The South Lynches Fire District

The South Lynches Fire District is a special purpose district formed from parts of south central Florence County and north western Williamsburg County in the northeastern part of South Carolina. The District has a combination of industrial, suburban, residential, rural/agricultural, and commercial areas. Running the entire north-south distance is a main New York to Florida line of CSX Railroad, which is paralleled by U.S. Highway 52, a four-lane thoroughfare that runs between I-95 in Florence and I-26 near Charleston. The Lynches River serves as the northern boundary of the District, and presents water-related hazards.

The South Lynches Fire Department is contracted to provide fire and rescue services within the Fire District. The SLFD was established in 1954 as the Lake City Rural Fire Department, and the Lake City Rescue Squad, a sister organization which was incorporated into the SLFD in 1995, was formed alongside. The SLFD was the second ISO Class 6 fire department in South Carolina. This rating was received without regard to fire hydrants.
Today, the fire department holds an ISO rating of Class 4 and consists of 9 Stations, 125 firefighters staffing 10 Engine Companies, 5 Tankers, 1 Truck Company, 3 Rescue/Service Companies, 2 Brush Trucks, and 2 Water Rescue units.

The Department has five full-time paid firefighters to handle routine and administrative duties. These positions include a Deputy Chief of Administration, Captain/ Maintenance Officer, Captain/Personnel Coordinator, Lieutenant/Fire Marshal and a full-time Administrative Assistant/Fire Prevention Officer, all working a standard 40-hour week. Volunteer firefighters provide the balance of personnel.
The department protects the district’s population of 20,000 from the threats of fire and other disasters. Like many departments in the country, the SLFD provides Rescue and First Responder/EMS assists.