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Hardeeville and Jasper County outline Operation Phoenix to consolidate regional fire/EMS coverage
Summary
Chief Steve Camp and Jasper County’s fire leadership described Operation Phoenix, a phased intergovernmental plan that shifted service for two county stations to Hardeeville on July 1 and will add two ambulances and two more stations on Oct. 1; presenters estimate $2–3 million in county savings from the transition.
Chief Steve Camp (Hardeeville Fire Department) and Jasper County fire leadership presented Operation Phoenix, a phased intergovernmental approach to align fire and EMS service areas and dispatch the closest capable unit rather than strictly following municipal boundaries.
"The working principle was to move away from jurisdiction‑first response logic, and toward the closest capable unit," Camp said, describing a data-driven process that reviewed computer-aided dispatch data, call volumes and station locations. He said maps and growth boundaries were used to draft a contractual service area and that Jasper County consolidated unincorporated fire service areas into a unified county fire district while keeping the county as the funding entity.
Camp said the Hardeeville department began assuming service for Stations 34 and 35 on July 1 and that the next phase—on Oct. 1—will add two ambulances and take over two additional stations (one volunteer, one fully staffed). Presenters told the board the model preserves agency identity while formalizing accountability, performance reporting and payment terms; they estimated roughly $2–3 million in county operating savings by compressing redundant coverage.
