Firefighter Robert W. Martin

Firefighter Robert Martin died of injuries he sustained on June 21, 1986 when he fell from Engine Co. #1 at the corner of Bryan Avenue and Loudon Avenue during a fire response.

Normally assigned to Engine Co. #12 on Southland Drive, FF Martin had traveled to Engine Co. #1 on June 21 to fill in for another firefighter that had the day off. While Engine #1 was turning onto Loudon Avenue off of Bryan Avenue, FF Martin, who was riding in an open rear jumpseat, rose from his seat to adjust his self contained breathing apparatus straps and fell from the truck. He sustained massive head injuries in the fall and never regained consiousness, dying a few days later.

Born in 1958, FF Robert Martin was a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had come to Kentucky to study law enforcement at Eastern Kentucky University but soon switched to firefighting.