LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new fire department partnership was launched Thursday to provide better protection across Louisville.
It's called Plus One. It's an agreement between Louisville and suburban fire departments, with the goal of arriving at scenes faster.
Previously, a department could only respond to a fire if it was in their district, even if another station was closer.
Under the new partnership, Louisville and suburban fire departments will dispatch at least one fire truck from the closest firehouse to the scene of an emergency, in addition to the department that would normally respond.
For example, the St. Matthews Fire Department will respond to a fire that's closer to them, even if it the area is technically in the Louisville district.
A large fire at a strip mall in St. Matthews in 2016 prompted the changes.
"I would think that it would be a lot of relief for a lot of people," Bill Melillo, who owns a business in the strip, said. "It's about time. It's government action."
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