Brian C. O'Neill
Chief
Louisville Fire Department
Closing General Session
Safety When It’s Not Safe:
Louisville Bridge Rescue
The call came into the Louisville Fire Department around Noon Friday, March 1, 2024. A southbound vehicle on the Clark Memorial Bridge hit a stalled car and crossed into northbound traffic where it struck a tractor-trailer. That caused the tractor-trailer to go through the guardrail and hang precariously off the edge of the bidge dangling approximately severnty (70) feet over the Ohio River.
Firefighters had very little time to get the driver of the truck to safety. Within forty (40) minutes, firefighters set up an aerial ladder and rigged a rope and pulley system. Firefighter Bryce Carden rappelled down to the cab, hooked the driver up to a safety harness, and lifted her securely back to the bridge surface.
There were about 30 firefighters on the scene along with EMS and other first responders to assist with the rescue.
Firefighters had very little time to get the driver of the truck to safety. Within forty (40) minutes, firefighters set up an aerial ladder and rigged a rope and pulley system. Firefighter Bryce Carden rappelled down to the cab, hooked the driver up to a safety harness, and lifted her securely back to the bridge surface.
There were about 30 firefighters on the scene along with EMS and other first responders to assist with the rescue.
Chief O'Neill first answered the call to serve by joining the United States Marine Corps in 1992 after graduating from Tates Creek High School. He served in the Corps for eight (8) years before joining the Louisville Fire Department in 2001. Chief O'Neill was promoted to Sergeant in 2005, Captain in 2010, and eventually to the rank of Major (Battalion Chief) in 2022, before being appointed Fire Chief of the Louisville Fire Department on August 1, 2023. As Fire Chief, Brian leads a 500-member department with twenty-one (21) stations, housing twenty-six (26) fire companies.
During his tenure with the Louisville Fire Department as a member of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Local 54, Chief O'Neill held various positions. He was elected as Secretary-Treasurer in 2009 and President in 2013, where he served until he was appointed Fire Chief. He also served as IAFF 8th District Field Service Representative and Facilitator for the IAFF Labor-Management Alliance. Additionally, he served as both District Vice President and Legislative Director of the Kentucky Professional Firefighters. Brian earned a BA in History from the University of Louisville and was an assistant cross-country and track coach for ten (10) years.
Brian married his wife Carmen in 2000 and they have three (3) children. Their son Conor (23) is studying for an MA in Natural Language Processing at Palacky University in Olomouc, Czech Republic. Daughter Erin (22) is working on a PhD in Molecular Pharmacology at the University of Pittsburgh. And son Finn (21) is serving in the United States Marine Corps in Iwakuni, Japan.