‘Faith in the Firefighters’ – Clear Pond (SC) Fire Department Recognized for Saving Two Lives

Dec. 20—BAMBERG — Bamberg County Council has recognized the efforts of the Clear Pond Fire Department in saving two lives following a vehicle accident on Nov. 7.

“We want to commend you for your heroic efforts … and responding quick enough to be effective in what you were trying to do,” Council Chairman Evert Comer Jr. said.

County Council passed a resolution recognizing the department during council’s Dec. 9 meeting.

Council also passed a resolution honoring firefighter Dr. Ryan Brown as a county ambassador. Brown performed lifesaving CPR on one of the two vehicle occupants.

Councilman Phil Myers, a firefighter with the Bamberg Fire Department, sponsored both resolutions.

The Clear Pond Fire Department members were having a meeting on the evening of Nov. 7 when they witnessed an accident on Broxton Bridge Road.

A car flipped over into a water-filled ditch, trapping two people inside.

Firefighters Dr. Brown, Wayne Brown and Assistant Chief Anthony Harley approached the flipped the vehicle and noticed the male driver attempting to get out, while the female passenger could not be seen and was submerged in the water.

Wayne Brown freed the driver and pulled the passenger from the water. Dr. Brown was then able to administer CPR to the passenger.

The Clear Pond Fire Department members and volunteers at the site of the accident also included: Chief Scott Brown, Capt. Cory Hill, Jacob Brown, Kelly Brown and nurse Katherine Brown.

The firefighters all waited with the vehicle’s driver and passenger until EMS arrived. The Hunter’s Chapel and Bamberg fire departments also assisted on the call.

“It’s kind of a helpless feeling in a way, but I had faith in the firefighters. … I’m very proud of these individuals. The good Lord’s will was done. Everything just fell into place there,” Chief Brown said.

Dr. Brown said, “I appreciate the honor. That night, it was a team effort. … It wasn’t just me.”

Also during the meeting, the administrator reported on the state’s providing $1.6 million for the resurfacing of portions of Carver Road, Macedonia Church Road, Hooks Road, Burns Street, Rutledge Street and Cardinal Road.

He also announced that a section of Carlisle Street in Denmark is going to be improved.

“That’s a state road. … The C-Fund committee directed SCDOT to gravel that section, to repair it, do some drainage work if they need to, but to get that fixed. They’re not going to be using county money to do that. They’re going to be using their own SCDOT money,” Preston said.

The administrator continued, “The waste treatment plant road in Denmark is going to be upgraded with gravel and drainage, too, because that road is constantly washing out, and the City of Denmark has asked that that be done.

“We’ll probably have another meeting within the next six months, or even before then, to reprogram some additional county roads.”

Administrator’s report

Preston said the courthouse roof project should be completed by the end of February.

“In the meantime, we’ll be preparing the bid documents for the windows and for the doors to get that part of it done next. Then we’re going to take the rest of it as we kind of move along. We’re still working on some foundation issues that we’re trying to overcome,” he said.

He also updated council on the county’s plan to revive its textile industry following the certification of the Rockland Industries property as a textile mill site under the S.C. Textiles Communities Revitalization Act.

Under the SCTCRA, local governments may grant tax incentives for the “rehabilitation, renovation and redevelopment of abandoned South Carolina textile mill sites.”

Gibbs International is purchasing the Rocklon/Rockberg property. The company has cleaned the property where the old mill used to be and intends to move another company into it.

Gibbs International Inc. is a Spartanburg-based company that is primarily engaged in textiles, commercial real estate, industrial equipment, power generation and decommissioning.

“They’re working with the company that’s going to come in and actually run it. So hopefully we’ll get a tour sometime in January,” Preston said. He later said he could not yet name the company.

The administrator also reported that the morgue is fully operational at the multiservice complex site, which is the county’s former hospital.

“The coroner’s office is going to be relocated down there, (too)…. We’ve been meeting with the new coroner that’s coming on. He’s very much aware of what we’re doing down there and is very satisfied with it. We’re working with him, too, on the storage of the records,” Preston said.

He said additional funding is still being sought for the relocation of the county’s Department of Social Services building to the multiservice complex site.

“We’re going to be submitting a new request to the state for DSS funding this year. We are going to be able to fund the exterior part of the building, the entranceway into that building, and then we’re still working with them on trying to figure out how they want to utilize that current layout that’s in there,” Preston said.

The county wants “to be able to move in there without knocking out too many walls. We’d like to use the building as-is, as much as possible,” he said. “Then you’ve got Health and Human Services that’s on the inside of the building with DSS. We’re asking them for some money, too, to help go towards the construction.”

Finance

County Treasurer Alice Johnson gave the financial report, stating that the balance of the county’s regular account stood at a negative $1,055,756.66 at the end of September.

County Controller Gina Smith said, “It is in a negative balance, and it’s pretty close to the same amount that we normally experience this time of the year. What I would say to you is that there’s no real concerns. That’s just the normal ebb and flow of county government.”

Smith continued, “All the other accounts are looking very healthy. … The capital reserve fund is down a little bit. That’s mainly because we have some heavy equipment payments that are coming due this time of the year. … (But) this is the time of the year when the tide starts turning in our favor in terms of collecting property taxes.”

County Finance Director T.M. Thomas gave a general fund report for September, stating the general fund had revenue of $2,062,282. Expenses stood at $2,368,220, leaving a negative balance of $305,938.

Other matters

—Council approved the reappointment of Councilman Larry Haynes to the SCA Board of Directors as a Bamberg County Council representative.

—Denmark resident the Rev. Clarence Blocker thanked Preston and the council for the work they put into securing improvements to his road at 183 Riley Drive.

“I’ve been out there now for I think 27 years. This past rain was one of the hardest rains I’ve ever seen. … Not only where I live, but beyond where I live, that road is just about gone. … We’re very thankful,” Blocker said.

The county C-Fund Committee has approved the improvements, which will include reinforced concrete pipe and sediment tubes for the control of erosion.

The original version of this story incorrectly had Clear Pond as “Clearpond.” We apologize for the error.

Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow “Good News with Gleaton” on Twitter at @DionneTandD

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