Southgate Fire Chief John Beatsch, a lifelong member of the city’s fire department, has been inducted into the Kentucky Firefighters Association Hall of Fame.
At their Aug. 6 meeting, the Southgate City Council learned of this distinction. The organization honored him at their annual conference earlier this month.
Beatsch is the sixth Southgate firefighter to earn the honor, making Southgate the city with the most Hall of Fame members.
The honor is given to firefighters who have spent their careers in service to their community and who have also contributed their time and efforts to supporting and leading the Kentucky Firefighters Association. Beatsch has served on the organization’s administrative committee as both vice president and president.
“My family and the members of my department made it possible for me to do that, because they helped me along the way and allowed me to do all the things that I had to do,” Beatsch said.
Born in Fort Thomas, Beatsch grew up in Southgate. His father and two of his brothers were members of the Southgate Volunteer Fire Department. He joined the department as a cadet, a junior firefighter, in 1972 while still in high school. This year he marks 53 years with the department.
Beatsch joined the Kentucky Firefighters Association in 1985, serving as vice president in 2016 and president in 2019. While the president’s position is usually a one-year term, he served two years through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He married Donna Carroll in 1989, and they have three children and four grandchildren.
City officials and residents thanked and congratulated the chief for his leadership and service.
Other Southgate firefighters inducted into the Kentucky Firefighters Association Hall of Fame include Ray Muench (2004), Simon “Sie” Jewel (2005), William Conway (2010), Monica Rath (2016) and John Daley (2016).