BY KEVIN NEVERS

Ten career members of the Chesterton Fire Department, until two months ago affiliated with Portage Local 3151 of the International Association of Firefighters (IAF), are less than two weeks away from receiving their own charter: Local 4600 of the IAF.

“Our members have affiliated with the International Association of Firefighters with full support from Chief Highwood,” Local 4600 President Jamieson Hicks said in a statement released today. “We will be receiving their International Association of Firefighters charter on July 28, 2007. Presenting their charter will Indiana Union President Tom Hanify.”

Chesterton’s career firefighters originally unionized in 2000 under the auspices of the Portage Fire Department’s Local 3151. On two occasions, the most recent in 2002, Chesterton Local 3151 requested the Town Council to recognize the local. On both occasions the Town Council declined to do so.

Fire Chief Warren “Skip” Highwood told the Chesterton Tribune today that he does indeed support his career firefighters’ receiving their own charter as Local 4600 from the IAF. But he conceded that the decision to recognize Local 4600 is the Town Council’s, not his. “I’ll go along with whatever they want but it’s not up to me,” Highwood said. “I told them that they have my support. I’ll back them up.”

Town Council President Sharon Darnell, D-4th, had not yet heard of the chartering when contacted this morning. “This is the first I’ve heard about it,” she said. “It’s news for me today.”

Darnell said that, without more information, it would be premature for her to comment at this point on the chartering. “Until we can sit down and see, I can’t make any comment. The health and safety of the citizens of Chesterton must always be our first and foremost consideration when making any decision.”

Posted 7/17/2007