Madison County Fiscal Court — Nov. 25, 2025 — Elliot Stoddard, treasurer for the Red Lick Volunteer Fire Department, told the fiscal court the county’s $20,000 annual grant “allows us to operate,” and that last fiscal year the county grant made up “over 40% of our budget.” Stoddard, a volunteer firefighter and web developer by trade, described the department’s workload and needs, saying the district (covering about 1,800 addresses in southeastern Madison County) responded to 98 calls last year and 131 so far this year, including multiple structure-fire incidents and two life saves.

Stoddard emphasized mutual aid and communications as critical to safety, praising the county radio system as “night and day” when coordinating with neighboring counties. He told the court that roughly half of his volunteers work professionally as firefighters or EMTs elsewhere, which helps training and response capability. He also described a local training installation made from stacked cargo containers purchased from Bluegrass Army Depot that allows confined-space and ladder training, and said Assistant Chief Chad Furrow “really spearheaded” the design.

Court members asked about equipment and readiness. Stoddard said Red Lick operates three vehicles — a small engine, a brush truck and a tanker — all model-year 1998. He noted supply constraints for new apparatus nationwide and said the tanker “hasn’t passed a pump test in three years,” adding that the department often uses a drop tank system in the field when tankers are limited. The department also runs a junior-firefighter program that brings two young people into the service annually; many recruits later join professional departments.

The fiscal court praised the volunteers and thanked Stoddard for the briefing. Judge Taylor and several magistrates noted the broader county work to help volunteer departments lower ISO ratings — a technical classification used by insurers — which can reduce homeowner premiums where protections and water supplies qualify.

The court made no funding changes at the meeting; Stoddard’s presentation was offered as part of routine departmental updates.