STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Three longtime public servants have been inducted into the Barren County First Responder’s Wall of Honor, recognizing decades of work in law enforcement, firefighting, emergency medical service and community leadership.
This year’s inductees are JB Key, Darrell Pickett and Danny Wayne Sexton, each honored for a lifetime of service to Barren County and surrounding communities. They were announced during the First Responder’s Ball on Saturday night, Sept. 12.
During the ceremony, Chris Eaton introduced the late JB Key, describing him as someone who believed a community is something you take care of.
JB Key
Key’s public safety career began when he was sworn in as a Barren County deputy sheriff on July 31, 1973.
He later served as Barren County sheriff, then as Barren County jailer, before becoming a senior ranger with Kentucky State Parks.
After retiring from law enforcement in 1994, Key continued serving by driving a school bus for Temple Hill Elementary School until his death in 2005.
Key played a major role in creating the Temple Hill Volunteer Fire Department, chairing the steering committee that led the first community-wide meeting and becoming one of the department’s first firefighters.
He served as assistant fire chief in the department’s early years and later sat on its board of directors.
Eaton noted that Key also helped leaders in Haywood, Eastern and South Barren as they worked to establish fire departments in their own communities.
Beyond public safety, Key was active in the Fraternal Order of Police in Glasgow, state sheriffs and jailers associations, local sports and conservation groups, Temple Hill Baptist Church and agricultural organizations.
Eaton said the organizations he helped build and the lives he touched remain part of his legacy more than two decades after his passing.
Darrell Pickett
Justin Kirkpatrick introduced honoree Darrell Pickett, recalling first meeting him as a child when Pickett visited Happy Valley Elementary carrying the D.A.R.E. mascot Darren the Lion and handing out pencils and sticker books.
Kirkpatrick said Pickett’s work as a Glasgow police officer inspired him to pursue law enforcement and later guided his career when Pickett helped interview him for a job with the department.
According to Kirkpatrick, Pickett has demonstrated professionalism, integrity, accountability and compassion throughout his career, offering honest advice and support to fellow officers.
Pickett has served as Glasgow’s chief of police and mayor, and Kirkpatrick said he is also known for his dedication to his family and church.
He said some people jokingly refer to Pickett as the “president of Glasgow,” and praised Pickett and his wife Connie as examples of commitment to community and to each other.
Danny Wayne Sexton
Ronnie Stinson introduced honoree Danny Wayne Sexton, whose public safety career began in 1969 with the Edmonton-Metcalfe Fire Department.
After moving to Barren County, Sexton joined the Hiseville Volunteer Fire Department in 1983 and eventually became chief, helping secure grants for equipment, vehicles and a new fire station.
He completed EMT certification in 1986, worked for Barren-Metcalfe EMS and later became a fire and EMS instructor with State Fire-Rescue Training, traveling across the region and state.
Stinson said many firefighters and EMTs in Barren County and beyond have trained under Sexton, who is known for gentle encouragement and helping students overcome obstacles.
Sexton also answered what Stinson described as a spiritual calling in the 1970s, becoming a pastor and leading churches and revivals where he shared his faith and message of service.
He later completed an associate degree at age 60 and a bachelor’s degree in fire science, which showed his belief that it is never too late to pursue education.
In 2018, Sexton suffered a major hemorrhagic stroke while teaching a first aid and CPR class at a local factory.
After months of rehabilitation, he returned to teaching and continues to work with the State Fire-Rescue Training division of KCTCS.
Countless lives have been saved directly by Sexton’s work and indirectly through the training he has provided to others.
Placing the names of Key, Pickett and Sexton on the Barren County First Responder’s Wall of Honor is a way to recognize the example of service they have set for the community.
Key Facts
• Three inductees named to Barren County First Responder’s Wall of Honor
• Honorees are JB Key, Darrell Pickett and Danny Wayne Sexton
• Ceremony held in Barren County, with introductions by local officials
• Inductees recognized for decades of service in law enforcement, firefighting, EMS and community leadership
• Officials say their work strengthened public safety and community life across Barren County and beyond
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