Implementation of the Fire Service Master Plan

Project Overview

This supports the 2023-2027 Fire Service Master Plan. The Plan was approved by County Council at the July 19, 2022, meeting.

• The apparatus fleet of the Greenwood County fire service has 24 apparatus 25 year old or older. Funding will replace 18 apparatus based on NFPA Standards (1901, 1906, 1911, 1912, 1914 and 1915), and annual maintenance costs. These standards require dramatically new safety improvements relative to our aging apparatus.
• Our volunteer stations were built in the mid-1970’s and are no longer sufficient to house a 21st century fire department. Most were built by the fire department personnel and are not constructed to current building code, none are Americans with Disabilities Act compliant and none can support sleeping quarters. Most importantly, 1970’s apparatus was much smaller than current apparatus. None of these stations have doors wide enough or bays deep enough for today’s fire apparatus. Funding will tear down five volunteer fire stations and rebuild them using the “Ware Shoals” building plans.
• 30,000 Gallon water tanks to be located at five of our fire stations where there are no fire hydrants. This water supply will greatly enhance our ability to respond to residential structure fires in the portions of the county that are without fire hydrants.
  • Station 90 –  Callison
  • Station 95 – Tri-County
  • Station 21 – Hwy 221
  • Station 62 – Lower Lake
  • Station 70 – Epworth/Phoenix

NOTE: There are a few differences between the FSMP and the CPST request. First, the FSMP requested replacement of 24 apparatus. The CPST application is requesting 18. The FSMP plan requested the renovation of 8 volunteer fire stations. The CPST application is requesting the tear down and rebuild of 5 volunteer stations (Promised Land, Hodges/Cokesbury,  Lower Lake, Hwy 34, Epworth-Phoenix) the renovation of one volunteer station (Troy) and a renovation at the Wilbanks Center EMS station to accommodate a Fire Service presence with sleeping quarters. Lastly, the FSMP did not include the purchase of ambulances.

This request has been broken down into phases. This will allow the apparatus to be brought into the fleet in a measured way. Thus, minimizing any disruption to ongoing operations. By breaking down the new station rebuilds and renovations into phases the integration of the buildings can be done reducing the upheaval to the current department operations.  Beyond the CPST funding being sought, there will be Federally funded AGF apparatus grant requests submitted each year from 2024 to 2031. The state of South Carolina awards V-Safe grants each year for $13,280 and the South Carolina Forestry Service offers $10,000 grants per year.