Laurens County Fire Service Acquires Critical Equipment Through Forestry Commission Program

The Laurens County Fire Service marked a major win last week with the acquisition of several vital emergency vehicles through the South Carolina Forestry Commission’s Federal Excess Property (FFP) program. The program provides used military and surplus equipment to emergency service agencies at a fraction of the cost, and after years of waiting on the application list, Laurens County was finally able to bring home much-needed resources.

Among the equipment secured:

• A 2007 Pierce Platform, refurbished in 2017, which will serve the Laurens County Fire Department.

• A Kubota side-by-side utility vehicle for the Cross Hill Volunteer Fire Department, to be used in search and rescue operations.

• A Chevrolet 2500 pickup truck, to be outfitted as a brush truck for the Western Laurens Volunteer Fire Department.

Remarkably, all three vehicles combined were acquired for under $13,000, making this an exceptional return on investment for local emergency response capabilities.

“This is a great program, and we will continue applying for equipment and vehicles as the need arises,” officials shared. “It’s another step forward in our ongoing efforts to improve services while being good stewards of taxpayer resources.”

The newly acquired equipment is expected to enhance emergency response, firefighting capacity, and search and rescue efforts throughout Laurens County.