Red Lick Volunteer Fire Department thanks county for annual grant, warns of aging apparatus and training needs

At the Nov. 25 meeting Elliot Stoddard, treasurer and firefighter with the Red Lick Volunteer Fire Department, thanked the Madison County Fiscal Court for an ongoing $20,000 annual grant and described operational needs and training efforts.

"Madison County granted $20,000 to Red Lick Volunteer Fire Department last fiscal year, and that's an ongoing grant year after year after year," Stoddard said, noting that amount represented “over 40% of our budget” last fiscal year and is crucial to the all-volunteer department's operation. He said the department also relies on a state grant and volunteer fundraising.

Stoddard outlined call volume and mutual-aid activity: the department responded to 98 calls last year and has had 131 dispatches so far in the current year, including multiple incidents with multiple structure fires in short periods and two life saves. He described the operational value of the county radio dispatch system and mutual aid with neighboring counties and agencies.

On equipment, Stoddard said the department's three vehicles are aging (circa 1998), the tanker had not passed a pump test in three years, and national apparatus supply issues make replacements difficult and expensive. He urged continued support and outlined training innovations: assistant chief Chad Furrow led construction of a multi-level training course using stacked cargo containers sourced from the Bluegrass Army Depot for confined-space and search-and-rescue practice.

The court and magistrates expressed appreciation; Judge Taylor and other members invited Stoddard to provide additional training details and to stay in touch about mutual-aid planning and data-sharing related to call locations.