Rural Fire Department Newberry County, South Carolina contributed by Edith Greisser

1962  SC Statute 14-2999. Article 3 Establishment of the Rural Fire Control for Newberry County. Composed of five members appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of a majority of the county legislative delegation. Their terms of office shall be for two years and until their successors are appointed and qualify. They may succeed themselves. Any vacancy occurring shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner of the original appointment. The members of the Fire Board shall serve without compensation, but shall receive nine cents per mile to and from meetings of the Board. (1961 (52) 487.) In 1963 An Act to amend Section 14-2999 - so as to increase the term of office of members from two to four years.   Prerequisites for eligibility to receive Fire Equipment:   Convey a lot for the erection of a firehouse. Said lot to have at least a 75-foot frontage and be at least 100 feet deep with access to paved roads and adequate water supply. Firehouse may not be smaller than 18 feet by 40 feet of concrete or brick construction with concrete floors, metal type roof, sealed overhead doors, metal window frames and equipped for oil or gas heat. Obtain from at least 15 men residing in the community a written agreement to attend fire-fighting classes¹. WHITMIRE FIRE DEPARTMENT (From an article saved in a 1966 scrap book) The days when firemen attended the fire pulling a hose reel by hand was in use until 1923 for Whitmire fire protectors. Glen-Lowry Mill started the first organized volunteer fire department in the town and later the first fire truck was secured in 1923 when the Town Hall was built. The Whitmire Fire department was reorganized in 1924 and became a member of the South Carolina Fireman's Association. By 1966 Whitmire had a history of five Fire Chiefs and two locations. Mr. Frank Sinclair served from 1922 to 1925. L. W. Cody was assistant. Mr. Joe Simpson Sr. served as Fire Chief 1925 until 1949. (Statute 14-2999-4) Earl Gilliam served 1949 to 1956. Bill Suber served 1956 to 1960 with Joe Simpson Jr. taking office in 1960. In 1928 the flood waters in Duncan's Creek caused the water filter pump to become flooded and it ceased to operate. The Whitmire fire truck was operated continuously for two days to provide the town with clean drinking water while the water filter pump was being repaired. A fire on Main Street in 1947 destroyed Simpson's Department store on Main Street. The fire was so extensive that help was called to neighboring fire departments. The fire lasted eight hours. For years the fire department was located at the police station but in 1946 town renovations were made to City Hall and the fire department was moved to William Street. The Newberry Fireman's association was formed in 1961 and Whitmire received new equipment and trucks. WHITMIRE FIRE DEPARTMENT proudly protects 2100 people living in an area of Newberry. The department operates out of one station that protects a residential area. It is a public department whose members are on a volunteer status. They have an ISO rating of 6 with 17 fireman certified by the State of South Carolina. To be certified by the state, they have to have at least 1121,1131, and 1112 courses or the new 1152. Whitmire has four pumpers, two tankers, one service Van and a brush truck. They also have their own air compressor to fill SCBA's. They serve the county of Newberry and the City of Whitmire residents and have mutual aid with Laurens and Union counties. (Information from a web site and Chris Prince) ST. PHILLIP SECTION 1975 received a new truck costing $38,593.92 No further information was contributed. CONSOLIDATED No. 5 A small group from the Consolidated Community visited York County Rural stations in 1961 in order to familiarize themselves with the fire stations and needs. August 9, 1961 six communities were represented by interested citizens:   Mt. Pleasant, Pressly, New Hope, Zion, Rutherford and Broad River. Allen Graham chaired the meeting and committees were formed to canvas for funds to meet the requirements for a fire department. Two lots were offered for location of the fire department and George Lathrop's lot on Highway 34 was chosen.  Construction of the building began in December 1961, most work being done at night by volunteers. Only the laying of the concrete block was paid labor. Fire training school in Prosperity was attended by thirty five Consolidated volunteers. CHIEFS: Allen Graham   1961 - 1992  Adam Mayer was first assistant fire chief Wayne Blount  1992 - present MAYBINTON RURAL FIRE DEPARTMENT This was an extension of the Consolidated Department and had the same two chiefs in its operations. Annual barbeques, turkey shoots and donations from citizens support the department. (Information contributed by Wayne Blount) PROSPERITY FIRE DEPARTMENT On December 4, 1935 Town Council authorized James Lee Counts as Chief to select and appoint officers and enough other men to form the Prosperity Volunteer Fire department. June 23, 1936 a truck for carrying hose and equipment was purchased for $225 from Shealy Motor Co. The hose purchased was 750 feet long and 2 ½ inches in diameter; one 24 foot ladder; two 12 foot ladders and a two-horse power siren was installed on the water tank. October 25, 1930 a Ford V-3 Chassis Equipped with Fire Fighting equipment was purchased for $2557.36 from W. S. Darley Co. of Chicago ILL. In 1963 this truck was sold to Meadowview VA for $600.00 The Town of Prosperity purchased a V-8 Ford Chassis in 1958 from Shealy Motor Co. and a pump and fire fighting equipment from LaFrance Co. for $11,873.94 CHIEFS of the Prosperity Fire Department have been: James Lee Counts 1935 - 1941 F. E. Shealy   1941 - 1951 J. Walter Hamm 1952 - 1958 (Information for Prosperity Fire department was contributed by Mark Bowers) George E. Counts Jr. served for several months in 1959 when J. Walter Hamm was incapacitated. George Elbert Counts   (Jan.-Oct.) 1959 (Resigned and appointed J. Walter Hamm chief) J. Walter Hamm (Nov. Dec.)  1959-1965 James (Smokey) Wicker  1966 J. Walter Hamm   (Jan.-July) 1967  (Resigned in July-James Wicker elected) James (Smokey) Wicker (Aug.-Dec.) 1967-1970 Jessie Claude Amick   1971-1974 James (Smokey) Wicker  1975-1985 ("Mr. Smokey" died while serving as chief in April) Claude Amick    April 1985-1986 James H. Counts Jr.   1987-2004 (Jimmy resigned April 1st) Mark Bowers   2004- (Still serving) POMARIA FIRE DEPARTMENT Was formed in 1961 with Sam Pat Boland as head of the department. In 1973 Mr. Boland received the 'Fireman of the Year award." His position on the fire department was on a voluntary basis and he was employed as Secretary/Treasurer of the Farmer's Mutual Insurance Assoc. He was married to Rebecca Bedenbaugh and had a daughter, Sandra Boland. CHIEFS: Sam Pat Boland   1961 - 1995 W. Hoyt Ringer   1996 - 1999 William C. (Billy) Fanning 2000 - 2001 Thomas L. (Tommy) Long 2002 - present In 2006 preparations are being made to house a sub station at Peak SC. (Information contributed by Larry Koon) 1965: Left to right Gerald Hastings, Bobby Joe Stoudemire, Barry McAdams, G. S. Parnell, Louie Spearman CHAPPELLS FIRE DEPARTMENT The community is tucked in the corner of three counties, Saluda, Laurens and Newberry with Lake Greenwood and Saluda River as its borders on the south and west. The Chappells Fire Department was officially formed in October 1962 and for 38 years the fire house in the above picture housed the equipment. In October 2000 a new firehouse was built at Brandon Road and Route 39, more centrally located to the area. CHIEFS: W. E. "Buddy" Spearman 1962 - 1997 Sam Boozer   1998 - 2001 Tony Johnson   2001 - present² BUSH RIVER FIRE DEPARTMENT³ In 1963 thirty two men became charter members of the Fire department. They raised the funds and built what was later referred to as the fire department house and community center. The county contributed a 1963 GMC pumper truck to the community which served for twenty two years. In 1967 a GMC water tanker was received. The 1985 Chevrolet Roughneck fire truck was still in use in 2006. A 1985 Chevrolet 1000 gallon tanker was refurbished and a 1-ton 4x4 pickup was scheduled to be converted to a brush fire truck. The last two vehicles mention were donated by  the SC Forestry commission. Membership to the fire department was limited to twenty five, due to County Policy. Training for members of the Fire Department were up graded county wide. The biggest fire in the community was the Bush River School house, a fourteen-hour fire on January 19, 1987. Five additional fire companies responded to aid Bush River and over fifty fire fighters were involved in the fight. CHIEFS Claud Matthews and assist. chief Henry Mills      1963 - 1964 Henry Mills and assist. chief Tom Workman     1964 - 1965 Tom Workman and assist. chief  Ed Mills     1965 - 1966 Virgil Irons    1966 - 1967 Everette Johnson and assist. chief Claud Matthews     1967 - 1994 Lewis Lee and assist. Chief Barry Shealy     1994 - present (³ Information given by Lewis Lee) SILVERSTREET FIRE DEPARTMENT Organized May 1962. The original fire house was built in 1962 with funds raised in the community. The fire house was remodeled in 1964 and 1978 and a town hall was added to the structure. A County Sheriff sub-station also is part of the structure in 2006. CHIEFS: Elgia Sheppard   1962 - 1964 Dick Neel   1964 - 1966 Olin 'Scrap' Berry  1966 - 1967 Bobby Stoudemire  1968 - 1969 James 'Jimmy' Kesler  1977 - 2002 John Pollard   2002 - Present time (Information given by John Pollard) FRIENDLY FIRE DEPARTMENT Twenty nine members in 2006 with one charter member still active, Henry Dodgen CHIEFS: Otis Whitaker  1962 - 1989 Tommy L. Hedgepath 1990 - Present time In 2006 the first assistant chief is Butch Price and second assistant chief is Travis Chapman. The two captains in 2006 are Robert A. Pollard Jr. and Allan Cox. (6 Information given by Tommy Hedgepath) LITTLE MOUNTAIN FIRE DEPARTMENT Wendy Sandel was Miss Fire Prevention of Little Mountain in 1973. No further information on the department was contributed. O'NEALL SUB STATION The station was built in 2003 CHIEFS: Rodney Bedenbaugh  2003 - Present time Total Equipment for both stations are: 2 pumper trucks 1 pumper tank 1 tanker 2 brush trucks 2 generators on wheels 1 service truck (Information on Fairview and O'Neal Station was given by Rodney Bedenbaugh) FAIRVIEW FIRE DEPARTMENT Organized May 1, 1962 with Fred Stockman, Jim Amick and Horace Martin. Carl Amick took the burden of head of the building committee with the help of Richard Brown and Haskell Adams. The finance committee consisted of Robert Fulmer, Clarkson Wise and Henry Martin. Henry Martin donated the land for the fire house building. When finished it was a two-stall building at the cost of $5,000. With the help of the community the fire house debt was cleared by September 1963. A kitchen and meeting room was added in 1982. An additional Bay was added in 1985 and in 1988 an office and another bay was added to the firehouse. The last addition was in 1990 with the addition of two more bays. The first officers were: H. C. Martin Jr.  Chairman H. B. Wells  Treasurer Bernard Fulmer  Asst. Chief Robert Fulmer  Captain Colie Shealy  Captain John Seibert  Captain Earl Shealy  Captain Billy Stockman  Captain CHIEFS: H. C. Martin Jr.  1962 - 1975 Colie Shealy  1975 - 1977 Phil Shealy  1977 - 1980 Rodney Bedenbaugh 1980 - present time

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