The Past, Present, and Future of South Carolina Task Force 1

December 20, 2024

Recurring funding and the potential of SC-TF1

The Past, Present, and Future of South Carolina Task Force 1
Part 5:Recurring funding and the potential of SC-TF1

Securing funding the first time was difficult; securing funding every year after was a precarious and sometimes uncertain uphill battle. For two decades, the money that allows South Carolina Task Force 1 to deploy within South Carolina and throughout the country was not guaranteed. For two decades, fire service leaders operated on the hope that the state legislature would continue to provide the funds needed to support the team.

But South Carolina Task Force 1 no longer has to hope and advocate for money. Recurring funding for the team was secured during the 2024 legislative session. There is no longer a question of sustainability.

South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Director Emily Farr was instrumental in securing the recurring dollars. She states, “I think now the state is in much better and smarter posture in that we’re replacing everything and starting anew with all new equipment and have funding and a plan to be able to continue to replace it as needed in years to come.”

“It’s not State Fire’s team, it’s not LLR’s team, it’s the state’s team, and it doesn’t work unless the fire service is working together and willing to support each other and see the benefit of this amazing resource that we have,” Director Farr adds.

State Fire Marshal Jonathan Jones echoes Director Farr’s statement, saying, “Having the funding is important because it provides sustainability of the equipment, training, ability to respond and those kinds of things, but if we had the funding without the people, it still wouldn’t work.”

The recurring funding is a sigh of relief for those who tirelessly advocated for the team over the years. Tom Webb describes the feeling, stating, “Twenty years we waited… it tells me all of it wasn’t in vain, and it has a future.”

“It’s been a life dream for me to make this happen, and I am just overwhelmed by the fact that these guys have done everything they’ve done for so long and have kept the faith and trusted in it,” Mick Mayers says. “It’s more than what I wanted it to be. It is what I wanted it to be, but I never thought I’d see it.”

“Now we can plan and budget for equipment, training exercises, and bringing in organizations to help us train,” Don Headrick continues, “It’s been a Godsend for us as a team.”

Chief Bruce Kline is another fire service leader who not only witnessed but strongly advocated for Task Force 1. He states, “Most of my dreams have been fulfilled. We’re there. We’ve just got to maintain it. Very, very proud. We’ve accomplished what we set out to accomplish.”

“The importance of Task Force 1 to the people of South Carolina cannot be overstated,” South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association Executive Director Jamie Helms commented. “It’s an asset that fire chiefs across the state hope to never have to use but should know it is available to them when disaster strikes.”

One question remains: What’s next?

“I have a book the size of Texas for our hopes for the future,” South Carolina Emergency Response Task Force Chief Chad Beam continues, “The sky’s the limit right now.”

Chief Jones agrees the future is bright. He states, “All of our excuses are now off the table. With that in mind, it’s really where are we gonna be led to from here, because we have all the resources to get wherever we want to go.”