HOW THE DEPARTMENT IS STRUCTURED
The Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department is one of six volunteer fire departments in Hyde County. In 2022, we opened a new substation in the Lake Comfort area of Hyde County.
Our volunteer fire department is composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services.
Volunteer firefighters are different in that they do not receive any compensation. (Career firefighters receive a salary.)
Our volunteer firefighters are also required to have the same training as career firefighters, but attend the training on their own (unpaid) time.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
The Swan Quarter Volunteer Fire Department is very involved in the Hyde County community. We have a mutual aid agreement to respond to fires and other emergency related incidents in all Mainland fire districts.
For ten months of the year (January through October) we have a monthly fundraiser lunch/dinner at the station. We depend on the support of the community as the proceeds from these functions help to pay the department’s operating expenses. We also host other events such as school reunions, benefits, and Christmas parties.
We partner with Hyde County Schools and Hyde County 4-H to provide fire safety awareness to our youth. We also participate in the various Christmas parades around the county and the O. A. Peay annual Memorial Day parade.
FIRE SUPPRESSION
Our volunteer firefighters are trained to use a variety of techniques to control and extinguish fires. We use many tools that help us prevent fires from spreading and ultimately, to extinguish the fires. We have an assortment of vehicles: engines, tanker trucks, a brush fire truck, rescue trucks, and an equipment truck. We also have a HAZMAT utility trailer, an agri-rescue trailer, and are responsible for the Hyde County American Red Cross sheltie trailer. We also have a fire-rescue boat. Our equipment includes things such as hoses, ladders, axes, and sledgehammers. Firefighters, based on their firefighting capabilities, carry a variety of tools. Each firefighter has their own personal protection items like breathing apparatuses, fire turn-out gear, gloves, safety glasses and communication equipment (radios & pagers). The better equipped the firefighter, the better job they can do.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
In addition to fire suppression, our volunteer firefighters respond to other emergency situations, such as car accidents, boating accidents, HAZMAT accidents, confined space incidents, natural disasters, or other emergency situations.
We are trained as “First Responders” to rescue victims and to provide first aid and other basic medical care to a patient until the advance medical care arrives.
Most often, we are literally the first to arrive at the incident scene.