By KENNETH A. GAILLIARD
The Sun News (South Carolina)
The city and county haven’t agreed on a new contract, and the previous contract expired months ago.A dispatch error Wednesday in North Myrtle Beach led city firefighters to a burning home that they turned away from because it was outside their jurisdiction.
The house was empty and no one was injured.
A few months ago, when the North Myrtle Beach Fire Department had a contract with Horry County, Oyster Lane would have been that department’s responsibility.
On Wednesday, it was not. The city and county haven’t agreed on a new contract, and the previous contract expired months ago, said North Myrtle Beach Fire Chief Tom Barstow.
So when firefighters were called to a home on Oyster, and later realized it was now outside their area, Barstow told them to turn around, and county firefighters were called.
He said the city has no authority in the area without a contract.
County Councilman John Boyd, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, said the city has a mutual aid agreement with the county, which “is like a good neighbor policy,” he said.
He said the contract talks should have been a separate matter.
Barstow said if a life was in danger, North Myrtle Beach firefighters would have continued their response. He said his department had responded to the home when it burned months earlier and were aware it had been unoccupied.
“How did they know it was unoccupied?” Boyd asked. “Someone was there because it was on fire.”
He said he will discuss the incident with the county public safety director and fire chief.
“I think this is something that can be resolved quickly,” Boyd said.