GOOSE CREEK, S.C. – The Goose Creek Rural Fire Department was recently awarded a $552,258.29 FEMA grant for volunteer recruitment and retention, according to Berkeley County officials. This grant will be given over the course of four years, beginning Dec. 16, 2019.
“Our volunteer fire departments offer an invaluable service for Berkeley County,” Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb. “This is another example where a volunteer fire department has gone above and beyond to ensure that lives and property are protected in Berkeley County.”
Goose Creek Rural Fire Department (GCRFD) Chief Robert Maibach says this grant comes at a critical time for the department because of the decrease in volunteerism in recent years. Chief Maibach has been in the fire service for 37 years and says, now more than ever before, fire departments across the country are seeing a need for volunteers.
“While this grant will undoubtedly help fill the need for volunteers at our fire department, it will not fix the demand for volunteers at fire stations across our county,” Chief Maibach said. “In nearly 40 years in the fire service, I have never seen a volunteer deficit so great. I hope people will find it in their hearts this holiday season, and all year round, to help their local fire department.”
Chief Maibach encourages anyone in the community with a desire to help to reach out to Goose Creek Rural Fire Department about volunteer opportunities. The department welcomes all skill sets, including vehicle maintenance, information technology, administrative work, building maintenance, and more. For more information, contact Chief Maibach at [email protected]
Goose Creek Rural Fire Department is comprised of both paid and volunteer firefighters and covers unincorporated areas of Goose Creek. The department was established in 1959. The district the department serves has grown tremendously over the past several years, and the fire department now serves an estimated 18,500 residents, approximately 5,000 homes, 11 apartment/condominium complexes, five shopping centers/strip malls, a high school, an intermediate school, an elementary school, and several industrial facilities. The industries the department serves include, Century Aluminum, J.W. Aluminum, Cooper River Partners, DAK, Dominion Energy, Linton Manufacturing and others.
Fire services in unincorporated Berkeley County are delivered through a network of 25 fire departments. These departments are organized as non-profit corporations, which execute contracts with the County to provide services to their respective districts.
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