Fire Division

The Spartanburg Public Safety Department Fire Division is a full service organization that is staffed by 77 sworn and civilian fire service professionals. The Fire Division provides fire suppression, technical rescue, fire prevention, and other services to approximately 40,000 permanent residents. The City’s daytime population swells to approximately 57,000. The SPSD Fire Division protects an area of 19.83 square miles.

The Fire Chief heads the Fire Division. The Fire Chief is responsible for the coordination and command of major incidents. He is assisted by an Administrative Assistant, who together are responsible for the fiscal operation of the division. The administrative staff consists of the following positions: Fire Chief, Fire Chief’s Administrative Assistant, Fire Marshal, three Fire Inspectors, Apparatus Mechanic and the Training Officer. The Administrative staff works Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and assists the shift suppression personnel during normal working hours as needed.

Suppression staffing is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by 69 sworn company officers and firefighters. The suppression staff is divided into 3 - 24/48 shifts of 23 people consisting of an Assistant Chief, Battalion Chief, 6 Captains or Lieutenants, 7 Sergeants and 8 Firefighters. The suppression staff is responsible for responding to alarms, pre-fire planning, fire safety inspections and fire prevention programs. The suppression staff operates out of 5 fire stations located throughout the City. The response area is divided into 5 districts. Station 1 is located in the center of the City and is staffed with a truck company, engine, squad and an Assistant Chief command vehicle. Station 2 houses an engine company, Battalion Chief command vehicle and the County Haz-Mat Truck. Stations 3, 4 and 5 each house an engine company staffed with 3 persons.

The Fire Prevention Office, staffed with a Fire Marshal and two Fire Inspectors, conducts fire safety inspections, conducts fire investigations, and coordinates fire prevention education throughout the City. A third Fire Inspector is located in the Building Department and is tasked with reviewing building plans and remodeling proposals for life safety issues. Specialized fire prevention education programs are conducted for high-hazard target audiences (i.e. juvenile firesetters, senior citizens). The office conducts fire safety inspections for over 3,000 businesses and conducts fire investigations.

The Apparatus Mechanic is in charge of maintenance and repairs of the Fire Division’s fleet of apparatus. The fleet consists of 7 engines, 2 ladders, 1 squad, 1 air unit, 4 staff / investigation vehicles, 2 command vehicles and 1 utility truck.

The Training Officer coordinates training activities for all Fire Division personnel. He maintains all training records and ensures compliance with the Fire Division’s standards on personnel training. The Fire Division’s training program is based on standards established by NFPA, OSHA, and the South Carolina Fire Academy.

The Division’s motto, “Preservation through Prevention”, is an expression of its commitment to building and maintaining a safe, prosperous, and vibrant community through effective fire prevention and emergency preparedness programs.  The Division holds an ISO class 2 rating, and is one of only 134 fire departments nationwide to achieve international accreditation through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.  The Commission on Fire Accreditation International, Inc. is dedicated to assisting the fire and emergency service agencies throughout the world in achieving excellence through self-assessment and accreditation in order to provide continuous quality improvement and the enhancement of service delivery to their communities.  The CFAI process is voluntary, and provides an agency with an improvement model to assess their service delivery and performance internally and then works with a team of peers from other agencies to evaluate their completed self-assessment.

Mission

We, the Spartanburg Fire Division, are committed to protecting the community we serve through effective fire prevention efforts and an efficient response and mitigation of emergency incidents.  Our ultimate goal is to maintain a state of normalcy for all citizens in the City of Spartanburg.

Vision

We will be the premier all-hazard response agency of our size in the Southeast by utilizing strong partnerships, investing in employees, and expanding fire prevention efforts.

Values

Service
We are public servants, willing to risk our lives for another.

Respect
We are dedicated to maintaining respect for fellow employees, partners, and the community we serve.

Integrity
We are dedicated to high ethical and moral standards and uncompromising honesty in our dealings with the public, our partners, and each other.

Accountability
We are accountable to each other and strive to promote one another’s abilities as we guide the Fire Division into the future.

Excellence
We are committed to operational excellence through robust prevention efforts, personnel training and education, and efficient and effective mitigation of emergency incidents.