By Gene Zaleski
The Times and Democrat
ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — While Orangeburg County fire officials say well-trained firefighters are important, new state standards set for interior firefighting could have a chilling impact on attracting new volunteers to an increasingly aging firefighter pool.
“We are not busting any seams getting 16-, 17- and 18-year-old men and women out here to give their time,” Orangeburg County Fire Advisory Board Chairman Kirk Davis said. “We are in critical times, and it is not just in Orangeburg County. It is for our whole state.”
Davis said the South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration is in the process of implementing minimum standards required for interior firefighting that would include at least 200 hours of training.
Full story: Official: New standards for interior firefighting could hurt recruitment