Posted on Fri, Oct. 20, 2006

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Sanford supports response agency

Restructuring to bring together S.C. emergency groups

By Zane Wilson

The Sun News

LITCHFIELD - The state's fire chiefs agreed Thursday to join forces with Gov. Mark Sanford on an initiative to put all emergency service agencies under one statewide umbrella.

The S.C. State Association of Fire Chiefs, holding their annual meeting at Litchfield, said their aim is a state agency similar to the federal Homeland Security Agency that brings together fire, police, ambulance and emergency services so they can operate more efficiently.

"I'm open to that," Sanford said. But it could be difficult to achieve because in a bureaucracy "everybody protects their own turf."

The governor came to the chiefs' meeting to talk and to listen. It was his first appearance at the organization's annual meeting, members said.

He said he knew the fire service has been "a moving stepchild" with changes in oversight agencies in recent years.

Georgetown Fire Chief Joey Tanner, incoming president of the chiefs' association, said members don't understand how fire service oversight fits in the state Labor, Licensing and Regulation agency.

Sanford said he believes fire service was put under the agency known as LLR because of its code enforcement duties. Local fire departments are in charge of building codes related to fire suppression.

Jim Bowie, director of the S.C. State Firefighters' Association, said the move under LLR was related to fire code enforcement but that most fire departments have far more emergency response work than code enforcement.

Bowie said the state Emergency Management Division, currently under Adjutant General Stan Spears, should be an independent agency under the governor's control and it should be restructured to include all other emergency response agencies.

Bills attempting to remove the Emergency Management Division from Spears' control have failed to pass.

Bowie said "there is so much resistance in the state General Assembly to restructuring," and firefighters do not know how to persuade legislators of the importance of their request.

He asked Sanford if they could help each other get the change approved. Sanford said that if he is re-elected next month, government restructuring will be his main goal.