Rescue Units

In 1923, Louisville placed Rescue No. 1 into service. Staffed with hand-picked men, it carried specialty equipment and responded to fires and rescues. The concept was discontinued in 1928 and the apparatus was donated to the Louisville Police Department for special response.

When the Civil Defense disbanded, the two 1953 Reo rescue vans were inherited by the LFD. They carried assorted rescue and first-aid equipment and were rotated among several engine houses. One of those units was eventually repainted red and assigned as a Response Support Unit.

The first specialized rescue team in Louisville came about in 1988, when Engine 7 assumed the responsibilities of technical and water rescue. An Auxiliary Engine and then a Step Van were used as rescue apparatus. In 1990, those functions were reassigned to the members of Engine 2 and Truck 1. Today, they cross-staff Rescue 2, a custom-built dive/tactical rescue apparatus, and the department’s primary water rescue craft.

In 1992, Engine 11 and Truck 7 became the department’s second specialty rescue company when they were assigned the functions of heavy urban, confined space, trench, and structural collapse rescue. Today, Quint 7 cross-staffs Rescue 11, a custom-built heavy rescue apparatus.

Louisville also maintains an assortment of utility trucks, trailers, and additional watercraft equipped for special response.