skills that are either required or recommended that each new firefighter have competency in,” Mousavi said. “For example, the window prop is designed for them to be able to go in and out a window in an emergency or help somebody get out.”

Some of the props have already completed building and the recruits have started training with them.

“We’ll be building over the next month, or even the next two months as the class develops,” said Chris Woertz, Tri-Township’s assistant chief. “As it gets into certain different areas, we’ll be working ahead and building the props as they’re needed.”

© 2025 The Evening News and The Tribune (Jeffersonville, Ind.). Visit newsandtribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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