PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (WBTW)-On Monday morning, five different fire departments had to respond to a single family home in Pawleys Island. It took so many departments, because the heat is so bad.
On the Grand Strand, departments expect to help out other agencies because of the possibility of heat exhaustion. The Midway Fire Rescue chief told News13 it doesn’t matter the location or even the county.
He said the fire brotherhood is always willing to help.
“There’s no way our people with the heat and everything like that there’s no way our people could manage that without someone probably having to go to the hospital.”
In cooler weather, firefighters can usually stay inside a burning building for double the time they can in the summer.
“Not only is it more dangerous for themselves but they’ve also become a victim and resources are then directed to them.”
In order to avoid that, the Grand Strand works together to make sure safety is the first priority.
“Nobody has the resources that you need and want so you have to work together to bring it to safe resolution.”
Since heat exhaustion is a huge concern, agencies rely on other departments to make sure the public is safe and that first responders stay safe.
“They come to us, we come to them. This morning for instance we had Georgetown city, Horry County, Murrells Inlet, Garden City, and also Surfside beach.”
Chief Eggiman said all departments are a brotherhood and it won’t be long until someone else’s department will need his department’s help.
“The world doesn’t stop because we have a fire going on, there’s other calls, there’s other accidents and things like that.”
The chief also said the majority of their calls are a fire, a car crash or a water rescue. All of those involve being outside and being in the heat so he says it’s always something they’re on high alert about.