Mikaela Bixler is the new Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory Community Assistance Resources & Emergency Services (CARES) coordinator. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union


Mikaela Bixler is the brand new Warsaw-Wayne Hearth Territory Neighborhood Help Assets & Emergency Companies (CARES) coordinator. Photograph by David Slone, Occasions-Union

Warsaw-Wayne Township Hearth Safety Territory Board met the brand new CARES coordinator on Tuesday and accepted a K21 grant for the CARES program.

CARES – Neighborhood Help Assets & Emergency Companies – is a program that addresses these struggling a psychological well being disaster, assists those that are having points buying or reconciling drugs and assist in getting applicable medical care, in response to town of Warsaw web site. Continuous companies are also offered for residence security assessments, emergency housing wants help, unhurt fall help, basic well being assessments and sources allocation for residents.

In introducing Mikaela Bixler, the brand new CARES coordinator, Hearth Chief Garrett Holderman mentioned she is “superior” and has been “excellent.”

EMS Chief Chris Fancil mentioned that from January to Might, “We made roughly 128 CARES calls – what we might contemplate, classify as citizen assistant or CARES calls in our system. In June, Mikaela began on the seventeenth. She’s made 56 calls within the month of June and has been busy. Already as we speak she was out doing numerous stuff.”

He mentioned he believes Bixler will likely be a “exceptional” addition to the CARES program and “actually jumpstart this factor. She makes me really feel drained as a result of she’s bought all this power and he or she’s out doing stuff.”

Mayor Joe Thallemer requested Bixler to introduce herself and provides a bit of little bit of her background.

Bixler mentioned she got here from the Bowen Middle after working there for 3-1/2 years of their transitional residing amenities.

She has a bachelor’s diploma in human companies from Purdue Fort Wayne.

“I’ve at all times actually beloved working with individuals,” she advised the Hearth Territory Board.

Thallemer mentioned, “We’re actually glad to have Mikaela. We had fairly just a few individuals apply and I used to be very glad to take a seat down with Mikaela and discuss to her about her background and taking the lead cost of this new program. I do know we’ve bought neighborhood assist. I believe there’s a requirement there. We simply wanted anyone very vibrant, very energetic and he or she’s very energetic. Mikaela, thanks for stepping up and we’re actually excited to see this program actually take off.”

Metropolis Councilman Mike Klondaris mentioned he’s recognized her since she was knee-high.

“I adore it up to now, so thanks,” Bixler mentioned.

Klondaris mentioned Bixler couldn’t have requested for a greater mentor than Fancil.

After the assembly, Bixler mentioned she’s initially from Silver Lake and graduated from Warsaw Neighborhood Excessive Faculty in 2014. After incomes her bachelor’s diploma in human companies from Purdue Fort Wayne – which was nonetheless IPFW on the time – she went to work at Bowen Middle.

Requested why she determined to use for the CARES coordinator place, Bixler mentioned, “I’ve at all times been actually fascinated by working with completely different sorts of individuals and I noticed how essential this system is. Working at Bowen, I used to be in a position to see a number of the wants locally and the CARES program presents some solutions to a few of these wants. In order that was actually thrilling for me.”

She mentioned a number of the calls that she’s had had been calls that she’s responded to whereas others had been calls that she’s adopted up on. “The blokes will exit and reply after which I’ll comply with up with the household or the affected person afterward.”

The problems have been all kinds, she mentioned, from psychological well being issues to home violence conditions and connecting individuals to organizations like The Beaman Residence. She’s labored with the aged who want assist in discovering sources or entry to meals and drugs.

Bixler mentioned she’s not been stunned on the variety of calls she’s responded to locally.

“Working the place I used to be (on the Bowen Middle), I can see there are lots of people in want locally. And there’s additionally numerous sources in our neighborhood. Typically individuals simply want related to them,” she mentioned.

CARES being a reasonably new program, Bixler mentioned she simply needed individuals to know that they’re right here to assist and to assist join them to different companies they could want. “So in the event that they need assistance they usually don’t know who to name, they’ll name us.”

The quantity to name from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday via Friday is 574-453-7901. If an individual calls outdoors of these hours, Bixler mentioned they’ll return their name the subsequent enterprise day. If it’s an emergency, name 911.

Throughout Tuesday’s assembly, Fancil additionally requested the Board to just accept a K21 Well being Basis grant for $20,000. He mentioned the grant was for ballistic vests for the CARES individuals as they exit locally, for cameras for automobiles and different security gear.

“K21 was gracious sufficient to approve that grant request for the total quantity. It’s a zero match by us. It’s $20,000 of grant funds,” Fancil mentioned.

Thallemer advised Fancil he appreciated him taking the time to use for the grant and K21’s generosity.

Holderman additionally gave a shoutout to K21 for being wonderful. Fancil expressed his gratitude towards K21, too.

The Hearth Territory Board unanimously accepted the grant. The grant acceptance additionally will have to be accepted by the Board of Public Works and Security.