About The Pleasure Ridge Park Fire District
|
The Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Protection District was formed in 1950 when it became a taxing district. We currently serve a population of 99,259 along with 39,140 households & 1,988 businesses that employ approximately 26,471 employees. Covering 61.24 square miles stretching along Dixie Hwy from West Point to Downtown Louisville. Serving the Pleasure Ridge Park, Valley Station, Lake Dreamland & Rubbertown communities located in southwestern Jefferson County, Kentucky. We are one of 7 Fire Protection Districts that make up the Jefferson County Fire Service.
|
|
History
Before our department was formed in February 1950, this area was covered by the Jefferson County Fire Department which consisted of three districts with one pumper in each district. Southwest Jefferson County was considered district three. The County donated it's third district pumper to the newly formed Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Department to use as it's only apparatus. The vehicle was stored in a Quonset hut that was shared with the Jefferson County Police where the present Southwest Government Center is located at 7219 Dixie Hwy. The department covered an area approximately 35 square miles, from the cities of Louisville and Shively to the north, Third Street on the east, Ashby Lane to the south and the Ohio River to the west. These boundaries remined basically they same until we merged with South Dixie Fire District in 2004.
In October of 1950, a taxing district was formed and our name was change to the Pleasure Ridge Park Fire District. We purchased our first new pumper, a 1952 Pirch, in January of 1952 for $9,270.63. Our first fire station was built at 5417 Valley Station Road in 1955 and was named Station #2. It was built to better cover the southern part of the district that was experiencing rapid growth. Station #1 was built in 1958 at 4500 Kerrick Lane and the Quonset hut was finally abandoned. Station #1 also housed the district headquarters and the Chief's Office.
As the area grew, so did the number of fire stations. In 1963, Station #3 was added on Terry Road to cover the western part of the district. Station #4 was build on Cane Run Road in 1964 to cover the north and western areas. Station #5 was built on Manslick in 1976 to cover the north and easter areas. Finally Station #6 was built in 1992 as a regional training center and fire station for the Riverport area. During this time, our two busiest firehouses, Station #1 and Station #3, had new and bigger stations built to accommodate more equipment. The current Station #3 was completed in 1982 next door to the original station. Along with a new Station #3, a separate Headquarters was built at 8504 Terry Road. The old Station #3 was razed to make room for the current one which was completed in 1992.
Over the years, as technology advanced so did the means by which our firefighters were alerted to a fire. Originally calls were answered and dispatched directly by our radio room which was located in the original Station #1 on Kerrick Lane. It was modestly furnished with a tube type base radio and desktop microphone in the corner of the room. A flex line with all the streets in the district sat on a metal chair. A mag-needle telephone on the wall was used to activate the roof sirens. During the day, a dispatch was on duty in the radio room. At night, calls were answered at Chief Ernie Bohler's house on Rose Farm Drive. His wife, known as "Ma: Bohler, answered the phone and dispatched the calls over a base radio located in their house. When a call was received, the dispatcher would key the microphone open and would give three short blast with a bicycle horn to alert the firefighters at home who open monitors to receive the calls. At the same time, the roof sirens were actived to alert any personnal who were not at home that there was a fire. Once at the firehouse, the dispatcher would give the type and location to the apparatus. This procedure remined the same until the 1980's when we started using fire pagers similar to what are still in use today.
The radio room moved out of Station #1 in 1983 and into the new Headquarters on Terry Road. PRP continued to dispatch their own runs until August of 1987 when the district dispatchers were transferred to the first PRP Fire career engine and the Louisville Fire Department, who under contact dispatched all 21 county Fire Departments. Finally, in the middle 1990's the system took shape. All calls for service and dispatching of County Fire Departments were transferred to the Jefferson County Police Telecommunications Center at 768 Barret Ave.
When the dispatch personnel were transferred to the career engine, we became what is know as a Combination Department. In anticipation of the future needs of the communities we serve, we and merged with South Dixie Fire District in 2004 and hired our first 24-hour career crew.
In 2004, a new facility was built, moving Station #2 from Valley Station Road and relocating Headquarters from Terry Road into the new facility located at 9500 Stonestreet Road.
In October of 1950, a taxing district was formed and our name was change to the Pleasure Ridge Park Fire District. We purchased our first new pumper, a 1952 Pirch, in January of 1952 for $9,270.63. Our first fire station was built at 5417 Valley Station Road in 1955 and was named Station #2. It was built to better cover the southern part of the district that was experiencing rapid growth. Station #1 was built in 1958 at 4500 Kerrick Lane and the Quonset hut was finally abandoned. Station #1 also housed the district headquarters and the Chief's Office.
As the area grew, so did the number of fire stations. In 1963, Station #3 was added on Terry Road to cover the western part of the district. Station #4 was build on Cane Run Road in 1964 to cover the north and western areas. Station #5 was built on Manslick in 1976 to cover the north and easter areas. Finally Station #6 was built in 1992 as a regional training center and fire station for the Riverport area. During this time, our two busiest firehouses, Station #1 and Station #3, had new and bigger stations built to accommodate more equipment. The current Station #3 was completed in 1982 next door to the original station. Along with a new Station #3, a separate Headquarters was built at 8504 Terry Road. The old Station #3 was razed to make room for the current one which was completed in 1992.
Over the years, as technology advanced so did the means by which our firefighters were alerted to a fire. Originally calls were answered and dispatched directly by our radio room which was located in the original Station #1 on Kerrick Lane. It was modestly furnished with a tube type base radio and desktop microphone in the corner of the room. A flex line with all the streets in the district sat on a metal chair. A mag-needle telephone on the wall was used to activate the roof sirens. During the day, a dispatch was on duty in the radio room. At night, calls were answered at Chief Ernie Bohler's house on Rose Farm Drive. His wife, known as "Ma: Bohler, answered the phone and dispatched the calls over a base radio located in their house. When a call was received, the dispatcher would key the microphone open and would give three short blast with a bicycle horn to alert the firefighters at home who open monitors to receive the calls. At the same time, the roof sirens were actived to alert any personnal who were not at home that there was a fire. Once at the firehouse, the dispatcher would give the type and location to the apparatus. This procedure remined the same until the 1980's when we started using fire pagers similar to what are still in use today.
The radio room moved out of Station #1 in 1983 and into the new Headquarters on Terry Road. PRP continued to dispatch their own runs until August of 1987 when the district dispatchers were transferred to the first PRP Fire career engine and the Louisville Fire Department, who under contact dispatched all 21 county Fire Departments. Finally, in the middle 1990's the system took shape. All calls for service and dispatching of County Fire Departments were transferred to the Jefferson County Police Telecommunications Center at 768 Barret Ave.
When the dispatch personnel were transferred to the career engine, we became what is know as a Combination Department. In anticipation of the future needs of the communities we serve, we and merged with South Dixie Fire District in 2004 and hired our first 24-hour career crew.
In 2004, a new facility was built, moving Station #2 from Valley Station Road and relocating Headquarters from Terry Road into the new facility located at 9500 Stonestreet Road.
