CHIEF JOHN THOMPSON, DEPUTY CHIEF PAUL BOULWARE, AND DEPUTY CHIEF RICK CRAMER

The Bluffton Township Fire District has been protecting residents of and visitors to the Greater Bluffton area for 40+ years. As Bluffton and the surrounding areas have changed, so too has the District. Where once Bluffton Fire was a two station, all-volunteer operation that protected downtown Bluffton and Pritchardville, the organization now consists of 149 paid staff that protects 246 square miles in Southern Beaufort County. And today’s responders do much more than just put out fires. Firefighters are called upon for natural or manmade disasters, water emergencies, auto accidents, building collapses/explosions, as well as medical calls with their EMS colleagues to name a few. In addition, firefighters spend a great deal of time doing all they can to prevent emergencies from happening in the first place.