Following a tumultuous time recently, the Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Department has a new leader.

Tony Camp is the department's new chief, and the move comes after its former chief resigned. 

Camp started on the Decatur Township Fire Department when he was a teenager as part of its cadet program and stayed on, moving to a Senior Cadet and at the age of 18, he was voted onto the department.

"I had already taken all of my classes but I couldn't take the test for them until I turned 18. So when I turned 18, I took my test for the fire department and passed. I left Decatur when I was around 25, as family took over. In late 2017, I moved to Greencastle and joined the Bainbridge Volunteer Fire Department in 2018 and have been on there since, and I am still there," Camp told Putnam County Post. 

During that time, his love of being a firefighter has only grown as he admits he truly loves helping people. 

In addition, he enjoys making people aware of the role volunteer firefighters play in communities. 

"A lot of people think that when you are a volunteer firefighter, you are not as qualified as a career firefighter, which is not correct because we do the same classes as they do. There are some issues with volunteer fire departments that they may not look as professional as a career department, but they are as trained as a career department. The only difference is they are responding from home, where they are relaxing in pajama pants and a T-shirt when they make that run versus being on station and in your duty uniform. I guess in being a volunteer fireman, you get out of it whatever you put in it," Camp said. 

Camp told Putnam County Post that as the new chief, he understands all that comes with it. 

"What I can tell you is there is more than just members of the department relying on you as the chief. You have a whole community that is now your responsibility as every action and decision you make affects everyone in the community. With that being said, when I do make a decision, I have to keep in mind what is best for the community, not just the department or myself," Camp admitted. 

For a large chunk of his life, Tony Camp has served his communities through various volunteer fire departments. 

And, now the new Clinton Township Volunteer Fire Department Chief and his department are seeking a few new firefighters. 

"Since it is a volunteer department, we would love to have 30 or more new volunteer firefighters so that way it is not just one group of people getting burned out making the runs, but there would be enough people to make sure that it is always covered. That is a perfect world, or at least how it was back in the 1980s and 1990s when we could get that many people. Realistically, I know we will be lucky to get 10 to 15," Camp told Putnam County Post. 

Camp said there are numerous advantages to a community having a volunteer fire department.

"The volunteer fire service saves taxpayers nearly $50 billion a year compared to what they would pay with a career service. If you add volunteer EMS into that mix, the number would be even more staggering," Camp said.