By Betsy Finklea
Dillon County Station Five was made a substation under Dillon County Fire Station One at Dillon County Council’s meeting recently. In explaining the necessity of making this move, County Administrator Tony Clyburn said he wanted to be perfectly clear that this “was not an attempt to take away a fire station or to take away fire service.”
Clyburn said what they are looking at is that Station Five currently has five members. The requirements say that they have to have 10 members and four responding members average per fire to remain a fire station. The penalties for not having this are loss of the one percent money from the S.C. Firefighters Association, revocation of the FDID number, and it would no longer be recognized as a fire station. The ISO audit would take the rating from a five to a 10, which would cause the insurance rates to go up.
Clyburn said the effect of the proposal would be absolutely no change in the coverage hours, no change in personnel, and no change in future fire response. There is no change in the operating procedures.
The proposal would temporarily recognize Station Five as a substation under Fire Station One until they get the right number of members to preserve the ISO rating, the FDID number, and the one percent money. Clyburn said it is time to do the ISO audit now.
Clyburn said when they get ten members then they can put the station back as it was before, but they cannot operate that station with only five members.
Clyburn said they hope in the future to expand and increase the service in that area.
Upon motion by Councilman Gerome McLeod, the council passed the change with Councilman James Campbell voting against it.
*
To watch this meeting, go to The Dillon Herald’s channel on YouTube.