History
With war raging around the world and major cities of Europe and Asia being attacked by the Axis powers, President F. D. Roosevelt responded by creating a Civil Defense program for the United States in 1941. This program, composed of citizen volunteers, was designed to provide non-military protective services for the nation’s populace. Communities across Florence County were quickly organized volunteers who served as Air Raid Wardens, Auxiliary Police and Fire personnel and Red Cross volunteers. By 1944, it appeared to most citizens that the threat of invasion of the US mainland had vanished, and interest in Civil Defense programs began to wane. By the wars end in 1945, the Civil Defense program was discontinued.
The department we today call Florence County Emergency Management traces its official beginning to the passage of the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950. Because of the perceived threat of nuclear attack by the Soviet Union, the federal government directed the development of a systemic program to protect the nation’s citizens. This “civil defense” program provided a structured, federally funded system of planning for the evacuation of US citizens from likely nuclear target areas, transportation of the evacuees to less threatened host areas, sheltering of the evacuated citizens in the host area and, if necessary, the radiological monitoring and decontamination of the citizens.
South Carolina quickly followed the federal government’s lead with the passage of the South Carolina Civil Defense Act of 1950 establishing a civil defense at the state level and in political sub-divisions of South Carolina and directing counties to appoint a Civil Defense Chairman and municipalities to appoint a Civil Defense Director to head their respective programs.
The oldest known Florence County Civil Defense plan, dated October 1966, is maintained in the historical collection of the Doctors Bruce and Lee Foundation Library in Florence. The plan, which deals almost exclusively with attack preparedness, lists B. B. Gilbert as the Florence County Civil Defense Chairman.
In 1970, a Civil Defense brochure was published and distributed to every household within the county. The brochure contained a map of Florence County depicting the location of 67 shelters in the county that were designated to provide radiological fallout protection for the county’s citizens. The fallout shelter program was community-oriented and contained instructions for citizens to contact their local city or town Civil Defense office for additional copies of the brochure.
On Thursday, December 7, 1972, Florence County Council combined the positions and duties of the Civil Defense Chairman, Ambulance Coordinator and Rescue Squad Coordinator. This combination of positions and duties ensured an intertwining of the history of the Civil Defense Department and the Florence County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) that would be created in 1976.
In 1977, South Carolina passed Act 138, establishing the South Carolina Disaster Preparedness Agency to oversee the Civil Defense Program within the state. Florence County Ordinance No. 3-77/78 was adopted and passed on September 21 of the same year. Among other things the ordinance changed the structure and responsibilities of the county Civil Defense Department and renamed it the Florence County Disaster Preparedness Agency (DPA). The new DPA would address civil defense issues and plan for a wide range of natural hazards and technological accidents.
South Carolina Act 199 of 1979 repealed Act 138 of 1977 and restructured the South Carolina Disaster Preparedness Agency into the South Carolina Emergency Preparedness Division (EPD) under the Office of the Adjutant General. In accordance with Act 199, SC Code of Regulations, Regulation 58-1 (Local Government Emergency Preparedness Standards) was enacted in 1980. This regulation established the basic planning and organizational requirements upon which current emergency preparedness/management agencies across the state operate.
On September 11, 1987, Florence County Council enacted Ordinance 6-87/88. This ordinance had a far reaching impact on emergency management within the county including changing the department’s name from Disaster Preparedness Agency (DPA) to Emergency Preparedness Agency (EPA). Ordinance 6-87/88 also created the position of Emergency Services Director, who was to be in charge of not only the county EMS but would also serve as the Coordinator of the county EPA. This ordinance also established the Florence County Emergency Preparedness Planning Committee (LEPC).
In 1992, Florence County began to implement a 911 emergency telephone network. The agency was originally tasked with designating physical addresses and assigning road names for the county’s entire road network, which worked within Florence City/County. Additionally, in 1992, Florence County began implementing a centralized answering point for all 911 calls and a centralized dispatch center to relay these calls for assistance to the various emergency response organizations across the county. The Central Dispatch Center and Communications departments necessary to accomplish these tasks were created within the Florence County Sheriff’s Office. Each of these agencies, 911 Addressing, Central Dispatch and Communications would eventually join with EPA to form a consolidated county emergency management department.
In August 1995, Phase I allowed Central Dispatch to dispatch for Florence County EMS and the rescue squads. Phase II started in November 1995, allowing Central Dispatch to begin dispatching for all County and town fire departments. Additionally, in November 1995, Phase III began for dispatching to all municipal police departments. Lastly, in June 1996, Phase IV allowed for the dispatching of the City of Florence Fire and Police Departments.
Although never officially changed, it was during this time frame that the EPA began to be called the Emergency Preparedness Department (EPD). This change seems to have occurred due in large part to the fact that the state-level agency was also called EPD (for Emergency Preparedness Division).
During 1996-1997, it was determined that EMS and EPD should be separated into two distinct departments due to their vastly different duties and responsibilities.
In 1997, Central Dispatch implemented its first Vison DOS based Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. The CAD system was upgraded to Windows NT in 1998.
In 1999, EPD was again made a separate department of county government and its manager was promoted to department director, answering to the Florence County Administrator. The new EPD contained two employees: the director and an administrative assistant. Efforts began reorganizing EPD to address better the wide range of hazards that could threaten the county. EPD was organized into a Natural Hazards branch and a Technological Hazards branch. Each branch would be responsible for developing plans and procedures, implementing training and exercises, and coordinating disaster response in their respective fields. Approval was given by the County Council to staff the newly created positions of Technological and Natural Hazards Coordinators beginning with the 2000 budget year.
