Fair Bluff Fire Department was organized by the Town of Fair Bluff in 1943 with Aubrey J.
Wadell as the first Chief, and a hose trailer, shortly there after they purchased a Model "A"
Fire Engine from St. Pauls, N.C..
In 1946 Fair Bluff purchased a 1943 International truck with a Seagrave Pumper body
from the Navy surplus in Norfolk, Va., this engine is still in Fair Bluff. It is no longer in
service but it is housed at the Fair Bluff Depot Museum on Railroad St.
In 1961 the Department purchased its first new Fire Engine, a 1961
Ford/American-LeFrance 500gpm pumper with a 500 gal. tank, at a cost of less than
$15,000. This Engine is still in use today as a reserve Engine. Also in 1961 was the
beginning of Fair Bluff Rescue Squad Inc. The Rescue Squad was organized when
Darwin Cook drowned in the Lumber River near Red Belly Slough in April of 1961.
In 1976 was the beginning of EMS as we know it today and Fair Bluff Fire Department
began running an Ambulance Service using a Cadillac Ambulance donated by Meares
Funeral Home.
In 1978 the Rescue Squad received a matching grant from the Governors Highway Safety
Program for a Dodge Ambulance. Until this time Fair Bluff Fire Dept. only covered the
town of Fair Bluff so a tax district was started for the rural area east of Fair Bluff and this
is when Coles Service District began. The funds from this tax district allowed the
department to purchase another new pumper in 1986.
In 1991 Fair Bluff Fire Dept. was reorganized and was no longer a town department but
was incorporated as Fair Bluff Fire Dept. & Rescue Squad, Inc. with a tax exempt status,
and contracts with the Town of Fair Bluff to provide Fire and Rescue Services to the
Town. Also in 1991 Fair Bluff Fire Rescue added an AED to their ambulance and upgrade
their service to the North Carolina EMT-D status.
Until 1996 all calls were handled by volunteers, however covering daytime calls became
rough as local jobs became scarce and members had to seek employment out of town. To
combat this Fair Bluff Fire Rescue hired 2 people for day shifts and built a Sub-Station at
Cherry Grove. This sub-station was built to cover the Coles Service District.
In 2002 FBFR upgraded to the North Carolina EMT-I level and the North Carolina Office
of Insurance approved Fair Bluff Fire Rescue to be a class 5 Fire Department resulting in
an insurance saving to the property owners within the Town of Fair Bluff.
On February 1, 2005 FBFR up graded to the North Carolina Paramedic level.
On January 7, 2009 FBFR voluntarily dropped back to the North Carolina EMT-I level.
Currently FBFR has 1 paid Firefighter/EMT working 8-5 Monday thru Friday and 3
Firefighter/EMT-I's working 24 hour rotating shifts and 30 volunteer's covering
approximately 500 calls per year. Fair Bluff Fire Rescue operates out of 2 stations utilizing
the following equipment: 2 ALS ambulances, 3 Engines, 1 Tanker, 1 Rescue/Pumper, 1
Squad Truck and a Water Rescue Unit. Covering approximately 25 square miles and
serving a population of approximately 3000 people in Columbus County (rural and
suburban), and has a contract with Horry County Fire Rescue to cover a rural area in
Horry County, South Carolina.
This area of our site is dedicated to the Chiefs that provided the leadership and guidance
to make Fair Bluff Fire & Rescue into the organization that it is today.
Wadell as the first Chief, and a hose trailer, shortly there after they purchased a Model "A"
Fire Engine from St. Pauls, N.C..
In 1946 Fair Bluff purchased a 1943 International truck with a Seagrave Pumper body
from the Navy surplus in Norfolk, Va., this engine is still in Fair Bluff. It is no longer in
service but it is housed at the Fair Bluff Depot Museum on Railroad St.
In 1961 the Department purchased its first new Fire Engine, a 1961
Ford/American-LeFrance 500gpm pumper with a 500 gal. tank, at a cost of less than
$15,000. This Engine is still in use today as a reserve Engine. Also in 1961 was the
beginning of Fair Bluff Rescue Squad Inc. The Rescue Squad was organized when
Darwin Cook drowned in the Lumber River near Red Belly Slough in April of 1961.
In 1976 was the beginning of EMS as we know it today and Fair Bluff Fire Department
began running an Ambulance Service using a Cadillac Ambulance donated by Meares
Funeral Home.
In 1978 the Rescue Squad received a matching grant from the Governors Highway Safety
Program for a Dodge Ambulance. Until this time Fair Bluff Fire Dept. only covered the
town of Fair Bluff so a tax district was started for the rural area east of Fair Bluff and this
is when Coles Service District began. The funds from this tax district allowed the
department to purchase another new pumper in 1986.
In 1991 Fair Bluff Fire Dept. was reorganized and was no longer a town department but
was incorporated as Fair Bluff Fire Dept. & Rescue Squad, Inc. with a tax exempt status,
and contracts with the Town of Fair Bluff to provide Fire and Rescue Services to the
Town. Also in 1991 Fair Bluff Fire Rescue added an AED to their ambulance and upgrade
their service to the North Carolina EMT-D status.
Until 1996 all calls were handled by volunteers, however covering daytime calls became
rough as local jobs became scarce and members had to seek employment out of town. To
combat this Fair Bluff Fire Rescue hired 2 people for day shifts and built a Sub-Station at
Cherry Grove. This sub-station was built to cover the Coles Service District.
In 2002 FBFR upgraded to the North Carolina EMT-I level and the North Carolina Office
of Insurance approved Fair Bluff Fire Rescue to be a class 5 Fire Department resulting in
an insurance saving to the property owners within the Town of Fair Bluff.
On February 1, 2005 FBFR up graded to the North Carolina Paramedic level.
On January 7, 2009 FBFR voluntarily dropped back to the North Carolina EMT-I level.
Currently FBFR has 1 paid Firefighter/EMT working 8-5 Monday thru Friday and 3
Firefighter/EMT-I's working 24 hour rotating shifts and 30 volunteer's covering
approximately 500 calls per year. Fair Bluff Fire Rescue operates out of 2 stations utilizing
the following equipment: 2 ALS ambulances, 3 Engines, 1 Tanker, 1 Rescue/Pumper, 1
Squad Truck and a Water Rescue Unit. Covering approximately 25 square miles and
serving a population of approximately 3000 people in Columbus County (rural and
suburban), and has a contract with Horry County Fire Rescue to cover a rural area in
Horry County, South Carolina.
This area of our site is dedicated to the Chiefs that provided the leadership and guidance
to make Fair Bluff Fire & Rescue into the organization that it is today.
HISTORY |
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Aubrey J. Wadell 1943-1946 Jessie J. Taylor 1946-1951 Aubrey J. Wadell 1951-1954 Lynn Heatherly 1954-1956 Garlen Cole 1956-1961 Carwell Hughes 1961-1969 E. D. "Butch" Meares 1969-2004 Jerry Meares 2004-2007 Travis Causey 2007-2007 Jerry Meares 2007-2009 Travis Causey 2009-Present |