For 150 years, the people of Lexington have called on the members of the Lexington Fire Dept. to come to their rescue in an emergency.
The brave men and women always run toward the danger to save lives. Their sacrifice doesn’t go unnoticed, and was formally recognized Thursday by the Lexington-Fayette County Urban County Government.
One man who was honored is Major Orville Cook. He served for 28 years with the department, the largest in Kentucky, from the 1950s to the 1980s. At 91, Cook is the oldest living member of the fire department. He says since his days, the industry is very different, and safer. “Equipment was rather bad, until NASA came into being,” Cook recalled. “Some of the things that they developed certainly helped the fire service. Breathing apparatus for one. The coats that we now wear can turn a lot of heat.”