LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville firefighters have been without a contract for close to nine months, and frustration is starting to grow, not just over salary, but aging equipment and a lack of maintenance.
"And $55,000 is probably not enough money for a young man that's got a family to dangle over the Ohio River on a rope that is 10 years old," said Jeff Taylor, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 54, the local firefighter's union.
The rope that held the lives of firefighter Bryce Carden and the female truck driver over the Ohio River last Friday is at least 10 years old. While the rope held, the question is will it hold the next time. The rescue over the river set off a wave of emotion within the ranks of the fire department that the city needs to step up.
"Frankly, you know our members have just had enough of it," said Taylor. They've experienced this over the course of their career, and they're saying it's time to invest in us when they see that we're making substantial investments into libraries or into parks," said Taylor.
In December, Mayor Craig Greenberg and Metro Council agreed to spend $25 million in American Rescue Plan money to renovate four library branches and deferred maintenance at parks and community centers.
But a WDRB News report revealed peeling paint, rusted facades, and holes in firehoses, all the result of decades of deferred maintenance.
"Mayor Greenberg inherited these problems," said Taylor. "These problems have been going on for 20 years, where we haven't paid enough attention to the firehouses. You can drive around firehouses -- as you guys showed on your site last night -- paint's coming off, there's holes in doorways where varmints can get in. There's an abundance of that type of stuff," Taylor said.
Greenberg's office offered the following statement when asked for comment:
"Our administration has made significant investments in facilities for first responders, most notably the Summit Wellness Center which opened in 2023. We are also committed to investing in firehouse renovations as our firefighters deserve top notch facilities. We will have more to share when the mayor presents his new budget this spring."
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