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  • The minutes of the very first meeting held by the West Knox VFD in 1962 were brought in by this 'Secret Courier' (in dark glasses). While Chief Darryl Baker holds the briefcase, a department volunteer grabs the key to get the handcuffs off her. Photo by Jeff Noble

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December 19, 2011

Department marks ‘A half century of heroes’

The Times-Tribune

CORBIN — By Jeff Noble / Staff writer

Members of the West Knox Volunteer Fire Department and their families celebrated the Christmas season at their annual dinner and reunion Saturday night. They served up a heaping helping of awards and recognition to several people who helped the department over the past twelve months. In addition, they kicked off their own celebration of their 50th year of existence a month early, in honor of what the WKVFD called, “A Half Century of Heroes.”

With a large crowd on hand at Lynn Camp High School to enjoy the festivities, the department began with a look back to January 29, 1962 - the very first day the West Knox VFD began.

An unidentified female “Secret Courier” wearing dark clothes and dark glasses brought a black briefcase into the school lunchroom, with handcuffs connecting her wrist to the precious cargo. Once the key to the cuffs were found and unlocked, WKVFD Chief Darryl Baker read the minutes of that first meeting, held at the old Lynn Camp High School. He finished by honoring some 300 persons who joined the department as volunteers over the last 50 years.

“To start a fire department takes a lot of courage...the people who laid the groundwork then made it easier for me and those here today,” said Baker, who’s been Chief at West Knox since 2010, and a member of the department for 25 years. “All I had to do was come in and join them.”

Baker then said he figured up the cost of adding up salaries, expenses, equipment, insurance and other items necessary to run a fire department for 50 years, had West Knox been a paid department. “It comes up to $12,740,800 over that 50-year period. Now, do you think the community can afford to pay us if we weren’t volunteers?  We don’t keep tabs. We don’t tell someone, ‘You owe me, now.’  When we do something for them, we volunteer. And for all of you who serve, and volunteer, you should be proud of what you’ve done for those 50 years.”

 Several local, area and state government officials were present at the dinner, with awards handed out later in the program. Among those receiving recognition were State Senator Robert Stivers (R-Manchester) for helping the department in Frankfort, and Laurel County Judge-Executive David Westerfield, who’s Fiscal Court helped the fire department. “Because people in South Laurel County and North Corbin were served by the West Knox Volunteer Fire Department’s station on Route 25, those people appreciate what you all have done,” Westerfield said as he was handed out an award. Later, Chief Baker gave Westerfield the first 50th Anniversary commemorative T-shirt that will be given to all West Knox firefighters and their families.

 Also during the program, Baker acknowledged the families of the firefighters, mentioning several of them who had births during the past year. And he paid tribute to the late Amanda Ledford, a WKVFD Auxiliary Member who passed away in 2011, adding, “She’s one of those people that when you met her, you knew, ‘She’s good people’.”

 Baker told the Times-Tribune the department is looking forward to the future on this festive occasion. “We’ve got a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) grant of $500,000 for two new pumper trucks, which we call, ‘engines’. We’ve currently got 42 volunteers, eight trucks, two stations (next to the old Lynn Camp School and on Route 25 in North Corbin in Laurel County), and we’re planning to build a third station at Gray. When that happens, that will complete our goal of having everyone we serve within five miles of a station, which will lower their homeowners’ insurance rates...We’ve got goals we’ve set, and all of that’s on our 50th anniversary. It’s a great way to honor our men and women who give their time to protect our community’s homes and property.”

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