Grassy Pond Fire Department - Gaffney SC
1) Why does the fire department show up when I call 911 for an ambulance?
2) Why did so many people and fire trucks show up at my house for a “minor” emergency?
3) What types of emergencies does the fire department respond to?
5) How much training do volunteers have?
6) Do you fill up swimming pools?
7) Can the fire department help me with my smoke detectors?
8) How is the fire department funded?
9) Is the fire station available for rent for parties, receptions, etc.?
10) Are the firefighters always at the station/on call?
11) Where is the fire station?
1) Why does the fire department show up when I call 911 for an ambulance?
When you call 911, the dispatcher will use the information you provide to determine the severity and nature of the emergency. When that information indicates a high priority or immediately life threatening situation, the fire department is dispatched to assist EMS. Often, we will arrive prior to EMS (due to travel time) and can provide emergency care until the ambulance arrives. In addition, First Responders and Firefighters are often needed to assist in a variety of tasks, such as driving the ambulance, setting up helicopter landing zones, extrication and patient access, lifting assistance, and many other assignments that support EMS in their treatment of the patient.
2) Why did so many people and fire trucks show up at my house for a “minor” emergency?
“Minor” emergencies are rare. We try to be ready for anything that can happen. Most of the time we have very limited information about what is actually happening (until we get there). If something has gone wrong enough for you to call 911 then we want to make sure and provide the level of service you need and expect. Generally speaking, the standard procedure for Cherokee County is a 3 department response for any type of fire in a structure. This means that a call to 911 for a fire inside a structure will result in response by Grassy Pond as well as the 2 next closest fire departments, because most fires larger than a small room and contents will require 15-20 firefighters. In addition, we don’t have any way to know exactly how many of our personnel are responding until they arrive (this applies to EMS calls as well - see question #1 above). As soon as the Incident Commander (officer in charge) determines what resources are required any units not needed are either canceled or staged somewhere nearby.
3) What types of emergencies does the fire department respond to?
Today, most fire departments are an more or less an “all hazards” agency. In the most simple terms, if it can kill, injure, or trap you, the fire department is usually going to respond. Specifically, Grassy Pond responds to many medical emergencies such as strokes, heart attacks, difficulty breathing, trauma (such as burns, lacerations, gun shots, falls, etc.), vehicle accidents, drowning, missing person searches, trees down on houses/roads/cars, power lines down, gas or other hazardous material leaks, machinery entrapments, alarm activations, and of course fires (vehicles, structures, grass/woods, dumpsters, etc.)
Click here for details on last years call types and volume.
No, volunteers at Grassy Pond do not get paid.
5) How much training do volunteers have?
The short answers: A lot, and it depends. There are many different jobs, and the training is based on the job. At Grassy Pond, the minimum level of training for an “interior firefighter” is IFSAC Firefighter I (IFSAC is an accredidation organization, click here to learn more), with most going on to complete Firefighter II. Other jobs include Driver/Operator, and First Responder. Many people believe “volunteers” aren’t well trained, but in many cases this is grossly incorrect.
6) Do you fill up swimming pools?
No. Obviously, there are some liability and safety issues, and we don’t have any way to reimburse the water company for the water (they give us free water, but it’s for firefighting).
7) Can the fire department help me with my smoke detectors?
Yes. Click here to visit our FREE smoke detector page. If you need assistance with a malfunction, call Cherokee County Communications at 864-487-2747 and request a service call. They will dispatch the fire department to assist.
8) How is the fire department funded?
From time to time we will conduct a fund raiser, or be fortunate enough to receive a grant or donation, and we receive a stipend from the County's General Budget , but the primary funding is through a special county property tax. The Grassy Pond Fire Tax is identified as Cherokee County Tax District 18. Your Cherokee County tax notice will indicate the amount of property tax that each property owner pays to the fire department.
9) Is the fire station available for rent for parties, receptions, etc.?
No. Under some circumstances the station may be available for community events or other non-profit and government or community agency events. For more information call us at 864-489-1090.
10) Are the firefighters always at the station/on call?
As volunteers, we are always on call. 24 hours a day, everyday, if you call 911 and need our assistance we will respond. In addition to volunteers, we supplement our ranks by having a firefighter who is paid to staff the station 8AM to 4PM Monday through Friday, in order to help out because many of us are at work out of the district.
11) Where is the fire station?
The station is located at 168 School Road, Gaffney, SC 29341. Click here for a map.