Awendaw Fire Department

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Awendaw Fire Department

1131 Guerins Bridge Rd.
Awendaw, SC 29429

Phone: (843)856-1617
Fax: (843)928-3155

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Awendaw McClellanville Fire Department

The Awendaw McClellanville Fire Department provides fire and life safety services including Medical First Responder, Rural Search & Rescue, Auto Extrication, Wildland Fire Suppression, Fire Inspection, and Public Fire Education services to the citizens of the unincorporated areas of Charleston County north of Mount Pleasant in The Awendaw McClellanville Consolidated Fire District. Serving 365 square miles with a suburban/rural interface, federal forest land, and coastal areas, the Fire Department's direct service area includes a total of 8 communities.

Services are provided by both career and volunteer members who operate out of seven station locations. All stations are under the command of a Battalion Chief and are divided into three working shifts (A, B, and C). The department works a 48-96 work schedule. All career fire personnel are Charleston County employees.

The Department operates seven Fire Engines, two Tenders/Tanker trucks, one Squad/Rescue, one Brush truck, and six command staff vehicles.

The Fire Chief reports directly to the Charleston County Public Safety Deputy Administrator. The Fire Chief is assisted by the Deputy Chief of Operations and Assistant Chief of Administration. The Battalion Chief reports directly to the Deputy Chief, and duties include emergency response and incident command, the direction of training, and the daily supervision and direction of the station Captains, Engineers, and Firefighters.

The Department maintains a high level of professional standards, focusing on education, certifications, performance measures, and fitness. Among other certifications, many full-time personnel are certified Emergency Medical Technicians or higher. A constant state of readiness is maintained to be fully prepared to respond to various emergencies (firefighting, medical, vehicle extrication, hazardous materials, etc.). In 2015, the Insurance Services Office (ISO) gave the Department a rating of 4, acknowledging its professional achievements and therefore saving homeowners thousands of dollars in insurance premiums.

Q: Why do fire trucks sometimes respond where there is a medical emergency?
A: The Fire Department's firefighters are trained, certified medical responders and are often in closer proximity to the patient than the Emergency Medical Service (EMS). Therefore, they will often serve to assist patients until advanced life support services arrive via an EMS unit.

Interesting Facts

The Awendaw McClellanville Fire District was awarded an Insurance Services Office rating of a 4 in 2020. This means a substantial reduction in insurance premiums for property owners in Awendaw and McClellanville, saving them thousands of dollars each year.

Smoke Alarm Saftety

History

The Awendaw McClellanville Fire District is financed through taxes paid by residents living within the tax districts and municipalities served by the Department. With the establishment of Charleston County's responsibility to serve the Awendaw McClellanville Fire District Special Tax District in 1983 (based on petitions and a referendum), the County took over the Awendaw Volunteer Fire Department's one fire station. The Awendaw McClellanville Fire Department now serves a larger geographic area, and with increased development, it has seven stations, 28 full-time employees and 12 Volunteer Firefighters. The average call volume is over 1,500 calls per year.