NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — North Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue will soon get new staff and new equipment, including a heavy rescue vehicle.
Fire Chief Billy Floyd said he expects the department to double in size in the next four to five years as they take on new and exciting projects.
Costing roughly $2 million, a heavy rescue vehicle will soon replace their 15-year-old vacant one. Construction started about two weeks ago and will be completed by October. Equipment costs are also included in the $2 million.
“The heavy rescue vehicle is basically a giant toolbox on wheels. It’s a very large fire vehicle,” Floyd said. “It doesn’t carry water and hose on it like the fire engine does, but it carries a lot of specialty equipment so that apparatus will respond to our motor vehicle acts. And that carries the extrication equipment we need. If somebody is trapped in a vehicle, it carries a lot of specialized rescue equipment.”
Floyd said the department also applied for federal grant money to increase staffing, which he said would help speed up the hiring process over the next couple of years. Applications to be a firefighter with the department close Sunday.