The department operated three engine companies from three stations equally spread across the unincorporated county land.

The districts levied a tax based on a property owner's total real estate worth and allowed for more money to be available exclusively for fire protection.

Eventually, 21 separate districts were formed, completely covering all of Jefferson County outside of the Cities of Louisville and Shively.

The merger legislation permits the continuing existence of all governmental subdivisions of the county including cities and fire protection districts.

[citation needed] Of the 21 fire protection districts extant in 2003, by mid-2021 over half had dissolved or were merged into other departments.

[12] Member districts of JCFS include all departments within Louisville-Jefferson County organized under KRS Chapter 75.

Instead it comprises various committees and associations that specialize in areas that affect the fire service in Jefferson County as a whole.

Unit/Hazmat 6691 is currently located at and responds from Lake Dreamland Fire Protection District station 1, which has a close proximity to a local heavy industrial area known as Rubbertown.

Unit 6697 is a 2001 Ford F-350/1977 E-One, with the chassis and cab being ex-Jefferson County EMS, and the body ex-South Dixie Fire Protection District.

Newly adopted dispatching protocols disregard traditional district boundaries and direct the response of the closest, most appropriate fire equipment to a call for help.

Interoperability between the JCFS districts and Louisville Division of Fire is informal and the two organizations do not participate in the unified chain of command when operating together.

Fairdale High School offers a Fire & EMS program that introduces students to and prepares them for careers in emergency services.

The current unit, Brutus II, is a 1990 Pierce Lance pumper with a 1500 GPM pump and a 1000-gallon water tank.

Brutus was donated to the school from the Pleasure Ridge Park Fire Department, where it served as Engine 2223.

Currently, the Highview and Fairdale Fire Departments have official explorer/junior firefighter programs implemented and active.