New Fire Station in Olanta, South Carolina to Enhance Public Safety

A new fire station is under construction in Olanta, South Carolina, with completion anticipated within 11 months. The project aims to reduce emergency response times and lower fire insurance costs for local residents.

Located at 2330 West Old Number 4 Highway, the station's strategic placement is expected to significantly improve emergency response times. The facility will also support automatic aid agreements with neighboring fire departments.

The construction of a new fire station in Olanta, South Carolina, has broader implications for public safety and emergency response times in the region. This new station is expected to reduce response times and lower fire insurance costs, thereby saving lives and properties.

The new station will feature a training facility for practice burns and ladder skills, enhancing the preparedness of the firefighters. It will house one engine, one tanker, and a brush truck, and will be staffed primarily by volunteers, with a few full-time firefighters on duty during the night.

United Fire District Coordinator Chief Samuel Brockington and Olanta Fire Chief David Floyd are overseeing the project. Chief Brockington emphasized the station's goal: "Our goal with this station is to have all properties within five miles of a fire station."

Chief Floyd added, "So ISO, or insurance services organizations, who dictate how we do things basically and how that affects insurance rates for the citizens, they say they want a station within five miles of each other, so if we have one here, in five square miles we ought to have another one." This new station is part of a broader effort to improve public safety in Florence County.

The project, which has been in the works for four years, is expected to boost the morale of the volunteer-based fire department. "What we have out there just doesn’t support what we need... So by adding this station we’re adding enough room for at least three more apparatus," said Chief Floyd.

County Council member Jason M. Springs, a longtime firefighter, expressed his support, stating, "One of my passions is public safety. I've been a firefighter myself since I was 15 years old, so I recognize the impact that a volunteer fire department can make on a community..."

The new fire station in Olanta represents a significant step in enhancing public safety and protecting the lives and properties of residents in Florence County.

Key Takeaways

• New fire station in Olanta, SC, to reduce emergency response times and fire insurance costs.
• Station's strategic location to improve response times and support automatic aid agreements.
• Facility to feature training facility, house 3 vehicles, and be staffed by volunteers and full-time firefighters.
• Goal is to have all properties within 5 miles of a fire station, improving public safety in Florence County.
• Project expected to boost morale of volunteer-based fire department and enhance public safety.