LAWRENCE CO. — The Shawswick Volunteer Fire Fighters Association, Inc. (SVFFA) presented a detailed report of its activity to the Lawrence County Commissioners on Tuesday morning, highlighting a significant volume of runs both within and outside its territory through the first half of October.
The department is requesting a $65,000 annual contract to continue providing ambulance service to the county.
“This comes after the county council decided to remove public safety money from the department,” said Shawswick Township Trustee Millard Jones. “We need to keep this ambulance rolling and provide emergency treatment to residents of Lawrence County. The department is hoping to purchase a new ambulance in January. I am requesting the county sign a contract with the department.”
Dated October 28, 2025, the document outlines the fire department’s activity with total runs recorded up to October 15, 2025.
Total Runs and Territory Coverage
The SVFFA reported a Total Runs count of 1,425. These runs covered the following areas, categorized by Township:
| Township | Runs Per Township |
| City of Bedford | 284 |
| Shawswick | 734 |
| Guthrie | 188 |
| City of Mitchell | 88 |
| Marion | 43 |
| Spice Valley | 5 |
| Pleasant Run | 17 |
| Perry | 13 |
| Town of Oolitic | 11 |
| Total Runs | 1,425 |
The report noted that 503 runs fell outside the SVFFA’s territory for Lawrence County. Additionally, approximately 25 runs were taken by IU Health within the SVFFA’s territory when the association was on a run for the county.
The total run count does not include an additional 183 Signal 9 (emergency runs).
Assistance and Response
The Shawswick VFD plays a significant role in county-wide fire and ambulance assistance. The report showed that 1,400 runs assisted all fire departments in the county.
The breakdown of the 806 total runs for Shawswick VFD itself was not provided in the table, but the territory coverage details runs to local hospitals:
- To Bedford Hospital: 795 runs
- To Bloomington Hospital: 98 runs
- To Paoli: 3 runs
The commissioners agreed to take the request under advisement. Millard told the commissioners he would have the department’s attorney draft a contract for their review.
