The year was 1938 and the city council of Manchester appointed Earl Howard as the first fire chief in the formation of the first fire department in Clay County. The city had a chief, but no indians. At that time, a general fire alarm was sounded and the townspeople would respond and aid in fighting the blaze. The first fire vehicle was a two-wheel cart with a big reel on it that was used to carry the hose. The cart was pushed or pulled by hand and was housed under a shed next to the old Becknell Clinic on Main Street. The city later purchased an actual fire engine, a 1946 Jeep, which they picked up in Georgia. In 1949 they began housing the truck in the old Sales and Service garage and in 1951 moved into the old city hall building downtown. The final move was made in October, 1980 when the fire department and city offices moved into their new building on Memorial drive, which they presently occupy. When Carl Stinson became fire chief during the 50's, the department grew to four; Ernest Rice, Ray Rice, Joe Jones, and Chief Stinson aided by the employees of Sales and Service. When Ernest Rice, who also served as fire chief, became mayor in 1962, he appointed Joe Jones as chief and said "Joe, I want an operational fire department for Manchester." With that, Joe Jones began recruiting. It wasn't long before he had the specified number of 35 firemen with a long waiting list for membership. By 1964, the Manchester Fire Department was voted the most outstanding volunteer department in the State of Kentucky. Efficiency and professionalism was and is the motto and every member takes their job seriously. Until 1964, the department responded to fire calls anywhere in the county, mostly fires at coal tipples. They fought numerous oil and gas fires. At that time, the growing squad was rated as a class 10. In order to improve the rating and lower insurance rates, the department had to set a boundary for fire protection. When Bige Hensley was mayor in 1964, those limits were set and anything outside the limits would be required to pay a fee for fire protection. Manchester made tremendous strides to improve its rating to Class 6. With the population in various parts of the county growing, and the need for fire protection and offsetting the high cost of fire insurance, it became necessary for county fire departments to form. Manchester Fire Department became the flagship department for the rest of the county as they continued to assist in the formation and training of other county departments. Among the present membership, Joe Jones, Arlie Rhodes, and John Pennington became certified with KY Tech and began training in Fire and Rescue basics covering an eight county area. Joe Jones was instrumental in the birth of all the present fire departments in Clay County. According to Joe Jones, "Clay County has a very professional group of firefighters that can be stacked up against any volunteer units anywhere." Former Fire Chief Doug Braithewaite says volunteer firefighters are a "unique breed of people." He explained that they place their lives on the line every time they battle a blaze. "They are called out at all hours of the day or night, regardless of the weather and it's all on their own time. Many people don't think about that when you mention a fire department." he said. There have been 10 men at the helm of the Manchester Fire Department, and with each came more improvements and standards that the men hold to. The department is equipped and trained in all the most up-to-date fire and rescue procedures. They meet several times a month for training and business matters. Over the years the squad has fought many fires, but the most dangerous was the fire at the Shell Oil Company in East Manchester. In that particular blaze, over 75,000 gallons of gasoline exploded. The worst in terms of property loss was the devastating inferno that destroyed a whole block on Coutrhouse Hill, which included the Manchester Enterprise, a laundromat, restaurant, tax office, and several apartments. With the recent purchase of new vehicles, their fleet now totals 6. They have a hose truck that carries one half mile of 5-inch hose, which would be the equivalent of laying a water line. Long range plans include the purchase of an aerial truck which would enable the firefighters to battle fires in multiple-story buildings more efficiently. When that happens, that would move the department closer to a Class 5 rating. Joe Jones says that a Class 6 rating can cut insurance costs by 50%, and going to Class 5 could reduce the premiums another 20%. "The more efficient and equipped we become, the more the community benefits, both in savings and fire protection." Jones said. As a member of the Clay County Fire Alliance and the mutual aid agreement, when any other fire chief calls for assistance, Manchester will respond anywhere in the county to assist. The goal of the Manchester Fire Department is to continually strive for excellence. The Manchester Fire Department is led into action by Chief Charles Weaver who has served the department for 11 years. Weaver has been chief since 94 and was the youngest chief ever at Manchester at the age of 23. We are also a member of the Southeastern Ky. Firefighters Association. We participate in many events on the local and state level. One of our many accomplishments was in 1994 when we won the Kentucky Firefighter Olympics.