New Bardstown Fire Chief sworn-in; council hears of suicide hotline needs

Mayor John Royalty swears-in Randy Walker as the city’s new fire chief at Tuesday’s Bardstown City Council meeting.

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016, 11:30 p.m. — Bardstown Fire Chief Randy Walker was sworn-in at the start of Tuesday’s meeting of the Bardstown City Council.

Walker told the council that he is working on plans to further reduce the city’s ISO fire rating, which is used by some insurance companies to determine homeowner’s insurance rates.

“Right now we’re a 5, and that’s pretty good,” he said, “but we can be better.”

Firefighters are already taking on some tasks that will help lower the city’s ISO rating, he said. For example, firefighters have been Some things have already been implemented — like pre-planning how to attack a fire at a location that could be more susceptible to a fire.

The full-time fire department makes a big different too, he said.

One very visible change will be changing the color of the city’s fire hydrants, he explained.

The fire hydrants are generally red, but it is recommended the be painted for better visibility and to indicate the available water flow.

The new paint scheme will mean the round barrel part of the housing will be chrome yellow, with the top and caps painted certain colors that indicate the available flow of water. The paint scheme will give firefighters an immediate idea of how much water is available at that hydrant to fight a fire.

Grief support Coach Janet Tonge, right, speaks to the Bardstown City Council about the need for a suicide prevention hotline in Nelson County while support coordinator Jessica Johnson looks on.

In other action, the council

— approved the E-911 dispatch center’s amended 2015-16 budget;

— received a plaque from the Buttermilk Committee in appreciation of the council’s support for the annual festival;
— heard a request from Janet Tonge for support for of a Nelson County-based suicide prevention hotline.

Tonge said a call to a national suicide prevention hotline took four minutes before someone could take a call. “Those four minutes are enough time for somebody to take a life,” she said. “We desperately need a suicide prevention hotline.

Tonge said she is working to get funding, volunteers and office space to operate the hotline. She is also working to establish a grief support group in Nelson County.

— tabled a set of policies for the Bardstown Sanitary Sewer service that designate which parties are responsible for maintenance of various parts of the system. The council agreed to table the policies due to conflicting language.

— heard a presentation on E-911 addressing from Ron Householder of CDP/Mapsync Services, and received an update on the city’s addressing project from David Evans, the city’s new GIS mapping coordinator.

— reappointed Dixie Hibbs to a three-year term on the city’s tree board.

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