Louisville firefighters say city is doing little to fix conditions at older firehouses

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville firefighters accuse the city of doing little to fix living conditions at older firehouses.

Photos from inside some of the buildings the city's firefighters call home show peeling paint, leaky roofs and holes in ceilings and walls.

According to the Louisville Professional Firefighters Local 54 union, a significant amount of money to make needed repairs was taken out of the fire department's budget this year.

"There are many firehouses across the city that most people would be shocked to come into, to use the facilities, to use the kitchen ... I have seen vacant properties, frankly, in better conditions," said Jeff Taylor, president of the Louisville Professional Firefighters Local 54.

The Louisville Fire Department said it needed an estimated $31 million to make repairs and address differed maintenance.

"What it says to the firefighter is we are not appreciated," Taylor said.

In previous WDRB reporting, the outside of firehouses show similar issues — holes in the side of buildings, peeling paint, and general disrepair from a lack of maintenance over the years.

"But if we don't start paying attention to this stuff, we are just that much further behind," said Taylor.

The fire department uses 94% of its budget to cover salaries and personnel costs. The remaining 6% of the budget is operational, and Metro Council took $800,000 from the operational portion of the department's budget. But the firefighter's union said that money can be restored by Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.

"So the mayor does not have to take those budget cuts, he could restore them, and we are asking him to do just that," Taylor said. "When you cut $800,000, we are not correcting some of the problems that we have been living with for the last 20 years. You are getting that much further behind, it is just not a cut that is sustainable."

Jeff Taylor - president Louisville Professional Firefighters Local 54 7-2-24 — Jeff Taylor, president of the Louisville Professional Firefighters Local 54, speaks to WDRB News on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (WDRB photo)

Greenberg is asking the fire department for patience.

"There is a lot of work to do, so we have made some small first steps in this year's budget," he said previously.

The mayor said the city is doing some long-term planning that includes two firehouses that need work and two that are outdated and need to be replaced.

"But you will see in next year's capitol improvement and next year's capitol budget some significant investments," Greenberg said.

But the phrase "wait until next year" is a familiar answer the firefighters union said they've heard too many times before.

Previous Coverage:

Louisville firefighters say city is doing little to fix conditions at older firehouses