By Chad Dorsett
Special to the Independent-Mail

OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. — In an effort to improve coverage area, the Oconee County Emergency Management Services has announced a new fire substation and a plan to add another one.

Seventeen fire districts exist in Oconee County, including the three municipal fire stations in the cities of Seneca, Walhalla, and Westminster. The county also operates two substations.

The proximity of a residence to a fire station is often the major factor when insurance companies determine a homeowner's insurance rating. Homes closest to fire stations have higher ratings than homes located miles away from a station.

Oconee County Emergency Management Services Director and Chief Rodney Burdette informed the Emergency Services Protection Commission at their meeting last Thursday about a building that has come open and been offered to the county for a substation site. The structure is in the northern part of the county near, Five Forks. Burdette also proposed to the commission a second fire substation for the southern end of the county, near Oakway.

"At the Camp Road, Five Forks site, Walhalla wanted to reposition one of their pieces of equipment, and what they've also offered with that is to make it available at the fire training building as well," Burdette said. "That will provide a distribution point for some of the equipment in the community at a substation. Burdette said plans call for officials to have the new Five Forks substation site operational within the next few weeks, but no definitive date was given.

The proposed fire substation in the Oakway community is in the early planning stages, but Burdette told the commission that the Oakway Rescue Squad has offered space for a third rotation site for 24-hour, paid county firefighters.

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