WHO WE ARE
Silver Bluff Volunteer Fire Department, (a.k.a. District 17), is a fire protection district operating under the laws of the state of South Carolina as a special purpose fee district. SBVFD serves a population of approximately 4,000 people and covers an area of 25 square miles, mutual Aid Agreements with surrounding departments extends this to approximately 75 square miles.
SBVFD provides service from a headquarters station and one substation. The District’s fleet consists of two first-out fire engines, one auxiliary pumper/service truck, one water tanker, and one wildland vehicle
The District carries an insurance rating, assigned by the Insurance Service Organization (ISO), of Class 5/9. This rating was assigned based on a review conducted in 2005.
The SBVFD is a 100% volunteer department and is a qualified IRS 501 (c) 3 Non-profit Organization. Volunteer staffing levels are between 18 and 22 volunteers and resident personnel. The District also sponsors a Learning for Life ®, Fire Service Explorer Post (Post 17) with a current membership of five and growing.
The District’s fee-based structure is designed to provide the best possible return on investment for the district residents with the Board of Fire Commissioners, independent of department personnel, responsible for setting the fee amount. Currently, fire fees are assessed on the value of property for residential dwellings to provide a fair and reasonable revenue source to just cover the estimated annual Operations and Maintenance (O&M) expenses and is based on historical data that considers the revenue source population density, followed by fire suppression requirements (structural/brush/auto/etc), equipment needs, and department operational and maintenance requirements assessed value to support District operations. District 17 is comprised mostly of residential properties, equestrian farms, agricultural farms, and small commercial businesses with no manufacturing or industrial bases to draw from.
Silver Bluff Volunteer Fire Department provides a variety of services including fire suppression, emergency medical first responder service, and public safety education. The Aiken County Hazardous-Materials Team provides hazardous materials emergency response. The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office provides fire dispatch, answers emergency calls for Fire, emergency medical, and other requests for fire department services. The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office also provides fire investigation service upon request.
