VIDEO: The Bowling Green community welcomed an esteemed guest at BiG Local Fest on Saturday, Herb McKinney. They honored him for his contributions to Kentucky history.
Individually changing trends is a difficult task, but Captain McKinney is not one to turn away from a challenge. He’s lived this truth and after moving to Bowling Green in 1987, he became the first black firefighter with the Bowling Green Fire Department.
But Herb did not stop there.
“My father, he was the first black firefighter in Bowling Green,” said McKinney’s son, Patrick. “He actually went on to become the first sergeant, which was a promotion where he got to drive the truck. He took an EMT class, so he was the first black firefighter sergeant EMT. Then he got the role of captain.”