Kentucky Fire Chief Listed In Critical Condition

» Video: Glencoe Fire Chief In Critical Condition

The Fire Chief of the Glencoe Fire Department remains in critical condition this evening at University Hospital. Firefighters say Robert 'Bud' Webster was driving one of the department's fire trucks Tuesday when the storms rolled through our area. Police say Chief Webster lost control of the truck on Kentucky 16 in Gallatin County. The vehicle rolled and pinned him underneath. Local 12's Rich Jaffe says the accident is hitting hard in a tiny rural community.

Glencoe's Assistant Fire Chief Bud Webster was taking inventory Wednesday on the department's damaged fire truck, but his mind was really on other things. His father, Chief Bud Webster, was driving the truck Tuesday, on his way to an accident, when the truck went out of control and rolled twice. Webster was ejected and pinned by the truck.

"Bud" Webster Jr, Assistant Fire Chief: "Once you leave the roadway in a fire truck, it never usually turns out good."

Assistant Chief Webster was on duty in Florence when he heard the call.

"I heard them dispatch the Union paramedic to meet with the squad down here for a fire truck rollover, in the 1000 block of Highway 16, kind of knew at that point, it's our area, 90 percent of the time he's the one that travels this road in the truck."

Chief Webster's been in charge of the all volunteer department since 1995. The community and the firefighters are stunned at what happened to the man so many of them have learned to count on.

Sherman Sorrell, Firefighter: "Ever since I been here, I've never known him to take a vacation. He's always out there for the people, loving guy he cares for the people..."

If there's any good new about this accident, it's that when firefighters arrived on the scene just moments after the crash, all the tools they needed to extricate their chief were already on the truck even though the truck and the tools were upside down.

"When he hit this bank I guess that's what rolled him."

While definitive answers about the crash are hard to find, the truth about his chief and father are crystal clear.

"He's dedicated, never met anybody more dedicated than him...he lives and dreams this."

Rich Jaffe, Local 12.

Chief Webster's family tells us that aside from Workman's Compensation he has no health or medical insurance. A fund to help with his medical bills is set up at the Integra Bank in Warsaw.

Republished with permission of WKRC-TV.