HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) Horry County Fire Rescue officials hope the approval of a new volunteer firefighter recruiter position will help douse a persisting problem within the department.
Officials with the department say it has become difficult in recent years to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters in Horry County. Increasing training requirements have been credited as a component fueling the problem.
Horry County Fire Rescue spokeswoman Leslie Yancey says recruiting and retaining volunteers is a problem felt by several fire departments across the nation. It is a problem that is not just isolated to Horry County.
"I know there's people that are in this county that are willing to be firemen," Horry County Councilman Paul Prince said.
A position approved in a 7-5 vote Tuesday evening by Horry County Council will be tasked with finding those people and recruiting them for service.
The position will be funded by a 5-year federal grant awarded recently to Horry County. The grant, however, will only fund the job for the first four years. In the fifth year, it will be the county's responsibility to pick up the tab.
Should the position not work out, county officials say the grant money will have to be returned by the county.
"In the first few months if they aren't doing the job, they can hit the road and we'll get somebody else," Prince said, who has served as a volunteer firefighter in Horry County. "I mean business, and I think the rest of the county council means business."
While seven council members supported the position being developed, some told WMBF News they voted against the position because they were left wondering how the position will be funded in its fifth year. Other council members say there are bigger problems that need to be addressed within Horry County Fire Rescue and Horry County's budget.
If the county wants more protection to keep its residents safe, Prince says building the number of volunteers at Horry County Fire Rescue could bring big financial advantages.
"If you get volunteers, you're going to save the county a lot of money versus hiring full time [career firefighters]," he added.
Horry County Fire Rescue serves the larges coverage area than any other department east of the Mississippi River. Firefighters have responded to 800 more calls in 2011 than last year at this time.
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