SALUDA COUNTY, S.C. — Saluda County Council is taking steps to expand its first responder services.
"It's a project we have to do, and this is something that's been put off for a long time and now it's come to a point where we've got to do it," said Saluda County Council Chairman Jim Moore.
Moore said plans are underway for a new EMS and Fire Headquarters, while also expanding the Sheriff's Office.
"We want to build a new building for EMS and Fire Service, and we need to expand our current sheriff's office because they've outgrown it," Moore said. "So, we are in the first steps to get the project off the ground."
The emergency medical service director says EMS is located under a nursing center, and with the current restraints they find it leads to low morale, and with growth happening an expansion is needed.
"We've been in our current, what we call EMS HQ, under Saluda nursing center since the mid to late 90's," said Emergency Medical Service Director Jacob Starnes. "It's outdated, out-spaced, and not really used to house 24-hour crews. Our HQ that we currently are at now is prone to flooding as we are in a basement. There is no kitchen so the 24-hour crews don't have anywhere to make food."
"Our calls are only increasing more and more each year, they're not decreasing they are increasing due to population, we're averaging a 10-12% increase yearly on the amount of calls we're running, and the more and more that increases the more and more I may need to hire more personnel to better serve Saluda County and as of right now we don't have the space for more employees," Starnes adds.
As for what's next.
"Next thing is we look at designs, then we try to find the funding, figure out how we're gonna pay for all of this, and then they will let the architecture firm we use put it out for bid," Starnes says.
He adds they have asked the legislature for help.
Moore expects a drawing for a new site by next month.