Chief of Greenville Township Volunteer Fire Department seeks funding for paid staff

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Smoke turned to flames Friday morning when Brenda Rainbolt's sister came home form work.

Her car was on fire in the driveway.

"That really scared me," Rainbolt said. "When it was just smoking, I was trying to throw water on it, because I wanted to see if I could help it."

The 71-year-old twins live together in a Greenville home that's been in their family more than 100 years.

"I was afraid my house was gonna start burning down," Rainbolt said. "If it would have actually started hitting that wood — that siding — it would have probably just gone up like a tinder box."

The car was burning, and flames were spreading toward the house. The heat was so intense that the home's siding began to melt. And despite the fact that Rainbolt lives right next door to a Greenville fire station, no one came to put out the flames.

"I'm disappointed that we're not able to provide the protection that the people of our community deserve and think that they are getting," said Kent Monohan, chief of the Greenville Township Volunteer Fire Department. "They don't always understand that when a firetruck pulls up out front, that it's not always Greenville."

In Rainbolt's case, the Lafayette Fire Department responded from 15 minutes away.

"It's frustrating," Rainbolt said. "I thought someone would surely come from (Greenville) and put this fire out."

The difference is that the Lafayette Fire Department is staffed with paid employees, while the Greenville Fire Department only has volunteers.

That is something Monohan is looking to change. He said the lack of response is a danger to public safety. He is petitioning residents to start a taxed fire district to pay firefighters in Greenville.

Currently, 15 volunteers run the two stations in Greenville. Monohan said only three of those volunteers actually live in the town, so currently, there is no 24/7 coverage for the community of 3,300 property owners.

"That's a recipe for disaster," Monohan said.

The department posted a lengthy note to its Facebook page detailing the need for staff and explaining money for updated equipment and gear was also a need.

Still, Monohan only has 60 of about 560 signatures needed to start the process.

"Greenville just won't be able to stay in existence on the money that's coming in now," Monohan said.

Cost appears to be the concern online. Monohan's early estimates are a new fire district could raise taxes for property owners in the proposed fire district by as much as $350 in the first year on a $200,000 home.

"Several things is what bothers me about the fire district," Greenville resident Jeff Fessel said. "We just had a new tax added by the county for the jail renovation, a new school tax that was voted in and now another tax for the fire district. And I don't think anyone knows what the increase will be. Lots of unknowns."

The volunteer department currently operates on $118,00 a year.

Despite the potential for an increased tax bill, Rainbolt signed the petition.

"That's hard for someone on social security," she said. "But I want protection. I wish someone could have been here faster the other day."

The initial ask to fund the proposed fire district is $1.2 million.

Petitions are just the start. It would also have to be approved by the Floyd County Council and Commission, as well as state regulators.