Nine York County fire departments have been recognized among 241 agencies across South Carolina to receive the 2025 Fire Safe South Carolina Community Designation, state officials announced this week.
The York County departments earning the designation are Bethel Fire Department, City of York Fire Department, Flint Hill Fire Rescue, Fort Mill Fire Department, Lesslie Volunteer Fire Department, Riverview Volunteer Fire Department, Rock Hill Fire Department, Tega Cay Fire Department, and York County Fire.
The designation, awarded by Fire Safe South Carolina, recognizes departments that demonstrate strong community risk reduction programs through consistent fire and life safety education, community partnerships, and data-driven approaches to understanding and reducing local hazards.
The 241 designated departments statewide represent nearly a 17 percent increase from the previous year and mark the first time in the program’s history that all 46 South Carolina counties are represented.
“Fire departments across South Carolina are demonstrating through risk reduction that prevention and education are just as important as emergency response,” said South Carolina State Fire Marshal Jonathan Jones. “Through Fire Safe South Carolina, these departments are taking proactive steps to reduce risks to their citizens and protect their communities. Our focus in 2026 is reducing the number of home fire fatalities in our state, and the work being done through this program plays a key role in achieving that goal.”
Recognized departments will be formally honored during an award ceremony on June 12 at the 2026 Fire-Rescue Conference in Myrtle Beach, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Fire Safe South Carolina was launched in 2017 as a partnership between the SC State Firefighters’ Association, the SC State Association of Fire Chiefs, the SC Fire Marshals Association, the SC Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators, and SC State Fire.
Source: Fire Safe South Carolina press release, April 1, 2026
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