FIRE DEPARTMENTS
adequate fire protection. Full-time paid firefighters in the region were hired in Covington in 1864 and in Newport in 1868, and later in Carrollton, Fort Thomas, and Maysville. For reasons of economy, some fire departments used volunteer firefighters to supplement the paid staff, especially during nights and weekends. Similar arrangements in several of the municipalities in Northern Kentucky continue today. Moreover, some rural areas still rely entirely on volunteer firefighters, though many are merging and forming fire districts with paid full-time staff to be on duty during the daytime when most volunteer firefighters are working at their regular jobs. Women have always been involved in the firefighting endeavor, initially through the ladies’ auxiliary. They prepared meals; brought dry clothing, hot drinks, and food to major fires; and raised funds for the purchase of equipment. As time went on, they often served as drivers or emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to free the men for firefighting tasks. Currently, women are employed as full-time paid firefighters and carry out all of the firefighting duties. Personal protective gear enables a fi refighter to enter a fi re more safely and achieve better results. The familiar helmet is now constructed of high-impact fiberglass rather than metal, preventing electric shock. The rubber coat has been replaced with a coat, and usually pants, made of highly insulated water-resistant and flameresistant materials. The suspenders are often brightly colored with reflective striping, for better visibility, rather than the traditional black. Firefighters wear knee-length rubber boots with steel toes, soles, and shin guards. The modern Self Contained Breathing Apparatus permits the fi refighter to work in a toxic atmosphere, which is present in every fi re situation. Thermal image cameras detect any image producing heat, even through heavy smoke and interior walls. As a result, search, rescue, and fi nding hidden fi res can be completed quickly without subjecting the fi refighter to the dangers of blind groping through dense smoke. Knox boxes for businesses or residences give fi refighters access to locked buildings via a radio-controlled key release, permitting quick entry for investigation or fi re attack without causing damage to doors or windows. Early fi refighters had no such equipment and often lost their lives while attempting to extinguish fi res and rescue people. Even today, with all the protective equipment, which might weigh 50 pounds or more, fi refighting remains a dangerous job. Heart disease is a leading cause of disability or death for fi refighters. There was a time when a firefighter could succeed knowing “a little bit about everything,” but that day is long past. Today’s firefighter needs to be highly trained; often a person who intends to be a firefighter will specialize, in college, in a par ticu lar segment of the profession. The specific training and knowledge necessary to extinguish and prevent fires include such matters as building construction, materials, and contents; hazardous ma-
terials and chemicals; rescues of all kinds (high above ground, on the ground, under the ground, and under water); fire prevention and inspections; public education; and many kinds of medical emergencies and terrorist threats. Fire vehicles, like firefighting teams, are often divided into specialty units. With costs exceeding $200,000 for each vehicle, fire departments plan carefully to achieve maximum value from their investment. The fire pumpers of today can produce 1,250, 1,500, or more gallons of water per minute. Water is still the most common extinguishing agent, although various additives may be used to produce foam or to enable more penetration or better “soaking” qualities of the water. The hoses used for supply from fire hydrants are commonly up to five inches in diameter. The handlines for fire attack are usually one and a half to three inches in diameter; each fire pumper carries several hundred feet of each hose size. Ladder trucks have an assortment of ground ladders in addition to elevating ladders, “cherry pickers,” or a combination of both; some reach 135 feet, and new models are nearing a 150-foot height. Rescue trucks carry a vast array of tools, such as the “jaws of life,” hazardous materials (HAZMAT) equipment, portable lighting equipment, and tarpaulins for covering storm-damaged roofs, furniture, or other items to prevent additional damage. Computers on many of the apparatuses can provide a complete description of the building or site where help is needed, including floor plans, contents, occupancy, where each apparatus should be placed in relation to the water connections, and many other details, to provide a quick setup and fire attack.
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Dry Ridge, ca. 1909 Eastern Campbell Co., 1964 Edgewood (Sanfordtown, 1955; Southern Hills, 1961; Edgewood, 1996) Elsmere, 1899 Erlanger, 1904, 1927–1928 Falmouth Fernleaf Highland Florence, 1936 Fort Mitchell, ca. 1927 Fort Thomas (District of the Highlands), 1904 Fort Wright, 1949 Germantown (Bracken Co.) Ghent Glencoe, 1964 Hebron, 1937 Independence, 1937 Jonesville, 1971 Kenton Lewisburg (Mason Co.), organized 1970, operational 1972 Ludlow, 1884 Mayslick Maysville, 1804 (bucket brigade); 1851 Melbourne, 1951 Monterey Mount Olivet New Liberty, 1972 Newport, 1840s Northern Pendleton Orangeburg
Establishment of Some Fire Companies and Fire Departments (Both Volunteer and Paid; Dates Given If Known) Alexandria, 1937 Augusta, 1930 Belleview-McVille, 1966 Bellevue, ca. 1880 Bellevue/Dayton, 2002 (merger) Bromley, 1895 Brooksville, 1927 Burlington, 1943 Butler Camp Springs, 1949 Carrollton Central Campbell Co. Fire District, 1999 (merger of the Cold Spring–Crestview and the Highland Heights Fire Departments) Cold Spring–Crestview, 1943 Corinth Covington, 1833 Crescent Springs, 1928–1929 Crittenden, 1949 Dayton, 1898 Dover
Owenton/Owen Co. (Owenton, 1893; reorganized as Owenton/Owen Co., 1954) Park Hills, 1942 Petersburg, 1959 Piner-Fiskburg, 1964 Point Pleasant, 1956 Ryland Heights Sanders Sardis Silver Grove Southern Campbell Southgate, 1909 South Owen Sparta Taylor Mill, 1957 Union, 1969 Verona, 1968 Walton, 1880 (bucket brigade), 1947 Warsaw/Gallatin Co., 1952 Washington-Maysville Westside Wilder, 1957 Williamstown, ca. 1890s