WHERE EXACTLY IS BETSY LAYNE AND HOW DID IT COME TO BE?

     The city of Betsy Layne, Kentucky, was named for Elizabeth Johns Layne (the wife of Tandy Middleton Layne known by many by her nickname of 'Betsy') who was one of the first settlers of present-day, nearby Justell sometime after the year 1831.  It is located in the far eastern portion of Floyd County approximately 1 1/2 miles north of the Pike County line.
     In the summer of the year 1947, Betsy Layne High School Agriculture Teacher Earl Hays and a group of his friends came together to form the 'Betsy Layne Mens' Club' and one of its goals was to establish local fire protection for the citizens of the area.  In 1976, several years after a volunteer fire company had been established, the now-defunct Mens' Club would be incorporated into the Betsy Layne Volunteer Fire Department.
     In 1984 (after several months of hard work and determination on part of the firefighters and also consideration of the Floyd County Fiscal Court) the department's current tax protection district was established and the organization came to be known as the Betsy Layne Fire Protection District, a name it still holds even today.  Six years after this amazing feat, the group was honored with receiving a Class 4 ISO rating becoming the first strictly volunteer fire department east of the Mississippi River to accomplish such a task.
     In 1994 (47 years after the volunteer fire company had first been organized) the group and the community endured the loss of their first civilian in a house fire within the area.  Within just a few years afterwards, four more civilians would perish in three additional structure fires within the Betsy Layne Fire Protection District but, still, we went on.
Currently, the Betsy Layne Fire Protection District owns and operates six different fire apparatuses out of its six-bay two-story block and brick building and they include three Pierce pumper engines, one Ford rescue vehicle, one Pierce ladder truck, and one Chevrolet personnel transportation vehicle.  Individually listed below, 26 active firefighters, 2 active junior firefighters  and 5 active non-firefighter board members serve this community on a daily basis.  Their years of service range anywhere from an excess of 40 years to only a few months.  No matter their age or experience, every member has their own job to allow the organization to run like a well-oiled machine.  Betsy Layne is and always will be about constant teamwork and dedication to one another and, like our Chief often says, "there is no I in Betsy Layne".
     The Betsy Layne Fire Protection District serves all of Betsy Layne, Harold, Stanville, Tram, and Little Mud Creek as well as portions of Ivel, Prater Creek, and Boldman.  To read more about this organization, you may do so by clicking on either the 'ABOUT US' or 'HISTORY OF BLFD' segments to the far left of this page.  You may also read more about each member by simply clicking on the 'MEMBERS' section, too. 

401 Fire Chief Eddie Clark (Board Member)

404  Vacant

405 Firefighter Steven Clark (Water Resource Officer)

406 Assistant Fire Chief Edward Clark(Training Supervisor), (Instructor)

407 Firefighter Tony Meade (Chaplain)

409 Firefighter Tommy Kidd

410 Firefighter Darren Daniels

411 Firefighter Lonnie Ray Allen (Safety Officer), (Vice President)

412  Probationary Firefighter Myrl (Charlie) Baker (instructor)

413 Firefighter Danny Keen

414 Junior Firefighter Jamison Stanley

415 Vacant

416 Firefigher Jonathon Brock

417 Firefighter Jarrett Stanley

418 Firefighter Chris Stanley (Instructor)

420 Fire Captain Bobby Slone (Board Secretary & Fire Code Inspector)

421 Fire Lieutenant Kyle Akers

423 Firefighter Jenna Stevens

424 Firefighter Brian White (Quartermaster), (Public Information Officer), (Secretary)

425 Firefighter Brandon Daniels

426 Firefighter Lonzie Blankenship (President)

427 Firefighter Lieutenant Justin Kidd (Public Relations)

428 Firefighter Greg Osborne (Junior Firefighter Program Coordinator),(Instructor)

429 Firefighter Jackie Smith

430 Vacant

431 Firefighter Alex Meade

432 Firefighter Josh Murphy (EMT) 

433 Firefighter Austin Gillispie

434 Firefighter Nathan Looney (Instructor) (EMT)

435 Firefighter Brandon Osborn

436 Junior Firefighter Tommy O Keathley

Bobby Johnson, Board Member

Ronnie Wallen, Board Member

Keith Stumbo, Board Member

Mike Hammond, Board Member

Josh Justice, Board Member

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2017 BETSY LAYNE FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICERS

On February 13, the board members announced the 2017 Line Officers for 2017 as follows:

Fire Chief:  Eddie Clark

Assistant Fire Chief:  Edward Clark

Captain:  Bobby Slone

Lieutenant:  Kyle Akers

Lieutenant:  Justin Kidd

Election was held for administrative offices, those elected are the following: 

President:  Lonzie D. Blankenship

Vice President:  Lonnie R. Allen

Secretary:  Brian White

Quartermaster:  Brian White

Fire Chief Eddie Clark also made his appointments as follows: 

Safety Officer:  Lonnie R. Allen

Fire Code Inspector:  Bobby Slone

Water Resource Officer:  Steven Clark

Public Information Officer:  Brian White

Public Relations:  Justin Kidd

Chaplain:  Tony Meade

Junior Firefighter Coordinator:  Greg Osborne

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Fire Hazard Seasons

The periods commencing on February 15th and ending on April 30th and commencing on October 1st and ending on December 15th of each year are hereby declared to be and established as the fire hazard seasons.  During the fire hazard seasons it is unlawful for any person to set fire to any flammable material capable of spreading fire, located in or within one hundred fifty feet (150') of any woodland or brushland, except between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

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2016 Santa Run

Photo by Samantha Clark

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2016 Firefighter of The Year

Captain Bobby R. Slone(right) presented Lonnie Ray Allen with the 2016 Firefighter of The Year award. Through his tears Lonnie Ray said,  "It's been a long time coming."  We all had to tell a few little lies and sneak around to keep him from finding out. After 30 years you deserve it Brother, Congrats!!

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45 Years of Service

The Fire Department has been Chief’s life, but he will never put it before Christ or his family.  Chief Clark never takes credit for all he has done.  He often says, "There is no I in Betsy Layne."  He has been part of Betsy Layne Fire Department for 45 years. The heritage and tradition that is Betsy Layne Fire Department would not be what it is today without Chief Eddie Clark.  Congrats Chief!!!

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2016 BLFD Open House

Open House was held Saturday October 15, 2016.  The public, members and their families enjoyed the time visiting together and having some refreshments.

photo's provided by President Lonzie D. Blankenship

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