MEDIA RELEASE

 

July 22, 2016

OWENSBORO FIRE DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES 150 YEARS OF SERVICE

Media Contacts: The following have agreed to discuss OFD history with the media:

 

Fire Chief Steve Mitchell (270) 687-8405

Battalion Chief Steve Leonard (270) 687-8407

Retired Battalion Chief David McCrady (270) 313-9981

Retired Asst. Chief John Vessels (270) 929-6042

 

Brief:

 

The Owensboro Fire Department began as a formal organized municipal fire department with the hiring of the first Fire Chief, Horace Miller, on August 1, 1866.

 

The Owensboro Fire Department has since completed 150 years of proud service to the citizens of the City of Owensboro. In order to help us celebrate, a public showcase and anniversary celebration will be held at the Owensboro Convention Center on Saturday, August 6, 2016 from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm. OFD will showcase both historical and modern apparatus and equipment. There will be plenty of activities and food for the public.

 

We have attached some brief talking points to highlight the 150 years; however, OFD is rich in history and tradition that cannot be outlined in such a short amount of time. We invite the media to promote and attend the event as well as OFD’s 150 years of service.

 

• During the first several decades of existence, the City of Owensboro relied first on citizen bucket brigades and later on various volunteer fire companies for fire suppression.
• After a series of large fires in the late 1850’s and early 1860’s, City fathers began to discuss the creation of a municipal fire department.
• The first Owensboro Fire Chief, Horace Miller, was hired on August 1, 1866. He was tasked with bringing the various fire companies together to develop the Owensboro Fire Department. This would take nearly a year to accomplish.
• Chief Miller would continue to serve as Chief until June 1879, when he retired and returned to work in a local stable downtown.
• Edward Cureton was appointed Fire Chief in June 1919 and this would start a more modern era for the Fire Department.
• Chief Cureton would modernize the motorized fire apparatus and would develop a comprehensive Fire Prevention program. Chief Cureton would help in the specification and design of a new modern fire apparatus that would be named after Owensboro. Up until 1919, the fire department would simply focus on the suppression of fires. Under Chief Cureton, OFD would focus on both the ability to suppress fires and the ability to reduce the risk of fire and reduce the spread of fire through fire codes.
• Chief Cureton’s OFD was award-winning, bringing in five (5) awards for fire prevention efforts. He was inducted into the Kentucky Firefighters Association Hall of Fame in 2011.
• OFD has been led by 26 Fire Chiefs in the last 150 years, with Cureton serving the longest term.
• OFD now operates five (5) Fire Stations and a Training Center with 94 full time personnel and responds to over 7,000 emergency calls for service annually.
• Today, OFD provides a full range of emergency services including fire suppression, emergency medical first response, hazardous materials release response, technical and specialized rescue, fire boat and water rescue.
• Today, OFD also provides a full range of non-emergencies including fire prevention and fire safety education and continues to be award-winning bringing in the “Life Safety Award” in 2013.  Chief Steve Mitchell, Fire Chief since August 2008, earned the Kentucky Fire Chief of the Year award for 2013.
• OFD prides itself on the ability to provide professional services on a local and regional basis, professional development of the firefighters, the ability to maintain quality emergency response equipment, the professional customer service delivered to the citizens, and earning a Class 2 Insurance rating.

 

 

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