Harrods Creek Fire Protection District

The need for a fire department in our area became apparent in the early 1950's. Prior to the formation of Harrods Creek Volunteer Fire Department Inc., the only fire protection came from the St. Matthews Fire Department miles away.
Those in the community who recognized this need formed a small but industrious group who slowly gathered momentum and money. Most of the effort required going door-to-door, and by September 25, 1951 the first list of contributions and pledges was documented. A total of 101 citizens gave from $500 to $50 to help get the fire department off the ground.

A Place in Time; The Louisville Courier-Journal
~Area history~

Glenview
Harrods Creek
Harrods Creek II
Prospect

Time Line_____________________________
September 25, 1951 Harrods Creek Fire Department, Inc. accepts the community's first donations and vows to protect those homes.	John Lang is our first chief. H-1, a Ford Pirsch Pumper is our first apparatus.	Fall 1952 Our first fire house is finished at 6417 Upper River Road. (seen below.)

click any photo for a larger view.

John Lang became our first fire chief, a Ford Pirsch pumper was ordered, and construction began on the first fire house at 6417 River Road, about 200 feet south of the Harrods Creek Bridge. By the Fall of 1952, Station One was completed mostly by firefighters own labor. This small, two bay garage still stands today and is being used by an individual as a refurbishing business. If you look closely, "Harrods Creek Fire Dept." is slightly still legible above the bay doors. Open house for the new station was held on June 6, 1953.

June 6, 1953
Open House for Station One.

H-2, a gasoline tanker used to haul water was purchased.

1955
Karl Greenrose elected chief.

Click to enlarge any photo. Shown left is a 1954 pledge card, on the right is Station Two built in 1956 at River Road and (facing) Lime Kiln Ln.

Quad 4, purchased 1962.

First pump test of Quad 4.

1960
W. Terrell Dickey, Jr. elected chief.

1962
Quad 4, a Maxim purchased.
Kennedy H. Clark elected chief.
1964
H-2 purchased, a Maxim pumper.

On February 25, 1964, James Ross Todd (shown left at the WHAS Crusade for Children) was elected chief. Under his leadership, Harrods Creek became a taxing district to insure payment from all property owners served by the volunteer firemen. No longer would our volunteer firemen have to solicit contributions for support. (click photo for larger view.)

In May of 1969, Ross Todd asks Terrell Dickey, Jr. to take over as chief. In the same year, H-7 a Hahn was purchased a named in memory of Ross Todd.

May 1970
Our original fire truck, H-1, a Ford Pirsch is sold to Lexington VFD, IN.

May 1972
Jack Dayton elected chief.

1974
April 3, tornado hits area.
In November Leonard Heydt is appointed chief.

This is a picture from the 1974 tornado which devastated Glenview Manor and Northfield in our district.

July 1, 1977
First run from new (present day) Station One at 8905 U.S. Hwy 42.

Unit 1255, a Mack ladder truck in service.
Unit 1233, a Mack pumper and 55's twin
(shown right).

Pine Room fire circa 1976.

June 1979
Open House at the new (present day) Station Two at Lime Kiln Ln.
and River Road.

October 4, 1980
Firefighter Lennox Allen dies in the line of duty.

August 1982
Harrods Creek achieves an ISO class 3 rating.

      The 1980's brought on many new fire apparatus as we replaced our aging original equipment. In March of 1984 we purchased a GMC E-One Rescue/Brush Truck assigned Unit 1279. On January 25, 1985 we put into service Unit 1232, an E-One Hurricane 1250 GPM pumper, and on February 16 of that year Unit 1256, a Hendrickson / Grumman / Snorkel 1250 GPM squirt joined our family. These apparatus are still in service and more information on them is on our Fire Apparatus page.
      August 1,1985 marked the day our first boat went into service. Unit 1222 was sold to New Albany Township V.F.D. on February 23,1987. And "Quad 4," Unit 1244, was sold to McCulloch F.D. June 27,1988. An addition was added to Station One in the Summer of 1992.
      Harrods Creek Fire Department continues to grow into the 21st Century with the purchase of two Spartan / 3D pumpers and a Spartan / 3D / Nova Quintech articulating aerial apparatus in the mid 1990's. We began an EMS response program March of 1996 to fill the increasing role that firefighting continues to take in emergency medicine. Our volume of fire runs was 562 and 274 EMS runs in 1998, showing higher numbers each year. This is compared to only around 50 fire runs a year when we began in the 1950's.
      If you live in our area, you can be part of a fire department which is always taking on new challenges in innovative and exciting ways striving to be the best at what we do. Our Membership & Recruitment page will tell you more about joining.