Fire Department

Dear Editor, When we lately had a problem with a chemical odor in our home, we called the fire department for assistance. They came hastily, and it took considerable time for them to identify our problem. We were impressed and gratified by their professionalism, politeness and patience, but their persistence is what impressed us most. They didn’t give up. They refused to leave until the problem was identified and things were controllable. Our heartfelt thanks for such service.

The Nicholasville Fire Department is conducting its annual fire-hydrant testing through the month of April. During the remainder of the month, firefighters will be releasing water from the more than 1,400 hydrants throughout the city. Deputy fire chief Kevin Baker said residents should not experience any major disruptions in their water service.

CLARK COUNTY FIRE - At 12:34 p.m. Thursday, firefighters responded to between 12 and 15 grass fires along Ecton Road. Foul play is not suspected in the fires.

JUNCTION CITY — Junction City is still without a fire chief, but new volunteers have the fire department up and running again after it was scrapped in a public safety shake-up two weeks ago.  The first of about 20 volunteers began restarting the department a few days after Mayor Jim Douglas dismissed long-time police and fire chief Jimmy Gipson and disbanded the entire fire department, without a public explanation. The new department is off to a good start,” Douglas said Friday.

Lore Brewing Co. in Danville has donated $10,000 to Boyle County Fire Department for improvements to the department's training facility in Danville. “The improvements should greatly bene¿t the residents of Danville and the rest of Boyle County by providing state-of-the-art upgrades to their training program.” says Lee Rossman, owner of Lore. The impact is even bigger than the local area - the upgrades will give Boyle County the most up-to-date training facility for fire¿ghters across the state who will come to train here.

Dear Editor, Recently our farm tractor was being used to Bush Hog a field. For some reason the tractor started blowing sparks from the exhaust. These sparks landed in the dry grass. This resulted in a fire. Due to a quick response by Boyle County Fire Department Company No. 3, damage from the fire was kept to a minimum. We want to express our sincere thanks to each member of the fire department and everyone else who came to our aid. James and Ella Mae Pendygraft Parksville

LIBERTY - The Poplar Springs Volunteer Fire Department will host an awards ceremony 6 p.m. Thursday at the fire station. The fire department will receive an award for work done to make Poplar Springs a Firewise Community. It has been recognized for achieving a Firewise Communities/USA status. The rural fire department is the fourth in the state to achieve the status for its work to become safer with wildlife fire hazards. Working with the Firewise Council, the Poplar Springs firefighters spent seven months on the project with the help of Fire Chief Mike McQueary, Cindy Bennett, Firewise tech for Kentucky, and John Wethington, Casey County state forestry service.

CRAB ORCHARD - The volunteer fire department in Crab Orchard will be getting a couple upgrades thanks to approximately $9,200 in spending approved by the city commission. Mayor Billy Shelton said city commissioners approved the purchase of seven new digital radios - five handheld units and two vehicle-mounted units - at the commission meeting Dec. 6. The radio upgrade, which will cost about $5,700, was made necessary by an impending federal mandate from the Federal Communications Commission requiring all agencies to upgrade their radio communications by Jan. 1. City commissioners also approved paying $3,520 for the installation of a new 12-by-20-foot storage unit for the fire department's equipment, Shelton said.

CRAB ORCHARD - A Lincoln County family lost its home to a fire Thursday night, but family members escaped the fast-acting blaze with their lives. Heather Verdara said there were eight people in her house along Ky. 1770 when the fire began, including her five children. Verdara's brother noticed smoke in the kitchen area and alerted the others, who had gone to bed. "We all ran out and I called 911 when we first got outside," she said. Verdara said there was a scary moment after escaping the house when one of her daughters attempted to run back inside.

The Nicholasville Fire Department wil be testing fire hydrants throughout the city during the month of May. Deputy chief Kevin Baker said water service throughout the city should not be effected.

The Wilmore Fire Department's sole ladder truck will be 30 years old next year, and it's breaking down. Though it runs, it needs more than $37,000 in repairs. The department has two other engines; the newest is six years old, the other 18 years old. It has no rescue truck or utility truck. The department also lacks a cascade unit to fill its air cylinders, and a gear washer, according to Wilmore fire chief Jimmy Powers. The need for the new trucks and other equipment was part of a presentation of the department's budget request for the upcoming fiscal year given Monday by the department to the Wilmore City Council.

In an ongoing effort to increase fire safety in local homes, Danville firefighters are pleased to have received 300 residential smoke alarms from the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center. Fire Chief Woody Ball and Fire Marshal Ken Pflug say it's surprising how many people do not have working smoke alarms in their homes, which is unacceptable because the small $10 device can save lives. So far in 2013, 24 fire fatalities have occurred in Kentucky, including five children and two adults who died in a house fire in Knox County nearly three weeks ago. An investigation revealed all seven victims died of smoke inhalation, and the home was not equipped with a smoke alarm.

Editor's note: Taken from the Danville 911 records, the Police Blotter represents a history of the initial calls and the information used by the dispatcher to send officers to investigate complaints. It is not necessarily an indication of what the officer found upon arrival at the scene, or of how police may have dealt with the complaint.   FEBRUARY 28 7:08 a.m., two-vehicle accident on the viaduct. 9:06 a.m., vehicle stop at Speedway; arrest made. 9:31 a.m., caller is requesting an officer to check on her babysitter; the caller has been trying to contact the babysitter to check on her child, but there is no response.

Quick thinking by a renter averted total disaster to a home on Pollard Pike after it caught fire Monday morning. The fire broke out around 9 a.m. at 2015 Pollard Pike when the renter, Eric Sollie, noticed smoke coming from the wood stove area. “I woke up this morning to go to work, and I thought it was the just the stove puffing, and I got to looking and saw the smoke coming out of the window sill, so I grabbed the fire extinguisher, and went outside and pulled the siding off and verified the fire in the wall, and put it out with the fire extinguisher and waited for the fire department to come,” Sollie said.

Boyle County firefighters no longer will have to settle for limited training locations once their new facility opens by summer. The fire department is eligible to apply for state and federal grants each year, said Lt. Jim Harris, and so far has been given $50,000 toward the project. Harris said those grants include $30,000 from the State Fire Commission, $10,000 from Lore Brewing Co., and $10,000 from the fire board of trustees. “The need for a training facility has gotten greater each year,” Harris said, adding that retired chief Paul McChrystal and current chief Donnie Sexton have worked to obtain funding to start the project.

100 YEARS AGO 1913 Edward Parker, who lives  four miles northeast of Crab Orchard , while temporarily insane, went out to his barn, placed a stick of dynamite on the ground and then laid his head on it. This done, he applied a match to the dynamite blowing off his head, neck, right shoulder and arm, of which no part has been found. Mrs. Parker, who was walking out to the barn to milk the cow, was knocked down, as was the cow, but neither of them were hurt.

STANFORD - Stanford City Council voted 5-1 Thursday evening to approve the hiring of Scott Maples as the city's new fire chief. Mayor Bill Miracle originally announced the appointment of Maples in December, but the appointment of a paid fire chief requires the approval of city council. "It was my mistake. It was … an oversight on my part," Miracle said. "This (city council approval) was just overlooked and I'm at fault. " Besides paid fire chiefs, city council must also approve the hiring of new police chiefs and city clerks, Miracle said.

CRAB ORCHARD - The volunteer fire department in Crab Orchard will be getting a couple upgrades thanks to approximately $9,200 in spending approved by the city commission. Mayor Billy Shelton said city commissioners approved the purchase of seven new digital radios - five handheld units and two vehicle-mounted units - at the commission meeting Dec. 6. The radio upgrade, which will cost about $5,700, was made necessary by an impending federal mandate from the Federal Communications Commission requiring all agencies to upgrade their radio communications by Jan. 1. City commissioners also approved paying $3,520 for the installation of a new 12-by-20-foot storage unit for the fire department's equipment, Shelton said.