Fire News Kentucky, Nov./Dec. 2023

KENTUCKY

Nov./Dec. 2023

Volume 2, No. 4

Story on page 4.

- Photo courtesy of Louisville FD

Drowning Victim Recovered After 8-Day Search See Story on Page 11

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Fire News, November/December 2023, Page 3

In this issue...

Inferno in Clay City Clay City firefighters find a historical and surprising connection to a house fire they responded to.

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Structure Fire in Alzey Bottoms A commercial fire in a non-hydrant area darws crews from Smith Mills, Corydon CDFR, Henderson and others.

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Car into Building on Hwy. 41

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Henderson firefighters responded to the where a vehicle has gone through the building.

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Training Around Kentucky Corbin, Lexington, Shepherdsville, Owensboro, Henderson and Georgetown.

See story on pages 14,16,17,18

Kentucky Fire Commission Grants Through the Commision’s Grant Program, 929 pieces of equipment totalling almost $4 million go to FFs. See story on page 20

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Page 4, Fire News, November/December 2023

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Cover Story

5-Story 3-Alarmer in Louisville

Shortly before midnight on September 13, 2023, Louisville Fire Department (LFD) crews spotted signs of a fire around the 400 block of West Market. Upon arrival, crews found a five-story structure heavily involved. A second-alarm was quickly initiated, ultimately going to a third. Crews remained on scene throughout the early morning in defensive operations, using large master streams to battle the fire. There was one firefighter who sustained minor injuries and was transported and treated at a local hospital. The main fire building sustained significant damage while neighboring buildings had minor damage.

LFD Arson Investigators were working to determine the cause.

- Photos courtesy of Louisville FD

Page 6, Fire News, November/December 2023

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Mobile Home Fire The Shepherdsville and Nichols fire departments assisted Zoneton with a mobile home fire recently.

The call was off Johnson Hollow Road in Pryor Valley, where travel distances are lengthy. The incident was under investigation.

- Photos courtesy of Zoneton FPD

Henderson Handles Parking Lot Fire Henderson firefighters responded to the scene of a vehicle fire in the parking lot of Captain D’s restaurant. The occupants were out of the vehicle upon arrival of first responders and no other property damage resulted from the incident.

- Photo courtesy of Henderson FD

Inferno in Clay City Clay City Fire was joined by Middle Fork Fire and Stanton Fire in response to a structure fire recently. Arriving at Hardwicks Creek Road, initial reports indicated that the resident, William “Wallie” Wayne Puckett, might still be in the house. The home and all other possessions were a 100percent loss.

The home had a rich history, standing for 70 years. Mr. Puckett lived in the home for the last 20 years. Given a bit of history on the home, the Clay City Fire Team was surprised by their connection to the house. Mr. Puckett’s home was built by Taylor Shoemaker, the grandfather of Clay City Fire Chief Eric Strange. While fighting the raging flames to save any property Mr. Puckett’s home, Chief Strange was fighting the flames of the house that was his mother’s birthplace.

If the community wishes to donate any items to support Mr. Puckett, please drop them off in the care of the Clay City Volunteer Fire Department with a message to Mr. Puckett.

- Submitted by Lisa Johnson

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Fire News, November/December 2023, Page 7

Smith Mills House Fire…and Then an MVA

Firefighters from the Smith Mills Fire Department, Corydon Civil Defense Fire and Rescue and the Henderson City/County Rescue Squad responded to a structure fire on August 23, 2023, at around 0140. The fire was located in a house on School Street in Smith Mills.

Other units assisting at the scene included Deaconess EMS, Union County Volunteer Fire Department, Henderson EMA, KU Electric, Henderson Water Department, and the Henderson County Fire Investigators. The cause of the fire was determined to be electrical in nature. While units where on scene conducting a cause and origin investigation, Smith Mills also responded to an MVA with injuries on Highway 359. Thanks to everyone who responded and to Henderson 911 Emergency Communications for monitoring our radio traffic, and keeping us updated.

- Submitted by Bryan Coghill, Fire Chief, Corydon Civil Defense F&R

Page 8, Fire News, November/December 2023

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Structure Fire in Alzey Bottoms

At approximately 2147 on July 10, 2023, units from the Smith Mills Fire Department, Corydon Civil Defense and the Henderson City/County Rescue Squad, responded to the report of a structure fire located in the 8800 block of Highway 136 west, in Alzey Bottoms. Upon arrival units found a fully engulfed structure fire and a grass fire. An additional tanker was requested from Niagara Fire Department, due to

there not being any hydrants in the immediate area. During the investigation it was determined that a second structure on the property had also received fire damage. Smith Mills was assisted in the investigation process by the Henderson County Fire Investigators, and the Kentucky State Fire Marshall's Office.

- Submitted by Bryan Coghill, Fire Chief, Corydon Civil Defense FR

Owensboro Makes Quick Stop on Filtering System Fire

Corbin Fire Held to 2nd Floor

At 2341 on September 22, 2023, units were dispatched to a structure fire at the 3100 block of Airpark Drive. Engine 5 arrived and declared a fire in the facility’s air filtering system. Additional units arrived and began fire suppression and fire ground assignments. The fire was contained to the point of origin and no injuries were reported. Personnel were able to mitigate the incident quickly to minimize lost production time for the facility. Units responding were E1, E3, E5, R1, L1, L5, F95 and AMR. - Photo courtesy of Owensboro FD

On September 22, 2023, at approximately 0053, Corbin Fire responded to a structure fire on West 8th Street. Responding units arrived on scene within four minutes to a multi-story house converted to apartments. All occupants exited the structure safely.

Firefighters made entry, knocked the fire down, and were able to contain it to the second story. Off-duty personnel and Corbin Police also responded. The cause and origin of the fire was under investigation.

- Photo courtesy of Corbin FD

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MVA in Corbin Corbin Fire responded to an MVA on Gordon Hill Pike recently. Also responding were Corbin Police and Whitley County EMS. - Photos courtesy of Corbin FD

Fire News, November/December 2023, Page 9

Page 10, Fire News, November/December 2023

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Henderson/Union County Line Garage Fire

On July 2, 2023, at approximately 1615, fire units from the Smith Mills Fire Department and the Corydon Civil Defense Fire & Rescue (Henderson County), received a call for a garage on fire near the Henderson County/Union County line, during a brief thunderstorm/rain event. Units from Smith Mills, Corydon Civil Defense and Union County Fire Department responded. Upon arrival, units found a garage fully engulfed, but units quickly got the fire under control.

The fire appeared to have started from a fuel issue under the hood of a pickup.

- Photos courtesy of Union Co. FD & Smith Mills FD

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Fire News, November/December 2023, Page 11

Car into Building on Hwy. 41

Drowning Victim Recovered After 8-Day Search

Henderson firefighters responded to the scene of the Enterprise RentA-Car in the 2000 block of Highway 41 north, where a vehicle has gone through the building.

- Photos courtesy of Henderson FD

After eight days of search operations, the body of a swimmer at Laurel River Lake was located. Several search teams from different departments used sonar imaging of the lake bed. Recently, Christian Aid Ministries located an object with their sonar system and further identified it as a body. The victim was turned over to the Laurel County Coroner's Office. The recovery occurred under approximately 130 feet of water near Marsh Branch Road. The investigation is ongoing at this time.

On July 7, 2023, at approximately 1719, a male was reported missing on Laurel River Lake near the Sulphur Springs Branch. The subject had been on a boat with friends and never came up out of the water while swimming.

The London-Laurel Rescue Squad would like to thank Christian Aid Ministries, Keavy Volunteer Fire Department. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, KYK9 Search and Reunite, Laurel County DPS/Emergency Management, Campbellsburg Fire and Rescue, Bald Rock Fire Department, Holly Bay Marina, Do It Right Diving, Kyle Smith, Chester Wooten, Ethan Baker, Jamey Creech, the Laurel County Sheriff's Office, London Police Department, Stephanie Fields, and many more.

- Courtesy of London Laurel Rescue Squad

Page 14, Fire News, November/December 2023

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Swiftwater Training for Corbin

The Corbin Fire Special Operations unit conducted their annual recertification for Swift Water Rescue at Cumberland Falls and the Laurel River. These classes covered boat operations, pulling victims out of the water, self-rescue, rope systems, and controlled movement in rapidly moving whitewater.

- Photos courtesy of Corbin FD

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Fire News, November/December 2023, Page 15

Up Close & Personal

Firefighters from the Hazard Fire Department.

- Photo courtesy of Hazard FD

Recruits Get Flashover Training

Firefighter recruits Jacob Beach, Ryan Branson and Riley Cullen attended Flashover Recognition & Survival Training at Smith Mills Fire Department in Henderson County. This training class is mandatory through the Kentucky Fire Commission to obtain a Kentucky Firefighter Certification. Assistant Chief Jeff Mayfield was one of the State Fire Rescue instructors assisting with the class. - Photo courtesy of Madisonville FD

Page 16, Fire News, November/December 2023

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Disaster Training Scenario for Lexington

Recently, the Lexington Fire Department participated in the annual CSEPP (Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program) training at Jacobson Park. This simulated disaster training allows our firefighters to hone our response to a chemical disaster, practicing hazmat skills like hot zone entry, decontamination, and scaling our response to a large-scale disaster with partner agencies.

- Photos courtesy of Lexington FD

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Fire News, November/December 2023, Page 17

Live Burn Training at Shepherdsville

Recently, many Bullitt County fire departments came together at the Shepherdsville Fire training facility for a live burn exercise. These departments were Zoneton, Shepherdsville, Lebanon Junction, Nichols, Southeast Bullitt along with Fairdale (Fairdale is a part of the mutual aid system). Mutual aid trainings such as these are very valu-

able as most any fire of significance requires the services of multiple fire departments. Meanwhile, back at Zoneton, there was a recruit/junior firefighter training class on PPE along with hand tools carried on fire apparatus. These folks were lucky as there was pizza at the end of the class.

- Photos courtesy of Zoneton FPD

Page 18, Fire News, November/December 2023

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Owensboro Participates in Chlorine Leak Drill

Owensboro Fire Department participated in an emergency drill involving a simulated chlorine leak with multiple patients at the Healthpark. We were invited to participate by Owensboro Health along with OPD, AMR, and Daviess County Emergency Management. This was a great chance for multiple agencies to practice a low frequency, high risk HazMat response together to learn and prepare for potential incidents.

- Photos courtesy of Owensboro FD

Henderson Trains Recently, Henderson crews visited Pratt Industries to conduct some training on fire extinguishers at their facility.

- Photo courtesy of Henderson FD

Georgetown’s Arnett and Morrison Complete SPRAT Training Members of the Georgetown Fire Department, Firefighter Bryan Arnett and Captain Chris Morrison, completed SPRAT (Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians) last week. This 40-hour advanced rope rescue class focuses on horizontal movement on ropes and working with vector angles shared on various anchor points. To complete SPRAT, participants are required to complete a rigorous end-of-class evaluation. We are proud to say both Arnett and Morrison satisfied the evaluation and are now members of an elite group of rope rescue technicians.

- Photo courtesy of Georgetown FD

Page 20, Fire News, November/December 2023

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Kitten Rescue in Legion Park

Engine 4 was dispatched to Legion Park recently for a report of an animal trapped under a passenger van. Lieutenant Mattingly and Firefighters Blandford, Miller and Schutzius were able to use a little ingenuity to access the spare tire compartment and rescue this lucky kitten.

- Photos courtesy of Owensboro FD

KY Fire Commission Grants For the past two fiscal years, the leadership of the Kentucky Fire Commission has worked through the budgetary process to find additional ways as an organization to further assist fire departments throughout the Commonwealth with equipment grants to help relieve the financial burdens they face.

Through the Kentucky Fire Commission’s Grants Program, 929 pieces of equipment totaling $3,884,783 have been awarded since February 2023. More than half of Kentucky’s fire departments have been provided AEDs, fourgas meters, and/or battery powered extrication combi-tools.

A Training Curriculum and Accredited Certification Testing Grant was also offered during FY2023. This program offered IFSTA training manuals to students enrolled in select Accredited Certification programs free of charge, and also waived fees for Accredited Certification testing during this time. We are pleased to announce 6,500 books have been distributed and 1,947 written tests were attempted.

The bi-annual Training Facility Grant program recently awarded grants totaling $1 million to 30 fire departments to assist them with training needs of their department.

Preparation is underway for FY2024 grants. The application process for these grants (thermal imaging cameras and personal protective equipment) will be opened soon.

The Fire Commission recognizes the efforts made by fire departments to serve their communities and are pleased to present this life-saving equipment to departments that may not have been able to wholly fund this on their own.

- Submitted by Ericka Cole

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Fire News, November/December 2023, Page 21

KAFC Leadership for 2023-2025

The 2023 Kentucky Association of Fire Chiefs (KAFC) Leadership Conference was held August 22 to August 24, 2023, at the Sloan Convention Center and Holiday Inn in Bowling Green. Front row. Chief Rick Millikan, Chief Cheryl Allen, Chief Mike Hughes, Retired Chief Bobby Bunnell, Chief Jeff Anderson, Assistant Chief Jeff Mayfield, Chief Nathan Mulvey. Back Row. Chief Tim Thompson, Assistant Chief John Black, Chief Steve Kyle, Assistant Chief Mike Sutt, Chief Mark Malone.

- Submitted by Danny Castle

Focus on CCVFD

Thanks to Michael Frazier for taking this picture from Powell County Engine 22. Attributed to Clay City Volunteer Fire Department (CCVFD), the post and feature has been shared across the state by news channels Lex18, WKYT, and Fox56! Thanks to Michael Frazier for focusing on the CCVFD and our local community!

- From Major Lisa Johnson, CCVFD; courtesy of Michael Frazier

Page 22, Fire News, November/December 2023

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Klobe, Thomas Owensboro’s Newest Driver Engineers

Our two newest Driver Engineers were pinned with their new badgesrecently. Please join us in congratulating Kevin Klobe and Jordan Thomas. Klobe has been assigned to 1st Crew, Station 2,

Quint 2. Thomas has been assigned to 3rd Crew, Station 1, Ladder 1. Family and friends gathered recently to let these guys know how proud we all are of them.

- Photos courtesy of Owensboro FD

LONGTIME FIRE SERVICE ADVOCATE VICKIE PRITCHETT RECEIVES NFFF’S GLATFELTER DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) has recognized Ms. Vickie Pritchett as the newest recipient of the Foundation’s Arthur J. Glatfelter Distinguished Service Award. Ms. Pritchett serves as the Vice President/Executive Officer at the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and is being recognized for her many and varied contributions to the NFFF, according to Troy Markel, Chair of the NFFF Board of Directors. “Vickie is a tireless advocate for the Foundation and the fire service in general,” Markel said. “Her dedication sets the bar for the rest of us to follow.”

Vickie is a long-time advocate for safety throughout the fire service and for NFFF, specifically. Her constant support of and participation in numerous NFFF events and activities, such as the Memorial Weekend, the Truman Fire Forums and Firefighter Life Safety Summits, and most recently the U.S. Fire Administrator’s Summit on Fire Prevention and Control and the subsequent “Fire Stop Tour.”

She is a key component of the Foundation’s national leadership efforts and strategic grassroots programming. Her impressive resume and influence throughout the fire service is well known, and her support of NFFF is constant.

“Vickie is the true embodiment of the spirit of the Glatfelter award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to support and further the mission of the NFFF. For many years, her innovative

thinking and great leadership have not only benefitted the Foundation but have promoted firefighter safety and amplified the voice of safety in the fire service overall. I am confident that her impact as a connector, liaison, spokesperson, and hands-on partner for the NFFF will continue for years to come,” said Chief Ron Siarnicki, Executive Director of the NFFF. The NFFF created the Arthur J. Glatfelter Distinguished Service Award to recognize exceptional service to the NFFF by men and women who continue in support of Glatfelter’s legacy as a champion of the fire service.

In 1969, Glatfelter created the Volunteer Fireman’s Insurance Services (VFIS), the first company of its kind to meet the insurance needs for volunteer firefighters. Glatfelter was also an enthusiastic advocate for the NFFF and its mission and served for many years on the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Ms. Pritchett was presented the Glatfelter Distinguished Service Award by Tony Campisi, Chairman of the Glatfelter Insurance Group, on September 27, 2023, during the opening session of Firehouse Expo in The Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. “Vickie Pritchett represents everything that Art Glatfelter stood for,” Campisi said. “We are grateful for leaders who carry the standard for the fire service, and it’s a privilege to present Vickie with this award.”