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Seven Lowcountry Fire Departments Sign Aid Agreement to Expand Cross-Boundary Protection
Press Release
Six greater Lowcountry fire departments will be recommitting to an aid agreement to provide cross boundary support when responding to fires and emergencies. In addition, the City of Isle of Palms will be joining the aid agreement, increasing the cross-boundary support with another agency.
The governing bodies of the City of Charleston, the City of North Charleston, St. Andrews Public Service District, James Island Public Service District, St. John’s Fire District, the Town of Mount Pleasant and the City of Isle of Palms each approved an Interlocal Agreement for Automatic Aid and Response to provide mutual assistance during emergencies and will jointly sign the agreement on Wednesday, January 4th, 2023, at 11 am at the North Charleston Fire Museum. Mayors, Fire Chiefs, District Managers, and Commissioners will participate in the ceremony.
At the ceremony, seven neighboring fire departments will formally enter into the automatic aid agreement for fire protection. This agreement is the result of years of work to develop identical or compatible procedures that allow the members of these seven fire departments to work together seamlessly at fires and other emergency incidents.
The aid agreement provides emergency response from the closest appropriate fire unit, regardless of the municipal and service district boundaries. Faster response can significantly improve the outcome of incidents and could result in saving more lives and property. Ten years of unified sharing of resources has provided an effective emergency response and adding the Isle of Palms Fire Department to the aid agreement grows the life-saving resources extended to a greater geographical area of the Lowcountry.
“This is a historic event for the City of Isle of Palms, and we are excited to become part of the automatic aid group where shared resources are leveraged through the power of the unification. The sharing of our Fire Department resources, experience, and common goals through automatic aid will allow us all to deliver excellent customer service and create a safer and more resilient community. Today truly demonstrates the spirit of the fire service and our dedication to the people we serve,” said City of Isle of Palms Fire Chief Craig Oliverius.
“Our highest responsibility is to ensure a safe Charleston community. This agreement allows us to accomplish that, regardless of jurisdictional boundaries,” said Charleston Fire Chief Dan Curia.
“This agreement renews and expands our automatic aid partnerships so we can more readily work across jurisdictions for the benefit of all citizens,” said North Charleston Fire Chief Greg Bulanow.
“As the Charleston area continues to grow, the addition of Isle of Palms, combined with the re-affirmed commitment to our partnership, allows us to enhance our efficiencies and continue providing a prepared professional response to all of our citizens,” said St. Andrews Public Service District Fire Chief Charles Lamoreaux.
“The additional safety provided to the firefighters and citizens covered by the Automatic Aid Agreement is immeasurable,” said James Island Public Service District Fire Chief Tom Glick.
“Few areas of the country have the strength of a comprehensive response program as we do here in the Charleston area. We look forward to working with our partners for years to come,” said St. John’s Fire District Fire Chief Ryan Kunitzer.
“This automatic-aid agreement creates a partnership that fosters a collective intelligence and resource sharing that makes the sum greater than its parts,” said Town of Mt. Pleasant Fire Chief Mike Mixon.
Participating in the signing ceremony:
City of Charleston
John Tecklenburg, Mayor Dan Curia, Fire Chief
City of Isle of Palms
Phillip Pounds, Mayor
Craig K. Oliverius, Fire Chief
City of North Charleston
Keith Summey, Mayor
Gregory A. Bulanow, Fire Chief
James Island Public Service District
David Schaeffer, District Manager
Thomas B. Glick II, Fire Chief
St. Andrews Public Service District
Christie Holderness, District Manager
Charles Lamoreaux, Fire Chief
St. John’s Fire District
Leroy Blake, Commission Chair
Ryan Kunitzer, Fire Chief
Town of Mt. Pleasant
Will Haynie, Mayor
Mike Mixon, Fire Chief
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