Longs new state of the art fire station to open by late spring, land purchased for Wampee/Nixonville

By Ruben Lowman

After more than two years since the groundbreaking, Longs residents will finally be seeing their new state of the art fire station open soon.

“Horry County Fire Rescue Station 13 (Longs) continues to progress toward a late-spring opening, which will be exciting for the organization and the Longs community together,” said HCFR spokesman Tony Casey. 

Longs is one of the fastest-growing areas in Horry County, which is itself one of the prime locations for growth and development in the state and country.

That initial groundbreaking, held on Valentine’s Day in 2020 just before the COVID-19 pandemic altered the course of global history, may seem like a world away for many in the burgeoning community. Since the pandemic, the area has experienced an acceleration of growth and the county’s first responders have encountered a strain on emergency services.

Thousands of new houses have been put up over the past several years in what was once a rural area and it is increasingly seeing as much congestion as other more traditionally developed municipalities in the county. 

“Longs — like many other Horry County communities — is growing in population, and this station upgrade is in response to that,” Casey said.

With many more homes lined up to be built within new developments recently approved by county council, the congestion some residents in the community are feeling is likely going to increase sooner rather than later. 

With more people now living in the once-rural area than ever before, that means more people who will need first responders and emergency services. An increase in population typically correlates with an increase in crime, accidents and emergencies like fires and heart attacks.

Countywide, HCFR saw a marked uptick in the volume of service calls they received in 2021, with 74,857 setting a new record. The total from the previous year, 63,620, was also a record, demonstrating the level of population growth over the past few years. 

“Each new station built — or upgrade made — is in response to the needs of the citizens and guests of Horry County. As our communities grow, HCFR plans to grow along with it,” Casey said.

The new Longs station 13, which is being built directly beside the old station on Highway 9, will be 8,000 square feet when completed and is projected to cost $2.3 million. 

There have been minor delays in the construction as a result of material shortages industrywide, but Casey said it is on track to open in the next few months. He said the new station will be the first of its kind in the county, featuring three drive-through bays for easy entry and exit, along with housing full-time career firefighters on top of volunteers. The current station is volunteer-only and features two roll-up garage doors.

“Traditionally, this station has been a hub for volunteers, but when the new building opens up, they will be joined by career staff to respond to emergencies,” Casey said.

A few other Horry County communities will soon be joining Longs in getting a new state of the art fire station, as well, as county officials recently finished the purchase of land at the intersection of Highway 90 and Highway 22 where the new combined Wampee/Nixonville station will be built. 

“Recently, Horry County completed the contract for the property upon which the Station 5/12 will be located,” Casey explained. “Like Longs, these two stations (Wampee and Nixonville), have been volunteer-based, but when the station opens up in approximately two years, it will supplement the work of volunteers with career staff and apparatus.”

County officials recently announced they would be looking to apply for the FEMA SAFER grant, which would allow HCFR to receive over $6 million to use to hire more firefighters and paramedics. The grant would enable HCFR to hire around 30 additional firefighters and extend EMS capabilities to the new stations. 

“We welcome you to follow upcoming public meetings for updates on construction, staffing and apparatus and the costs of each,” Casey said.