NILES CHARTER TOWNSHIP — Claps erupted three times at a packed Monday night Niles Charter Township meeting as five individuals were recognized and sworn in as volunteer firefighters.

Kim Schultz, Reese McKee, Darian Goodlander, James Toth and Jacob Serdel are all at different stages of firefighting training, but Fire Chief Gary Brovold said each brings a commitment to public well-being and much-needed assistance to the township.

Schultz, Serdel and Toth will complete their 296-hour Level I and II training in a program that runs from October 2019 to May 2020. In the meantime, the firefighters will serve a support role for other firefighters.

“We’ll be teaching them stuff left and right, so when they start the class in October, they’ll have a good working knowledge,” Brovold said.

Goodlander came from Central Cass Fire and already had the necessary certification.

McKee finished his Level I and II certification training through the Career Technical Education center for high school students at the Berrien County Training Center in Berrien Springs.

Many individuals attended the meeting to watch the five recruits be sworn in Monday.

“You guys bring a lot of your family down here with you?” said Trustee Dan Pulaski, Jr. “You should be very proud.”

Brovold echoed Pulaski’s sentiments.

“That is a key thing: to have family behind you, family and loved ones,” he said. “We hope everyone has support in their family situation.”

Out of 26 fire departments in Berrien County, only four have employed staff. Niles Township has one of those departments, but with only three employed firefighters, the dependency on the department’s 30-plus volunteer firefighters is great, Brovold said.

Swearing in five volunteer firefighters at once has not happened in a while, and it is especially appreciated given that many public safety departments face hiring issues due to changing generational interests, he said.

“Everybody’s scrambling to find new blood in the service,” he said.

The township does benefit from a rare fire department configuration, Brovold said. While most area volunteer firefighters must go to a fire station to pick up their gear before responding to a call, Niles Township volunteer firefighters carry their gear with them.

This, he said, can cut down on response time. Sometimes, volunteers arrive on the scene before an employed firefighter arrives with a firetruck.

New volunteer firefighter Toth said he plans to turn his passion for the community into a career in firefighting or emergency services.

“I wanted to help the community,” he said. “I always liked the idea of being able to go home knowing I helped others.”

Current Niles Township volunteer firefighters Collin Millin and Robert Kimpton were also recognized at Monday’s board meeting. Both finished their Level I and II certification, with Kimpton receiving the Elwood “Skip” Munson Award of Excellence. The award is given to those who have shown commitment and excellence to Berrien County Fire Service.

The following decisions were also made at Monday’s board meeting:

• The board unanimously approved a budget amendment to the capital improvement fund. The amendment will take $15,000 from the general fund to update the township’s computer systems, which are 12 years old.

• The board unanimously approved expenditures and transfers totaling $174,244.85 from June 18 to July 1. The move was to “pay the bills,” said Trustee Richard Cooper, as he said when motioning to approve transfers and expenditures at a June 17 meeting.

• The board unanimously approved a $7,000 bid to complete a drinking water quality study mandated by the Department of Environmental Quality. Eull said the township was a few years behind in testing.