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Greer Fire Chief outlines staffing, training center, grants and equipment requests
Summary
Fire Chief Flowers told the council the department reached ISO Class 1, has 66 on‑payroll firefighters, expanded QRV coverage to 24/7 using a part‑time pool, and seeks capital for training props, Lifepak 35 monitors and continued apparatus investment.
Fire Chief Flowers presented the Greer Fire Department's annual overview to the council, highlighting staffing levels, training investments, grant awards and capital requests as the city grows.
"We're currently sitting at 66 firefighting staff," Chief Flowers said, explaining how the department measures staffing against national per‑thousand benchmarks and uses a part‑time pool to staff quick‑response vehicles (QRVs). He said increased training (more than 25,000 department hours last year) and automatic aid agreements with neighboring departments contributed to improved deployment.
Flowers noted a recent ISO public protection re‑evaluation that produced a Class 1 rating, and described how that rating can affect commercial insurance considerations and economic development recruitment. He detailed capital and equipment projects funded in part by grants, including SCBA funding (~$195,000), turnout gear extractor/dryer funding, and ongoing Knox Box e‑key upgrades to give automatic‑aid partners PIN‑tracked access during responses.
The chief outlined the new Public Safety Training Center as a regional resource: Greer ran its first in‑house EMT class of seven students who all passed the national registry exam on the first attempt. Flowers said the department requests FPAT equipment to standardize physical testing, mannequins and two Lifepak 35 monitors to replace older units and permit rhythm checks during CPR.
On apparatus procurement, Flowers acknowledged long manufacturer lead times ("about 36 months" for recent engine orders and multiple years for a ladder truck ordered earlier) and said the city maintains standardized specifications and a purchase projection calendar through 2046.
Council members asked about vacancies and future hiring; the chief said there are two certified open positions on payroll and described how a new station will be staffed with current personnel initially but add capacity for three additional per‑shift once fully activated. A staff member later walked the council through the hiring pipeline (application, consolidated test day, background checks, polygraph, psychological and academy training), noting onboarding can extend from months up to nearly a year.
No formal vote occurred on the budget items during the presentation; council recessed for 10 minutes and will continue budget deliberations later.
