SCFD chief elected president of state firefighters' association
Posted: 8/28/2009

By James Mulcahy
In 1979, disco was king and the Bee Gees were topping the pop music charts. Muhammad Ali announced he was retiring from boxing. Garfield was new to the comics, and Sony introduced its remarkable Walkman.
Also that year, Bobby Cowherd was fulfilling his dream of being a fireman. His family had for years lived behind the Shelbyville fire station, and at age 18, Cowherd had already been a volunteer on the city department for two years.
"I always went down there when I was a kid," Cowherd said, so he knew that would be his career choice from a very young age.
Thirty years later, he's still the first one in the truck when the alarm sounds. He's the one with a handheld radio directing the show, and if needed, he'll don his white, soot-stained helmet and grab a hose.
Cowherd, 48, chief of the Shelby County Fire Department for 18 years, takes over this month as president of the Kentucky Firefighters Association.
"I'm honored to have this position," Cowherd said. "I know I've got the support of our regional association, (made up of) firefighters from the departments in the county."
Shelby County Judge/Executive Rob Rothenburger said Cowherd deserves the recognition and the chance to share his experience in firefighting.
"Bobby has definitely been a leader in the fire service community for more than two decades in Shelby County," Rothenburger said. "Being able to take that knowledge and experience to the next level once again shows the type of leadership Shelby County is producing. He's very well recognized throughout Kentucky and has a lot of respect and admiration across the state."
Established in 1919, the Kentucky Firefighters Association supports efforts of all the firefighters throughout Kentucky, Cowherd said. The organization assists with, among other things, specialized training and legislative issues.
"That's one of the main things we're into," Cowherd said of the latter. "For example, the departments get state aid of $8,250 per year," he said. "The KFA was a big advocate to make that happen years ago." Individual firefighters also get a yearly state incentive stipend of $3,100.
Cowherd said that of the state's 800 or so departments big and small, about half belong to the association.
"Because of legislative issues, the departments that don't join benefit the same as members, so we try to encourage them to join," he said.
Among Cowherd's duties as association president are speaking to various fire service groups, and to assist with any fire department-related issues that come up.
Cowherd joins the ranks of a number of local officials who hold or have held similar positions in their own right: Shelby County Jailer Bobby Waits is president of the Kentucky Jailers Association; Shelby County Magistrate Tony Carriss is Past President of the Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo) and is a director and former president of the Kentucky Magistrates and Commissioners Association; Magistrate Hubert Pollett is second vice president of the KMCA; Shelby County Treasurer Paula Webb is first vice president of the Kentucky Association of County Treasurers and Finance Officers and in line to be president next year; County Clerk Sue Carole Perry was president of KACo in 1987 and president of the Kentucky County Clerks Association in 1992 (she is on the executive committee of that organization); Circuit Court Clerk Kathy Nichols was treasurer for and is on the executive committee of the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks Association, and was president of that organization's organ donar program called Trust for Life in 1999-2000; the late Magistrate Robert Samples was president of KACo; former Judge/Executive Bobby Stratton was president of the Kentucky County Judge/Executive Association; former Shelbyville Mayor Neil Hackworth is deputy executive director of the Kentucky League of Cities; Charlie Frazee is past president of the Kentucky Emergency Management Association;
"The average Shelby Countian doesn't realize how much their leaders are recognized on the state level," Rothenburger said.

Local fire services
Cowherd, who became chief in July 1991, has seen the Shelby County Fire Department grow from a single station and a budget so small he's blocked it from his memory, to five stations (one under construction), 65 firefighters and four recruits, and a $980,000 annual budget. The department boasts 31 pieces of equipment -- from a seemingly out-of-place aerial truck to two Honda personal watercraft units, provided without charge from Honda. The aerial truck, Cowherd said, may look like it belongs in downtown Louisville, but it's the truck to have if firefighters must attack a large fire -- a warehouse, for example -- from above. It also saves taxpayers a lot of money because having it in the fleet gives the department a better insurance rating, therefore lowering residents' premiums.
Cowherd and Administrative Assistant Jennifer Skinner are the only salaried staff members; the rest are volunteers who get a "nominal fee" for runs -- whether it's a trash fire in the gutter or a three-alarm inferno in the dead of winter.
The county firefighters aren't limited to blazes; they are also a rescue squad, dispatched to injury car accidents, farm accidents and water rescues or recovery.
"We do a lot of wrecks," Cowherd said. "Knock on wood, we haven't had a lot of water rescues, although we've been to Taylorsville Lake a couple of times to assist them with recovery. And because we're an ag community, we get some farm rescues."
There are many war stories Cowherd didn't want to relive, adding that fatal fires and accidents take their toll on rescuers.
"It's easy to sit here and say it's part of our job, but it puts an emotional strain on all firefighters," he said.

Down the road
The biggest need for the Shelby County Fire Department is the same as departments across the country: money.
"Any fire department is going to tell you that funding is the biggest need," Cowherd said. "You've got volunteer departments that don't have a good source of revenue; you've got paid departments cutting budgets; then you have fire districts like ours where taxes are not being paid."
But there's more to his wish list than cash flow.
"The next need is going to be personnel," he said, adding that there's good local coverage most of the time. "We're fortunate in this department that we have a mix of people during the day and evening both."
Shelby County Fire Department's long-range plan was to build four fire stations, Cowherd said. "The fifth station came about when some local officials got some grant money. Our equipment is in good shape, thanks to Jennifer getting about $600,000 in grants from the federal government. Our protective gear is up to standards and in good shape.
"We've met all of our long-range plans," he said. "In the future, we're going to try to lower our ISO ratings in the areas where there are no fire hydrants -- and to continue to recruit volunteers and to retain them."
Cowherd said Shelby Countians can rest easier than people in many communities.
"I hope the taxpayers realize how fortunate Shelby County is with fire service, law enforcement, EMS and Emergency Management," he said. "You don't have to cross county lines very far from here and see a big difference. Being prepared for emergencies, Shelby County is way ahead of the game."