Russellville Rural Fire Department receives $43,000 in grant money for new training facility

RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. – When it comes to first responders, training can mean the difference between life and death for them and those they are rescuing. Recently, the Russellville Rural Fire Department received a grant for $43,000 dollars that will go towards the construction of their new training facility.

The facility will serve as the only one of its kind in the county and will be available not just to them, but to other first responders in the area as well. For many years, Chief Cheryl Allen envisioned this training center for the community, giving her firefighters an opportunity to train and remain close to home.

“Otherwise we have to pull trucks out, get in our body, crawl around in the floor and and do scenarios and and things of that nature. So with this training facility, we’ll be able to simulate smoke conditions and entrapment conditions will be able to do some rappelling and some rope rescue type training. So it’s going to be used for multiple purposes” Allen said.

On top of the grant, the fire department has gathered help from some local companies providing, cranes, and services, free of charge.

There is no set timeline as construction is still in its beginning phases. Russellville Rural Fire Department is hoping to have it up and operational sometime in the first half of 2027