LCFS moves ladder truck and portion of swift water team to Corley Mill Fire Station
Lexington, SC (James Bowers) - Several important Lexington County fire and rescue resources will have a new home as the fire service administration recently said that they will move a specially equipped truck and other key pieces of equipment from its Oak Grove Station to their Corley Mill facility on Riverchase Way just off Sunset Boulevard.
The Oak Grove station has received a brand new “pumper” truck. This was one of two that they took delivery of several months ago. The second one was stationed in Gaston where it took the place of an older truck that had very high mileage on it. Beside the primary firefighting function, these trucks are fully equipped to operate on the scene of car accidents and first respond to emergency medical calls. They are the first two pumpers the fire service has received with the new charcoal gray over red paint scheme.
The two Sutphen brand trucks' main function is to pump water and support firefighters who are actively attacking a fire. Each carries 1000 gallons of water and can pump up to 1,500 gallons per minute when connected to a water source that will supply those large amounts.
The pumper that went to Oak Grove took the place of Ladder 9, a truck that can pump water and support fire attack, but also has a rear mounted ladder that can be raised hydraulically for both vertical and horizontal reach. This ladder can be used for rescuing people in high places, but can also flow water out of a nozzle near its tip or raise large lights high into the air to light up an emergency scene at night.
In addition to remarking and making Ladder 9 into Ladder 30, Corley Mill will eventually be home to three new captains that were approved in the 2017/2018 Lexington County budget. They are expected to be promoted from within in early 2018 after the recruit school that’s underway right now is completed and those f/f candidates are assigned to stations. That will eventually give Corley Mill station a company of firefighters on each shift. This will include one captain or supervisor, one apparatus operator, the rank associated with the truck’s driver, and one firefighter per shift.
Corley Mill will also now be home to the county’s swift water boat, as well as half of the equipment for that special rescue division. The other half will remain at the Oak Grove station. Any future swift water calls will receive a “dual response," with staff and equipment coming from both the Corley Mill and Oak Grove locations. This will be done primarily to increase the specially trained manpower that responds to these types of emergencies.
The Corley Mill Road area is one of the fastest growing locales in Lexington County. It is the eastern most portion of the town of Lexington, and is home to River Bluff High School. In the past decade, it has experienced a tremendous increase in both residential and commercial development. Its close proximity to I-20, the lower Saluda River, and the western side of the Lake Murray dam, also makes that area a hub of daily activity. Where there is this type of growth, and a substantial increase in activity, there is also a greater need for fire and rescue service.
According to Assistant Chief David Fulmer of the fire service, the senior management of the Lexington County Fire Service and its parent department, the Lexington County Department of Public Safety, will continue to review its existing resources, as well as any new manpower, tools, and equipment provided by county leaders, and position those resources to provide the best and safest response to all emergencies. This will help make all areas safe for the citizens of the county as well as the responders who answer those requests for assistance every day.
