The Perry Township Fire Department was founded as a volunteer department in 1950 and has continuously provided fire prevention, suppression, and emergency medical services to the south side of Indianapolis. The department serves over 92,000 residents located in approximately 42 square miles. The department became a full time paid department in 1982. The department has an authorized strength of 115 full time firefighters and 11 civilian support staff. The department currently has four stations. The department responded to a total of 7,710 emergency calls in 2005, including 1,516 fire runs and 6,194 EMS responses.