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About Fire & Rescue

Hilton Head Island
Fire & Rescue Division

The Town of Hilton Head Island Fire and Rescue Division began operations July 1, 1993 as a consolidation of the former Sea Pines Forest Beach Fire Department, the Hilton Head Island Fire District, and the Hilton Head Island Rescue Squad. We are a traditional organization with a non-traditional approach to providing fire protection and emergency medical services. The largest barrier Island off the Atlantic coast between Long Island and the Bahamas, we protect 34.16 square miles or 22,000 acres of semi-tropical Lowcountry geography, including unspoiled sea marshes, creeks, lagoons, heavily wooded forests of tall pine trees, palmettos, magnolias and oaks, and 12 miles of broad Atlantic Beach. There are 7 fire stations served by an Enhanced-911 communications dispatch center.

Providing protection for this area the Fire/Rescue division operates a three shift system which means three groups of firefighters each work on one of three consecutive days and then have the next 48 hours off duty. Therefore, one of three shifts (A,B and C) is always on duty. Each shift has a minimum manning level of thirty (30) personnel on duty each day. All personnel are trained to a minimum level of Basic Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), 32 of the firefighters have received additional training to the level of Paramedic.

Each day there are seven fire engines (two being quints) staffed with a minimum of three firefighter EMT's with at least one firefighter paramedic, one Ladder truck with a minimum of four firefighter EMT's, and one Battalion Chief. One more engine company is staffed to cover companies in training during the week.

The majority of the calls we respond to are E.M.S. related. With this knowledge we have instituted an innovative approach to dealing with these medical emergencies. In the event of a medical call, the Engine Company will jump off the engine and respond in the ambulance (hence the phrase jump truck). An Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance is assigned to each station. Depending on the severity of the call, an additional ALS unit will respond with other dispatched units. This decreases our response times and increases our efficiency as a department as well.