Chief Richard Albers

 August 19, 1999

Rick Albers is new North Oldham fire chief

GOSHEN -- After being without a chief for several months, the North Oldham Fire Department has a new head man. Rick Albers, 44, has been named as the department's new chief. He replaces David Wade. Albers is currently chief of the Florence Fire Department in northern Kentucky.

The Louisville native said the opportunity to come back to the area was a big reason for his interest in the job. Albers began his fire career in the early 1970s as a volunteer at the St. Matthews Fire Department. He stayed with the department until 1988. In 1977 Albers got on at the Louisville Fire Department, making major and being in charge of the Fire Communications Bureau.

In 1988, Albers moved out to Prospect and worked with the Harrods Creek Fire Department. He also had an off-day job as chief of the Anchorage Fire Department. He left to become the Florence department's chief in 1991. It's that kind of experience, particularly experience with a full-time and volunteer force, that acting chief and board member David Stoltz said the committee was looking for when they hired Albers. Today's fire departments are a business, Stoltz said, and "it takes a full-time person to run a business, I'm very impressed with him."

But Albers said he's ready for the change of pace. "It's going to be different," Albers said of going from a more diverse community like Florence to Goshen. "Area-wise, it's bigger (in Oldham), but mostly residential" he said. In Florence, Albers had to contend with not only a rapidly-expanding populace, but also industry, business and interstate traffic, as well as looking out for five stations.

Albers said there are some things he wants to do as the new chief, which will in part be in keeping with changes already made by former chiefs. The department needs to recruit and retain more volunteers. The department has "always been one step ahead of the growth" in Oldham County, Albers said. And if the department wants to maintain that pace, more volunteers are needed, he said.

Besides just firefighters and emergency medical technicians, Albers said he is looking for "non-traditional volunteers" for the teaching and public relations side of the job as well. Some one who can go into the schools, or to community organizations and talk about training or what the department is doing.

When your department depends on volunteers, he said, you have people that want to serve the community, so the job has to be fun as well as serious. When people have a feeling of ownership of the department, it's more conducive to attracting and retaining volunteers, he said.

Land for a new KY 1793 station, which he said is "bulging at the seams," is also high on Albers' list of priorities. The station is "landlocked" in its current position beside Goshen Elementary and North Oldham Middle schools. The department needs 3 to 5 acres of land in the same general area, he said, because the bulk of that station's runs are within five miles of the station.

Being within five miles of the departments also gives homeowners a break on their insurance, he said. Albers said he will also be looking to upgrading equipment and breathing apparatuses.

By Hal Morris
Oldham Era staff writer
Copyright 1999 Oldham Era

Email the Chief at chief@nofd.org