New Warren County Fire Department announced during Warren Co. Fiscal Court

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – It’s a change that some say is decades too late, the county now moving toward paid firefighters.

The City of Bowling Green has had a full-time fire department for years upon years, while the county relied on volunteerism for the last 50 years. Now, just out of Warren County Fiscal Court, there is an official announcement of the newly created Warren County Fire Department.

Judge-executive Doug Gorman says Warren County had been the largest in the state still relying on volunteers outside city limits.

This shift marks a new era for fire service in the county, with more consistent coverage and quicker response times expected.

Gorman says, “And these are the toughest time for volunteers, obviously, to get out. Everyone’s working. And so think about, you know, the amount of work we have just taken for granted. I’ll say it and put on the backs of volunteers in this community. They’ve done so many great things for us. This is something that’s going to help them considerably. We also think it’s going to help them with recruitment of new volunteers.”

The new department comes with a $4 million budget, and Gorman says the rollout will be gradual to avoid overwhelming the system.

Gorman says by the year’s end, all 24 dedicated firefighters should be fully operational, serving communities from Alvaton to Gott.