Longtime North Myrtle Beach Fire Chief Tom Barstow retired Friday, following 18 years of leadership in the department.
He started with the department on November 1, 1980. He was appointed Chief of Fire Rescue on February 14, 1996.
Chief Barstow holds a Bachelor of Professional Study in Fire Administration from the University of Memphis and is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Chief Barstow is an active member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, South Carolina Fire Chiefs Association, and Horry Georgetown Fire Chiefs Association.
“It’s kind of a bittersweet situation, because you know, I love this department and I love the personnel. I made a lot of friends,” he said Friday. “I consider everyone my friend in this department.”
Barstow expects the fire division of the North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety to grow its number of stations and firefighters serving the community in the next five to ten years.
