HISTORY OF THE NORTH OLDHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT

What would you do if you called the fire department and nobody came??

1950’s

Some citizens learned the answer to that question early in 1951 in Skylight, in Northern Oldham County when a barn loaded with corn burned to the ground. A call was made to the LaGrange City Fire Department who refused to respond outside of the city limits. Neighboring communities of Harrods Creek and Westport did not have fire departments at the time. South Oldham Fire Department in Crestwood was just getting started. Other area fire departments were much too far away to respond.

Reacting to this devastating fire, the people around Skylight decided to establish a volunteer fire department. An organizational meeting was held at the Liberty School. At that meeting it was agreed to ask residents of the area to contribute money for a volunteer fire department. Their contributions would be in proportion to the number of buildings on their farms. These contributions ranged from $25 to the smallest farms to $400 for the largest ones.

About 50 farmers signed up for the department and only a few declined. The organizers decided that following the initial contribution, each property owner would be asked to make a small annual contribution of $5 to $10. The new department also would receive $400 per year from the Oldham County Fiscal Court. The original area covered by the department “ran about 3 or 4 miles north and south of Highway 42 and 6 to 7 miles in each direction from Skylight. This method of funding for the NOFD remained basically unchanged until the Fire Protection District was created in 1976.

The original, founding Board of Directors of the NOVFD consisted of Harry Nelson, President, Douglas Potter, Secretary-treasurer, directors Charles Bottorf, Raymond Wilborn, Robert Clore, William Fallis, F.T. Clausen, John Robert Bottorf and C.W. Brickley. John Leet was appointed as the first Fire Chief in 1951, a position he held until 1967.

The original fire station on Axton Lane just south of US42 was constructed in 1952 at a cost of $2,200 for materials on land donated by William Axton. Labor was almost free, as the construction was done by inmates from the LaGrange Reformatory who were paid 12 cents a day. The first fire apparatus was a 1937 Chevrolet with a pump and a tank, purchased used from the Buechel Fire Department of Jefferson County. The department only used this truck for a short period of time.

A 1951 Ford chassis was purchased and the pump and 500 gallon tank from the Chevrolet were mounted on it. A wooden hose body was installed. This truck remained part of the NOFD fleet until it was sold in the mid 1990’s. In 2001 it was donated back to the NOFD by the Oldham County Historical Society. Plans include restoration of the truck.

The first method of dispatch was a railroad engine bell donated by the L&N Railroad. The bell was mounted on a pole near the fire station. In case of fire, Chief John Leet, who lived near the station, took the call on his telephone and went to the station to sound the bell alerting the volunteer firefighters who lived close enough to hear the alarm. This alarm system survived only a few years. An entry in the fire run logbook dated August 24, 1952 indicates a barn fire and states “the first time the big siren was used for a fire.” (The siren was overhauled and reinstalled as an emergency weather siren by the City of Goshen, at NOFD’s new Goshen Station in 2004).

Although early records are few, it appears that the new fire department responded to two fire runs in 1951. Fire destroyed the Sulphur Methodist Church. All the fire department could do was prevent the fire from spreading, which they did successfully. The other fire that year was a field fire.

Although the department was inexperienced and had minimal equipment, they were effective as shown by two articles that appeared in the Oldham Era on Friday, August 22, 1952. They read:

“A truck of the American Chemical Company of Cincinnati was partially destroyed by fire Monday when it caught fire at the junction of U.S. 42 & KY 53 north of LaGrange. The North Oldham Volunteer Fire Department headed by Harry Nelson prevented a complete loss. The truck was loaded with bleach in gallon bottles. One tire on the dual wheels blew out and the blaze was caused by friction when the two tires rubbed against each other. The department prevented the spread of the blaze to the motor and gas tank. Traffic on the highway was blocked until the fire was extinguished.”

“A fire which started in the woods on the farm of Mr. & Mrs. Everette Shearer on Highway 42 burned over 20 acres of brush and undergrowth Tuesday morning before it was extinguished. The North Oldham Volunteer Fire Department answered the call and stopped it’s further spread. The origin of the blaze, which for sometime threatened barns and other nearby buildings, is unknown.”

Although records describe the area covered by the department as running “about 3 or 4 miles north and south of Highway 42 and about 6 or 7 miles in each direction from Skylight” run log entries show runs as far away as LaGrange and Westport.

Run records indicate 2 in 1951, 16 in 1952, 16 in 1953 and 17 in 1954. Run volume averaged about 15 per year from this point until the mid 1970’s. The majority of the runs were field fires, barn fires and house fires. An occasional vehicle fire occurred but there were no haz-mat runs, EMS runs, extrication runs or other situations we now face.

Once in awhile the early volunteers would experience a unique call as evidenced by an entry in the log on January 28, 1953, which simply states “pumped out well and helped get Mr. Becker’s body out of the well”. NOVFD also provided mutual aid in the early days just as we do today. On May 14, 1955 they were called to make a “run to LaGrange, helped on big fire in town!”

It also appears that the early NOVFD faced some of the same problems that today’s volunteer fire departments face. This is indicated by a fire run entry in the log on April 5, 1957 for a “Buick Car on fire at the service station, I made run alone.”

A new 1957 International fire engine went into service late that year. This chassis was purchased and the pump and tank from the ’51 Ford were transferred to it. A 1000 gallon tank was then mounted on the 1951 Ford. The department now had two fire apparatus. The new engine made it’s first run on December 26, 1957, responding to a car fire on Buckeye Lane.

NOVFD experienced major fires on occasion in the early days. On January 11, 1957, LaGrange was called to assist with a structure fire in a roadside motel court. An entry in the log on November 18, 1959 describes a barn fire where “both engines were used”. On March 19, 1960 fire destroyed an “old school house at Goshen, took both engines.” Some of the runs that are more familiar to us today are not new to the NOVFD, such as a false fire alarm in Oldham Acres on October 28, 1960.

1960’s

The North Oldham Volunteer Fire Department operated with very limited funds, usually only $2,000 to $3,000 of revenue per year. This continued well into the 1960’s. A financial report from the annual meeting of 1967 shows total revenues of $2,900, expenditures of $2,400 and total assets of $13,000. The department was still funded by soliciting annual subscriptions of $5 to $10 from property owners. Those that paid were called “members.” If the department responded to a fire at a “member’s” property the service was provided free. If the response was to a “non-member’s” property they were billed between $100 and $200. Property owners were encouraged to subscribe to the department by mail drives and calls from the board members. (Also, in 1967, NOVFD’s first Fire Chief, John Leet, stepped down for health reasons. George W. Carter was appointed Chief and would hold that position until his retirement in 1981.)

Mailings often read like this: “We serve the North Oldham area from Prospect east to Highway 53, including the many lanes that lead off of U.S. 42. We have a capable group of volunteer firemen who man our pumpers around the clock, whenever a call is received on our short wave equipment. We have never refused to make a run when called, by member or non-member, since our organization in 1951. Our membership includes most of the property owners in our area and we would welcome you as a member. The initial fee to join is $50 which is non-recurring and is $10 per year thereafter.”

Mailings also included stickers with the NOVFD’s phone number (228-1315) for people to place on their phones so they could promptly call the fire department in the event of a fire. Calls for fires were answered by the Melrose Inn desk clerk on duty. The clerk used a base radio transmitter to dispatch the firefighters and activate the roof siren at the station. This proved to be a much more efficient method of alerting the fire department than by siren alone. However, it was not without flaws.

On one occasion, the Melrose desk clerk was obviously experiencing her first day on the job as a motel clerk/dispatcher. It was apparent by the radio traffic that this new clerk had probably been trained how to check in guests, give them a key and take their money…and, oh by the way….this is the fire phone and radio. If someone reports a fire, just take the information, push this button and announce the fire run over the radio. After that, anytime anyone calls North Oldham base, just say “10-4” and give the call letters.

On one occasion, firefighters heard the tones and after a long pause, the mic was keyed and the next thing you heard was someone clearing their throat. Then she struggled to announce a barn fire. It sounded like she read from a card and just filled in the blanks with the location of the fire. After a few minutes a fireman called by radio “North Oldham Engine 2 to base, where’s the fire?” Her reply; “10-4, KEW-951.” Again, with great patience, this fireman calls again “North Oldham Engine 2 to base, where’s the fire?” Again…..”10-4, KEW-951.” The third and fourth time this guy called in he wasn’t as patient or polite as before. After about 5 minutes of this, and sorry to say, a lot of laughter by those listening, a rather loud and irritated, booming voice took over the base radio and told the units the location of the fire. No one recalls hearing that particular desk clerk’s voice on the radio again.

The Melrose Inn dispatch system remained in service until Oldham County Central Dispatch become operational in May, 1977. Since then, the old monitors and sirens have been replaced by pagers, computer aided dispatch and enhanced 911 systems.

In the late 1960’s the North Oldham area began to change. Growth brought on by people migrating from Louisville/Jefferson County to Oldham County resulted in new subdivisions and posed a challenge to the fire department. The NOVFD still operated just two fire trucks from the Skylight station, yet the development was occurring 7 to 8 miles west, near Prospect. As a result, the area’s Insurance Rating was Class 10 and response times were lengthy.

1970’s

As the NOVFD moved into the 1970’s, it was becoming apparent to Chief George Carter that the department needed to make significant changes in order to serve a growing area and improve the insurance rating. He knew that additional apparatus, equipment, firefighters and a second station would be needed to meet the demands of the growth.

In 1974, Chief Carter purchased a third fire apparatus, a 4 wheel drive Ford truck with a small tank, a pump and hose, to be used for brush fires and a quick response to other types of fires. The department struggled to pay for this truck and it is said that Chief Carter himself, mounted a door-to-door campaign to raise the money to buy it. This truck remained in service until it was sold in July, 2001. The Axton Lane fire station was expanded to house this truck and make room for a future new pumper.

The Chief and the Board realized that the old “membership” method of funding was no longer adequate. In 1975, talk of forming a fire protection district shifted into action. The Board became alarmed when River Bluff and Countryside Subdivision, which NOVFD had protected since their development in the late ‘60’s, created their own fire district, collected property tax and contracted with Harrods Creek Fire Department of Jefferson County. The Board feared losing more territory and potential revenue to another jurisdiction.

The drive to establish the fire protection district shifted into high gear with the circulation of petitions. The district was created in February, 1976. The original members of Board of Trustees are John Hampton, Frank Lyons, Martha Oliver, Hugh Crouch, Gilson Guyton, Norman Dick and Robert Hoops. The new district collected $23,256 in tax revenue for 1977. By 1980, that had jumped to $51,869 as a result of all the growth in the area.

With guaranteed revenue for funding, the department, under the leadership of Chief George Carter, purchased a new Ford/E-One fire engine in 1977 for $32,000 and began efforts to build a second fire station in Goshen. This would be essential in order to reduce the insurance rating from Class 10 to Class 9.

It was about this time that the department began training EMT’s to respond to injury vehicle accidents and medical emergencies. Up to this point, South Oldham and LaGrange provide ambulance service to North Oldham’s district. While their EMT’s were very capable, response times were too long. North Oldham Fire Department’s initial EMS efforts were first responder EMT’s who went to the scene and provided care until South Oldham or LaGrange arrived.

There were difficulties in funding construction of another fire station and purchasing another new fire engine for that station, even with the new fire district revenue. A fund drive was conducted in 1978 to raise funds to build Station 2 and purchase a new pumper at a combined cost of $133,000. Initially, the fund drive was disappointing. Finally, sufficient funds were raised and the remainder borrowed to build the station and buy a 1979 Ford/Darley pumper.

Run volume was increasing around this time also. In 1976, NOFD responded to 29 runs. The total for 1980 was 63 runs. More volunteers were needed to staff the two stations, answer an ever-increasing amount of runs and gain a lower insurance rating for the district.

With the opening of Station 2 and the arrival of a new pumper, the majority of the fire district was now within 5 miles of a fire station. The department finally had two Class A pumpers. That, along with other improvements finally resulted in the insurance rating being improved to Class 9.

1980’s

In 1981, long time Chief George Carter turned the reins of the department over to new Chief Lewis Nugent. Richard Nugent became the Assistant Chief. Chief Nugent continued to expand the department to keep up with the rapidly growing community. Under his leadership, the department bought hydraulic rescue equipment (jaws-of-life), expanded Station 2 in 1984, obtained a certificate of need and activated ambulance service in 1985 and improved the department’s insurance rating to Class 6 in 1988. In 1989, the original Axton Lane fire station was replaced by a new Station 1 at 8615 W. U.S. 42. In 1990, the department accepted delivery of its first diesel powered apparatus with a crew cab, a Ford/Grumman 1250 GPM pumper. This new pumper cost $105,000.

1990’s

One of the most significant changes in the department occurred under the direction of Chief Lewis Nugent and Assistant Chief Richard Nugent. On April 30, 1990, the NOFD employed its first paid firefighters. Six part-time firefighters made up the original “day staff.” Rich Nugent was among the original day staff employees. The others were full time firefighters with the Louisville Fire Department. The original program provided two paid firefighters at the station weekdays from 8AM to 5PM, to maintain equipment, care for the building and grounds and provide a guaranteed response to runs during the daylight hours when most of the volunteers are at their regular jobs.

One original day staff member, Louisville Fire Captain Scott Hogan, has been continuously employed at NOFD since the inception of the program. Another original day staff member, Rich Nugent, returned to employment status from volunteer status in 2003. In addition to Captain Hogan and Rich Nugent, the other original paid firefighters hired in 1990 were Tom Cornelius, Mike O’Leary, Denny Lange and Dennis Wilson, all full-time members and Captains of the City of Louisville FD.

By 1991, the Fire District’s revenue had grown to $162,000. Fire/EMS run volume was approaching 200 per year. The department continued to plan for future growth and the accompanying demand for services.

Lewis Nugent stepped down and Chief Phil Schaad took over in 1994. Chief Schaad continued to plan for future growth. He added additional apparatus, including a new brush fire unit and ambulance, improved the department’s communications equipment, made the switch to large diameter supply hose, expanded the day staff and added the department’s first full time day staff supervisor, Captain Michael Morgan. He also began to plan to improve the department’s insurance rating.

During the 1990’s the department lost two members with the death of retired Chief George Carter and the tragic loss of Sergeant Chris Combs in an accident. Station One in Skylight is dedicated to Chief Carter. Engine 1436 (1990 Ford/Grumman pumper) and the flagpole at the Goshen Station are dedicated in memory of Sergeant Combs. Both of these dedicated firefighters and friends are sorely missed.

In 1996, Phil Schaad stepped down and David Wade became Chief. He served in that position until 1999. During his term, the department hired an additional full-time firefighter, Charles Fudold, a volunteer with the Worthington FD and promoted Captain Morgan to Assistant Chief/Administrator. The department also hired a part-time administrative assistant. Chief Wade continued to update apparatus and equipment. Two 1996 Freightliner/Monroe 2000 gallon tankers were delivered in 1997 at a cost of $105,000 each. In 1998, a new KME 1250 GPM pumper was delivered at a cost of $234,000.

In the spring of 1999, Chief David Wade stepped down. Assistant Chief/Administrator Michael Morgan resigned to take a Chief’s position with another department. Deputy Chief David Stoltz was appointed interim Chief. After a great deal of consideration, the Fire District Board made the decision to hire a full time Fire Chief. This was a significant change for a department who’s membership had always elected their Chief. Chief Stoltz’s leadership during this period was superb and instrumental in making the transition to a paid chief a smooth one.

In September, 1999, Richard H. Albers became NOFD’s first paid full-time Fire Chief. His background in the fire service dates back to 1971 and includes experience in paid and volunteer fire departments. He most recently served as Fire Chief for Florence, KY from 1990 to 1999. He began his fire service career in 1971 as a volunteer with St. Matthews Fire Dept. and joined the Louisville Fire Dept. in 1976.

The new Chief continued to expand services and plan for the future. The department acquired high-tech equipment including 3 thermal imaging cameras, lightweight breathing apparatus, new state of the art protective gear for firefighters and better rescue/extrication equipment.

2000’s

In October, 2000, NOFD hired a full-time Training and Fire Prevention Coordinator to replace Captain Charles Fudold, who left to pursue a career in law enforcement. Donald A. Dahl was selected from a group of highly qualified applicants. Mr. Dahl has been in the fire service since the early ‘80’s and served as a fire officer and training coordinator in two fire departments. In addition, he served as a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy for 20 years where he was responsible for development of training programs and the training of Navy recruits. His experience and education make him ideal for this new position.

In June, 2001 the NOFD suffered a significant loss with the death of a founding member, Mr. Norman E. Dick. Norman was one of those who organized the meeting in 1951 at the Liberty School, which got the department started. Norman served from day one as a firefighter, for 25 years. He then served as a charter member of the Fire Protection District Board, remaining as a trustee until his death. Norman served the North Oldham Fire Department with enormous dedication for 50 years. He is sorely missed and will always be remembered as a firefighter and friend.

Fire District revenues exceeded $550,000 in 2001 and $715,000 in 2002 and $925,000 for Fiscal Year 2004/05. Much of this revenue reflects the significant growth in the district. In 1951, NOFD answered 2 runs. In 2001, NOFD answered 436 runs. In 2005, NOFD answered 479 runs.

In 2000, we expanded our scope of services to include fire and rescue service on our 11-mile stretch of the Ohio River. NOFD operates a fire/rescue boat which is located at the Rose Island Yacht Club. Our original “fire” boat was a 21’ cabin cruiser donated to the department by Kris Krohn and his wife Joni. The boat was modified to fit its new role, outfitted with water rescue and EMS equipment and a 250 GPM fire pump, hose and foam.

As river activity continued to increase, repair and maintenance costs on the original fireboat began to soar. Additionally, serious reliability and safety issues began to become evident with the old craft. In 2008, the Board of Trustees authorized the purchase of a new fire/rescue boat, specifically designed for our mission with a focus on safety, simplicity of operations and speed.

As much of our emergency work on the river involves rescue and medical emergencies, a unique craft was chosen for the mission at hand. A new fire/rescue boat was placed in service in Spring of 2009. It is a 28’ “Munson PackCat” catamaran hull design equipped with a bow drop down ramp similar to a military landing craft. It is powered by two 225 HP Honda outboard engines, carries a 500 GPM fire pump with a bow mounted deck gun, a 3.5kw generator and various items of EMS and water rescue equipment.

The unique “landing craft” design improves our rescue and EMS capability by enabling an injured person to be brought on board from water level instead of being “manhandled” over the side or rear of the craft. It provides for all “work” to be done from the bow of the boat, away from the engines and props. This is crucial when dealing with a patient who may have a spinal cord injury, which is a high risk in boating accidents.

The hull design provides for extreme stability on the water and the two 225 HP engines proved a maximum speed of 45 MPH. The firefighting capabilities are designed to allow our personnel to safely attack a burning boat facilitating entry to rescue trapped occupants. The ability to safely travel on the water at 45 MPH enhances the ability to promptly deliver a seriously injured person to shore to an awaiting ambulance or helicopter. The boat’s cabin is climate controlled and capable of carrying two seriously injured patients if necessary. This craft will definitely improved the NOFD’s river response capabilities.

We also operate a 14’ john boat in support of the larger craft. The department has over 20 members trained in water rescue techniques.

In addition to water rescue and river firefighting, NOFD has initiated a fire and life safety inspection program. The Chief of the Department is “deputized” by the Kentucky State Fire Marshal. This allows NOFD inspectors to operate with the same authority and resources of the State Fire Marshal. Inspections were initiated in August, 2001. The goal of this program is to ensure that all properties subject to public entry are maintained according to state fire codes and life safety standards.

The expanded services of the NOFD have been achieved through the commitment of the Board of Trustees to provide the best possible service to the community. The North Oldham Fire Department currently operates two fire stations, 3 engines, 2 quads, 1 quint, 2 tankers, 1 brush fire unit, 1 technical rescue unit, 1 utility vehicle, 1 28’ fire rescue boat, 1 14’ john boat, and a 14’ enclosed trailer containing our breathing air refilling system, rehab and command post equipment. We are staffed by 3 full-time, 20 part-time and 53 volunteer firefighters and EMT’s.

In June, 2002, NOFD took delivery of a new Quint fire apparatus with a 2000 GPM pump and a 75’ aerial ladder, built by Seagrave Fire Apparatus of Clintonville, WI. This truck is designed as a multi-purpose vehicle with firefighting and rescue capabilities. The aerial ladder is necessary for access to and rescue from the upper floors and roofs of the many large dwellings, condominiums and other significant structures in our district. The truck has a number of innovations in its design and was displayed by Seagrave at the International Association of Fire Chiefs annual Fire/Rescue International Conference in Kansas City in July of 2002. It cost $514,300 and is assigned to the Goshen Fire Station.

In July, 2004, the Board of Trustees approved the Chief’s request to expand paid firefighter staffing levels to no less than 6 personnel on duty per day, Monday thru Friday from 6AM to 6PM. All other times are staffed entirely by volunteers.

In April of 2007, NOFD took delivery of a new “Quad” fire apparatus for the Skylight Station. This apparatus featured a 2000 GPM pump, carried 1000 gallons of water and 30 gallons of firefighting foam, a variety of ground ladders, heavy rescue tools for vehicle and machinery extrication and an extending light tower powered by an on board 25kw generator for lighting an emergency scene at night. The truck was built on a Spartan Gladiator fire apparatus chassis by Custom FIRE Apapratus Company of Osceola, Wisconsin and cost $457,300.

The “Quad” quickly became the pride of our fleet, constructed according to the latest safety standards and equipped with state-of-the-art tools and implements. The NOFD’s insistence on safety and its investment in a very sturdily built fire truck paid huge dividends on the morning of January 17, 2010.

At approximately 1:20 AM on that morning, while en-route to an alarm of fire in a residence, the Quad was involved in a rollover accident on US 42 in Goshen. The truck left the road, shearing off two large utility poles and then rolled on its side as it came to a rest. The accident knocked high voltage wires down and knocked out power from Goshen all the way into Trimble County.

The truck was a total loss. However, no area of the cab was breached by the poles or any other object with which it collided. The three firefighters onboard were all seated and belted in with safety restraints.

The net result was that three firefighters walked away from a potentially fatal accident with only bumps & bruises. Had this occurred with one of the older, open-cab trucks, or had the firefighters not complied with our strict safety belt policy, the outcome of this wreck would likely have been much worse.

The truck is fully covered by insurance and is now being replaced with a new one. The three firefighters have all returned to duty but will recall their harrowing experience for many years to come.

Many improvements in the department over the last several years paid off in late 2005 when the department was evaluated by the Insurance Services Office. We were successful in obtaining a lower fire insurance classification for the district. Effective April 1, 2006, our Public Protection Class was lowered from Class 6 to Class 5. This means lower insurance premiums for property owners in the district. The acquisition of Goshen Utilities by the Louisville Water Company has resulted in the implementation of badly needed improvements in the local water system. This capital investment by the Louisville Water Company results in better service to its Goshen customers as well as improving the firefighting water supply system. This has helped significantly towards a reduced insurance rating for our area.

Even with the resources we have available, we depend on our neighboring fire departments for assistance at major emergencies. Those departments include Harrods Creek, South Oldham, Westport, LaGrange, Pewee Valley and Worthington. They willingly provide mutual aid for NOFD 24 hours a day. In fact, each surrounding district provides automatic mutual aid to NOFD upon initial dispatch, for a significant part of our fire district. This effort is reciprocal and we often respond to assist our neighboring departments for emergencies in their respective districts. It is reassuring to know we can rely on each other and we deeply appreciate their willingness to share their resources.

In August, 2003, the Fire District began construction of a new headquarters fire station to replace the old Station 2 on KY 1793. Mr. David A. Jones and Main Street Realty, Inc., owner of a large tract of land across the street from Station 2 donated approximately 4 acres for the station. The department outgrew the old Station 2, having moved the Chief’s office into a small trailer at the rear of the building. Apparatus and equipment were crammed inside the station’s bays. Very little room existed for training and administrative functions.

Our beautiful facility was designed by Cole+Russell Architects of Cincinnati, Ohio, to meet our existing needs as well as future growth. The District hired King, Bridgeman, Bosse Constructors, LLC as our general contractor. Construction was completed and the NOFD proudly occupied our new fire station on November 1, 2004. The station was formally dedicated at a celebration and open house on May 21, 2005.

This facility is an attractive, yet practical facility that blends well within the community. It contains many innovative features, including indoor training props, large apparatus bay space, equipment storage and maintenance areas, offices and conference areas for administration, a state of the art classroom facility and a fitness room for firefighter health and safety programs. The new station is a facility in which the entire community can take pride.

NOFD assists with the operation of an ambulance as an extension of Oldham County EMS, to serve the Goshen area. On July 1, 2005, NOFD and OCEMS began operating a jointly staffed ambulance with Advanced Life Support capabilities, every Monday through Saturday from 6AM to 6PM (which are peak run activity times). NOFD provided an on-duty firefighter/EMT and OCEMS provided an on-duty paramedic.

In 2007, this service was again expanded by OCEMS by adding their own EMT to the 6AM to 6PM schedule, 7 days a week and expanded the paramedic duty at Goshen to 24 hours. NOFD volunteer EMT’s help staff the ambulance along with the paramedic every night from 6PM to 6AM.

In addition to fire, rescue, and emergency medical services, NOFD provides members for the Oldham County Technical Rescue Team, which is made up of volunteers from all six fire protection districts as well as Oldham County EMS. This team specializes in high-angle and low-angle rope rescue, water rescue and confined space rescue. The team was organized in 2003 as a joint venture of the Oldham County Fire Chiefs Association and its subsidiary, the Oldham County Fire Instructors Association. Future plans for the team include branching into trench and collapse rescue. This team too, provides mutual aid to neighboring communities.

On September 23, 2006 very heavy rains moved through the metro area resulting in rapid flash flooding all over Louisville. In response to a mutual aid request from Metro-Louisville, more than a dozen NOFD Water Rescue Technicians and a like amount from other Oldham County Fire Districts responded into Jefferson County to assist their teams. NOFD members made several live rescues of persons trapped or swept away by rising waters. In addition, NOFD’s Chief and Deputy Chief assumed the command and control coordination of all of the water rescue resources operating inside Louisville that night. This was done from the NOFD’s Goshen Station which is designed to serve as such a coordination center during major emergencies.

NOFD members also have the opportunity to join the Region 6 Hazardous Materials Response Team. This regional team was one of several established across Kentucky using Homeland Security grant funds to purchase equipment and train responders. It is still in its formative stages but the team is growing and the training and opportunities are expanding continuously. Both the Technical Rescue and Haz-Mat Teams are regional in scope and the responsibility for operating these special units is shared by each participating agency.

On April 21, 2007, NOFD took delivery of a new state-of-the-art fire apparatus called a “Quad” at a cost of $457,103. The truck is a 2007 Custom Fire Apparatus built on a Spartan Gladiator Cab and chassis. It has a pumping capacity of 2000 GPM, carries 1000 gallons of water and 30 gallons of foam on board. The cab is designed to safely carry up to six firefighters. The truck also carries a complete array of hydraulic rescue tools (Jaws of Life), high pressure air bags, stabilization equipment, medical equipment and rope rescue equipment. In addition, the truck is equipped with 126 feet of ground ladders in varying lengths. A 15 kilowatt built in generator provides electrical power for high intensity portable lighting as well as a top mounted light tower on the truck for providing lighting at emergency scenes. NOFD members designed the truck to fill a need in the Skylight area. The truck is housed at the Skylight fire station.

NOTE: This apparatus was destroyed in a rollover accident while responding to a house fire in the early morning hours of January 17^th 2010. The truck went off the road, struck and sheared off two 36” round utility poles before coming to rest on its side in a ditch. All three firefighters on-board escaped with only minor injuries. This is a testament to the solid design and safety features built into the truck. It also reinforces our strict policy requiring the use of seat belts in all fire department vehicles. Experts state that had this accident occurred with one of our older apparatus and/or had the occupants not been belted in their seats, all three would have likely experienced life-threatening injuries or even fatal injuries. That justifies the worth of the truck, when someone questions the high cost of new fire apparatus. The loss of the truck is 100% covered by insurance and an identical brand new rig has been built and was placed into service in September 2010. All three firefighters involved in this accident have recovered and returned to duty. Heaven was definitely watching over all of us that morning.

In December, 2010, NOFD accepted delivery of two new identical pumpers with 1500 gallon per minute capacity, one to be placed at the Goshen Station and one at the Skylight Station. These pumpers will bring our entire first line fleet into full compliance with all the latest firefighting and vehicle safety standards. Two open cab pumpers almost 30 years old are being removed from service as a result.

WE NEED YOU! The NOFD is a “substantially volunteer” fire department and depends heavily on residents of our community to serve as firefighters in order to deliver an effective service. You will see signs at the boundaries and at both stations that identify the district and carry the slogan “Neighbors Serving Our Community Since 1951.” Our district encompasses 47 square miles, bounded by the Indiana State Line (Ohio River) on the north, Harrods Creek on the south, Louisville/Jefferson County Metro on the west and the WAVE TV tower property on the east. Consideration is being given to the possible consolidation of the North Oldham Fire District and the Westport Fire District into one district, served by the Goshen, Skylight and Westport fire stations.

The present members of the North Oldham Fire Protection District Board of Trustees are Chairman Bob Martin, Treasurer Joe Schoenbaechler, Secretary Brann Clore, Trustees Randy Scherer, Gregg Cobb, David Stoltz and Hewett Brown. The district’s tax rate is 10 cents per $100 of property valuation. This rate is capped by statute and cannot be raised above 10 cents. Your NOFD is a BARGAIN to the taxpayers we serve.

The district operates solely off of property taxes. The above rate is expected to generate approximately $1.2 million in revenues for the 2009/2010 fiscal year. Each year, we develop our budget to be at least $100,000 under projected revenues. The difference is set aside each year in a fund for capital improvements, which enables the district to maintain its fleet replacement program and equipment/facility improvement program without incurring excessive debt. The Board of Trustees is a historically conservative group serving as excellent stewards of the taxpayer funds they are entrusted with. As state law caps our tax rate, we work very hard to ensure that we live within our means.

We would welcome you as a member of the NOFD team.

We are proud of the accomplishments of all the members of the NOFD as well as all who have served before. The citizens of Skylight planted a seed in 1951 and it has grown steadily for more than 50 years. We look forward to the next 50 years with excitement and enthusiasm. We are proud to be “Neighbors serving our Community.”