07/07/2026
The West McCracken Fire District is pleased to announce that Corey Howard was recently selected to permanently fill the position of Chief of our Department, effective July 1, 2026. Chief Howard joined the West McCracken Fire District officially as a recruit in October 2007 and is a 2008 graduate of Heath High School. He received his EMT license/certification in 2009 and began working for Mercy Regional EMS. Shortly thereafter, in November 2009, Chief Howard began his career as a full-time Firefighter/EMT at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, where he served multiple elected terms as Firefighter Union Committeeman and continues his full-time employment today. Chief Howard is a graduate of West Kentucky Community and Technical College, where he received his associateās degree in Fire/Rescue Science, and is recognized by the Commonwealth of Kentucky as a Kentucky Colonel.
Chief Howard is certified by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress in the areas of Firefighter 1, Firefighter 2, Fire Instructor 1, Pumper Driver/Operator, and Mobile Water Supply. Additionally, he has a background as a Hazardous Materials Technician, Rope Rescue Technician, Confined Space Rescue Technician, Swift Water Rescue Technician, and recently achieved the status of EMT instructor.
Chief Howard has been a lifetime resident in the area of western McCracken County, where he, his wife Hilary, son Caden, and daughter Jacqueline currently reside.
āI would like to thank the firefighters and Board of Directors of the West McCracken Fire District for placing their trust and faith in me. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to learn from many people throughout my career, many of whom are within our ranks at West McCracken. I look forward to continued learning while serving as Chief, so that I may provide an ever-improving service to our firefighters and community. Chief Donald Elrod has served as Chief of West McCracken since 1977, and I believe it is absolutely necessary to continually build upon that legacy. While my eyes are continually focused on the future and what lies ahead, itās imperative that we never forget to glance back at the many milestones that were achieved in years past, so that we may continue to expand upon those achievements. It is my desire to create a balanced approach of being progressive in terms of management style, equipment, training, and tactics, while still maintaining and honoring our traditions. My initial primary focus as Chief will be to explore and implement options that will be centered around membership growth and retention. At the end of the day, the firefighters are the backbone of our establishment and are the ones who carry out the tasks associated with our mission and commitment to the residents and businesses of Western McCracken County. Iām excited to hopefully help usher in a new growth phase for our department; and while continued modernization is extremely important, we must first focus on the growth of our membership, so that we may improve on the services we currently provide, while also expanding them. My family has strong ties to the fire service. As the third generation to serve in both the career and volunteer realms, you can rest assured that the well-being of the Department, its members, and the community will always be my top priority while serving in this capacity.ā āChief Howard
