# Lexington honors firefighters on International Firefighters Day  
**Published:** 2026-04-30T23:55:19Z  
**Source:** City of Lexington Mayor's Office (press release, emailed to editor@lexingtonky.news)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/lexington-honors-firefighters-on-international-firefighters-day

LEXINGTON, Ky. — [Mayor Linda Gorton recognized the Lexington Fire Department](https://www.lexingtonky.gov/government/departments-programs/public-safety/fire-emergency-services) in honor of International Firefighters' Day, signing a proclamation that officially declares May 4 as International Firefighters' Day in the city.

The recognition ceremony included [Fire Chief Jason Wells, who accepted the proclamation on behalf of the department.](https://www.wuky.org/wuky-news/2026-05-04/lexington-firefighters-ems-honored-for-international-firefighters-day) Gorton's declaration highlighted the bravery and commitment of firefighters to community safety.

[International Firefighters' Day is observed annually on May 4,](https://firefightersday.org/) a date that [coincides with St. Florian's Day, the patron saint of firefighters.](https://weisradio.com/2026/05/04/international-firefighters-day-honors-service-and-sacrifice-weis-radio-extends-thanks-to-local-crews/)

Wells emphasized that modern firefighting extends well beyond traditional emergency response. "Three-quarters of our calls are not fire-related; they may be medical-related, they may be vehicle collisions, they may be things like technical rescues or hazardous materials situations," Wells said in a statement. "Our people are really trained in multiple disciplines and able to respond to any emergencies that come up."

[The Lexington Fire Department is the largest single department in Kentucky with 24 stations and 620 personnel, providing both fire and EMS to nearly 286 square miles and 322,000 people.](https://www.kentuckyfiretrucks.com/Photos/Lexington)

## Sources

- [Lexington Fire Department homepage](https://www.lexingtonky.gov/government/departments-programs/public-safety/fire-emergency-services)
- [WUKY News: Lexington firefighters, EMS, honored for International Firefighters Day](https://www.wuky.org/wuky-news/2026-05-04/lexington-firefighters-ems-honored-for-international-firefighters-day)
- [International Firefighters Day official website](https://firefightersday.org/)
- [WEIS Radio: International Firefighters' Day Honors Service and Sacrifice](https://weisradio.com/2026/05/04/international-firefighters-day-honors-service-and-sacrifice-weis-radio-extends-thanks-to-local-crews/)
- [KentuckyFireTrucks.com: Lexington Fire Department](https://www.kentuckyfiretrucks.com/Photos/Lexington)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) from a press release emailed to editor@lexingtonky.news by City of Lexington Mayor's Office, enriched with 2 web searches.