Fish fries support firemen

KURTZ - A late-morning meal and evening dinner were served Saturday for Robert Mobley of Spraytown.

His first meal was a fish sandwich, coleslaw and potato salad at the Owen and Salt Creek Township Volunteer Fire Department in Kurtz during its second fish fry of the year. That evening, he went over to the fish fry and tenderloin dinner at Spraytown Free Methodist Church.

The best part of it all is he didn't have to cook any of it.

Mobley, who was raised near Houston, said he's been to the fire department fish fries since he returned to Spraytown in 1970 after serving with the Air Force.

"I was just raised up in the neighborhood and just want to help them out," he said of the fire department. He said if he were to ever need the fire department, "They would be right out there in a matter of seconds."

It was the first time to the fish fry for Kristin Peters of Freetown. A friend told her about the event, and like Mobley, she came to the fish fry because of it benefiting the fire department.

"I choose to support them because we need them," she said.

Fire Chief Bill Wilson said the department works on an annual budget of $18,000.

They have two fish fries per year, one in the spring and the other one near deer hunting season. Saturday was the first day for firearm hunting, and many hunters stopped in for lunch.

Jack Hall has served on the fire department since it started in 1975, and he said besides the fish fries, money from the township trustee and fire dues from Owen and Salt Creek townships help with operating costs.

Of having the fish fry fundraisers, Wilson said, "It's not because we want to; it's necessary. We just have to have them, that's all."

On average, he said, about $1,000 is made per fish fry.

There are 25 firemen at the two stations, one is off Indiana 58 and the other is along U.S. 50 at Shady Springs near the Lawrence County line.

"We cover about 92 square miles," Wilson said, including the communities of Kurtz, Houston, Clearspring, Norman and part of Shady Springs.

The department, however, is limited in assisting with medical runs because it doesn't have a trained, certified emergency medical technician.

"We've had some interest," he said. "But these guys are volunteer (firemen). It takes several hours of in-service to be an EMT."

Fortunately, though, nearby Pershing Township in Freetown helps with medical calls. There are also other departments, such as Brownstown, Carr Township and some Lawrence County departments, that help when needed.

"It's just a mutual aid thing," Wilson said.

"If we need them, they are there to help. If they need us, we are there to help," Wilson added. "It's like the buddy system, more or less."

Fish fries can result in 12-hour days, Bill said. But in the end, all the work is worthwhile.

"We do about 300 pounds of fish," he said, which comes from 7K Farm in Taylorsville.

Pies and other food are donated by people in the community, he said, for which the department is grateful.

"Without them, we would be hurting," he said. "This community really kicks in. They really support us on our fish fries and help us out. We appreciate their support. If they didn't support us, we couldn't help them out when they need us."

Wilson's father, Walter Wilson of Kurtz, has been in the field for 27 years. He is a former chief of Pershing and Owen townships, and he's now a volunteer fireman.

"You just help the people," he said of why he chose to be a fireman.

Walter is retired from the Fitzpatrick scrap yard in Seymour, and he said many of the volunteer firemen have full-time jobs.

But, he added, they always have to be ready for anything that comes up.

"They all come at the most inconvenient time," Walter said of fire runs. "But when you're a volunteer fireman, you're a volunteer fireman 24 hours a day."