LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Bullitt County fire department is facing a string of resignations over alleged training and safety issues.

Several people contacted the newsroom about the Lebanon Junction Fire Department. which is volunteer. WDRB has learned several people resigned on Thursday. 

WDRB obtained a resignation letter from Sergeant Adam Nance. The letter is effective July 7, 2022. In it, he expresses gratitude to Mayor Larry Dangerfield and Chief Joshua Coleman for opportunities during his tenure with the department, but he also tells them why he is choosing to step-down.

"My decision to resign was reached with great difficulty; however, my decision was based on a few factors such as safety and poor standards this City’s Governing body and of this office expects of its Fireman / Upper Command Staff, this not only creates but promotes a life endangering environment and I will not stand by any longer and watch it happen," Nance writes.

Aside from Nance, firefighters said resignations include the chief, asst. chief/fire marshal, chaplain and four firefighters.

Dangerfield acknowledged the string of resignations saying some firefighters had come into his office Thursday morning to announce their desire to leave. He says since those conversations, some of those same firefighters informed him they may come back. 

"As far as I know eight left. It could be nine or ten, I'm not sure, but we still have in the 20s left," said Dangerfield. "It concerns me they'd want to quit but in the same token, you can't ask them to stay. I can ask all I want, but if they elect to go, that's their prerogative."

WDRB was told three firefighters have agreed to stay-on to cover the fires in the city. 

When asked if his thoughts on revisiting training requirements to address concerns of those who left, Dangerfield said, "All I stress is there's an ample amount of training they have to have from the state level to be on it. I like to know they all have the opportunity to be in it and be on it."

Despite the resignations, the mayor says he believes there are still plenty of people left to cover the area. 

Zoneton Fire is located about 20 miles north of Lebanon Junction and is one of multiple surrounding agencies that could be called in for help in the event of an emergency. 

Fire Chief Kevin Moulton says it isn't unusual for his department to be called in the event of a large fire and says they are ready and able to do so if that time comes. 

"If we get down there or we get canceled, we're okay. We still know we signed up for the job to help people and that's what we're going to do," said Moulton. "All agencies in our county and the surrounding counties around us, all have a mutual aid agreement." 

Moulton did acknowledge the distance and traffic on I-65 could pose challenges. 

"Minutes matter. Houses burn three times as fast now a days, car wrecks where people are seriously hurt, you know minutes matter," said Moulton. "We are at exit 121 and they are at exit 105, so there is quite a bite of mileage and distance to get there. Now as everyone knows, traffic on I-65 is quite horrible so it would take us a little bit of time."

Lebanon Junction Resident Mark Weird owns a rental property directly across the street from the fire station. 

He says in the event the fire department wasn't able to respond to his building, he's worried for his tenants' safety.

"I'm in shock right now. We have 10 units and a lot of them (tenants) are not healthy,  so I don't know what this is going to do for us. The building is historical, so we could lose a part of history by those minutes and certainly the anxiety that comes with worrying is larger because of the distance,"  Weird says.

Both Moulton and Weird say they hope any issues within the Lebanon Junction Fire Department are worked out quickly and that no areas are left unprotected.

"I hope they resolve it. Life is hard right now but we still have to do our jobs, people's lives are at stake. I just hope the city can work it out. Certainly people don't resign their job because everything is good, so I hope they find a resolve quickly for all the residents here that pay their taxes to rely on these services," said Weird.

Moulton said agencies in Hardin County, Southeast Bullitt, Boston and Shepherdsville could also likely be called in for help in the event of an emergency.

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