The Fire District came into existence by Act Number 1005 enacted by the South Carolina General Assembly on April 20, 1964, as the North Spartanburg Area Fire District. On May 6, 1969, the original Act was changed to rename the Fire District, The North Spartanburg Area Fire and Rescue District. On February 19, 2004, the Fire District was renamed The North Spartanburg Fire and Emergency Services District hereinafter known as the Fire District. The original Act established a board of five (5) Commissioners to serve a term of six (6) years. Later, this was changed to a seven (7) member board to serve a term of four (4) years.

On December 16, 1981, Spartanburg County Council passes Resolution 349 enlarging the Fire District by adding the Meadowbrook Farms area and the Lake Cooley Area. The Fire District has around 38 square miles to protect in Spartanburg County.

The Original millage set for the Fire District was four (4). On November 2, 1976, a referendum passed to increase the millage to sixteen (16). This millage increase allowed the Fire District to hire full-time firefighters on January 1, 1978. On November 6, 2001, a referendum was passed to increase the millage to twenty-two (22). This increase allowed us to maintain our current level of service. On November 7, 2006, a referendum was passed to increase the millage to thirty-one (31).

Today, the Fire District’s Commission Board is composed of seven (7) members in whom all powers of the Commission Board shall be vested. Members of the Commission Board serve at the pleasure of the Governor of the State of South Carolina, as prescribed in the Districts’ creation legislation. All members of the Commission shall have equal voting privileges and rights.

The Commission Board defines the mission, role, and scope of the Fire District, establishes the general policies of the Fire District, approves the annual District budget, and is accountable to the public, Spartanburg County, and the South Carolina Secretary of State. All corporate powers of the Fire District must be exercised by or under the authority of the Commission Board, and the Fire District’s affairs shall be managed under the direction of the Commission Board.

The Commission Board is responsible for hiring the District’s fire chief. The Fire Chief is responsible for the day-to-day management policies and operations of the Fire District. Operational policies and decisions are subject to review by the Commission Board. To date, the Fire District has had seven fire chiefs: Ralph Owens; Harry C. Brady, Sr.; Douglas F. Higgins; Jerry L. Files, Sr.; Larry W. Brady; William Ale; and Nicholas Fortner.

Our 38-square-mile fire district is home to over 20,000 residents and is located about five miles north of the City of Spartanburg. For nearly 50 years the Fire District has served to preserve life and property in the case of fire, rescue situations, and/or other emergency events. Additionally, we strive to prevent fires and other emergencies through fire and life safety education activities, enforcement of fire and life safety codes and regulations, and advocacy of state-of-the-art fire-safe building construction methods. We prefer to prevent a condition that would cause you to call 9-1-1, but we stand ready to serve the community in the event of an emergency.

Our fire department delivers efficient and effective fire suppression services, technical rescue capabilities, and first response to medical emergencies from three (3) strategically located fire stations in the district. Each station is staffed round the clock with highly trained personnel and equipped with the resources capable of handling a wide variety of emergency situations that might occur any time of day. The District uses full-time employees, part-time employees, and volunteer members to staff the stations and serve the community. The full-time staff includes the Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, Shift Battalion Chief's, Shift Captains, Lieutenants, Engineers, Firefighters, and a Fire Marshal. In addition to firefighting capabilities, personnel are also trained as emergency medical technicians (EMT), hazardous material responders, and rescue technicians. Fire District apparatus includes two first-out engines, a ladder truck, and the battalion chief.