By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
Taylor Mill residents gathered in Pride Park on a beautiful fall Saturday morning to take part in the dedication of a monument honoring all firefighters, and particularly the volunteer firefighters from three departments — Taylor Mill, Winston Park and Forrest Hills.
Former Taylor Mill Fire Chief Dennis Halpin officiated at the dedication, praising the efforts of the firefighters and EMS in the City of Taylor Mill.
Halpin became a volunteer firefighter in 1979, and rose to the rank of Volunteer Chief, replacing Tim Cook, and eventually became Taylor Mill’s first paid Fire Chief.
“The Taylor Mill Volunteer Firefighter Association was formed to include members of Forrest Hills, Winston Park, and Taylor Mill volunteer fire departments,” said Rita Hasler last year when work first started on the monument.
Hasler has been a volunteer on the Volunteer Life Squad, as well as a member of the Ladies’ Auxiliary, who raised money for the volunteers and ran the Life Squad. She is also secretary for the Volunteer Firefighters Association. “Of course, now we have one fire department, and it is all paid.”
Other members of the Volunteer Firefighters Association are Bob Warde, who is president, Rick Mueller, vice President and treasurer, and members, Terry Mueller, Rose Merritt, Susan Stewart, Bobby Stewart, Dan Murray, Ray Maness, and Dennis Halpin.
Chief Halpin related the history of the three departments. Winston Park fire department was founded on July 31, 1950, and Forrest Hills Fire Department was founded on March 12, 1958. The Taylor Mill Fire Department began on May 2, 1961.
“On June 5, 1967, the Forrest Hills department merged with the Winston Park Fire department,” he stated. “On February 20, 1973, Winston Park merged with Taylor Mill. As a result of the merge with Winston Park and Taylor Mill there were 41 volunteers and 29 volunteer Life Squad personnel. That’s a lot of people. Since then the department has continued to improve and I, like so many others, am thankful to be part of that history.”
Halpin thanked the Mayor, Daniel Bell, Commissioners, Dan Murray, Mark Kreimborg, Caroline Braden, Ed Kuehne, and former Commissioner Rose Merritt for their unwavering support for the project, and CAO Brian Haney for being the go-between for the city and the firefighters’ association. He thanked the businesses for donating materials, the Public Works department headed by Marc Roden, Victoria Warde, for designing the memorial, and the Nancy Holian monument company.
The honor for the firefighters and EMTs goes back a long way.
Robby Warde remembered when the Kenton County Water Department originally took the emergency calls since they had an employee at their building all the time. They would issue a siren or whistle at seven second intervals for the life squad and fifteen second intervals for a fire call. When the first volunteer arrived they would shut off the siren, and after logging the run on a chalkboard, the volunteers were off to help.
The system changed as equipment evolved, and pagers and phones eventually improved communication.
The department at Winston Avenue was sold not long ago, and the money was put toward the monument. It marked the end of the three separate volunteer departments. The cost of the monument was approximately $125,000.
“I want to touch on the volunteers, here,” said Commissioner Mark Kreimborg. “The volunteers in this city are who built this city. They are the ones who are the reason why the city is what it is today. I also want to recognize the families, because these people will be sitting at Christmas dinner and when the tones go off they jump up, and leave their families at Christmas time. You have to have a very understanding spouse and children, who know their mom or dad is jumping up to help other other neighbors in the city. The city is forever indebted to you, we thank you, and we would not be the city we are without the volunteers.”
Terry Foster, a long time volunteer, remembered when he and Rita Hasler responded to the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in 1977.
“The volunteers did make the city,” said Commissioner Dan Murray. “This is a fitting monument to honor the volunteers.
State Representative Kim Moser echoed the sentiments expressed, that they value the volunteers, and praised the beautiful monument.
Helmets were given to four volunteer firefighters, Tom Foster, whose helmet was accepted by Terry Foster, Rick Mueller, Robert Warde, and Robbie Stewart.
“The Taylor Mill Volunteer Fire memorial is a fitting tribute to the many men and women who contributed to the growth of what is now the Taylor Mill Fire Department,” said Mayor Bell. ” The contributions of the hard working volunteers of the Taylor Mill community helped to establish the fire and EMS services we have today. The Taylor Mill Commission is proud to be a part of honoring its early history starting with the Forest Hills, Winston Park and Taylor Mill volunteers who made what we have today possible.”