Newly renovated drill tower honors Bowling Green Fire Department’s Bob Sanborn

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Bowling Green Fire Department dedicated a newly renovated drill tower at its training facility on Wednesday.

The naming of the tower honors one of the department’s long-time and valued employees, Bob Sanborn.

Sanborn was a firefighter until rules at the time forced him into retirement at 57, but the work and camaraderie of firefighting drew him back, and he returned as a trainer.

Justin Brooks, chief at BGFD, says, “Everybody here has been affected by him. He’s led, he’s trained. He’s guided their development. He’s made us all better. There’s nobody more deserving, or has earned it more than him.”

The drill tower was built in 1980. Every current Bowling Green firefighter has trained on it, as well as many of the retired ones.

Bob Sanborn, a trainer for BGFD, says, “And then when we got to the front of the drill tower, the tarp came up and I went, ‘oh my gosh.’ So totally shocked. And I’m one of those guys that likes to be in the shadows. I don’t like to be out front.”

Some structural reinforcement work was performed, and the building got a new paint job, so it will be ready to train many future firefighters.