At the beginning of 2018 Horry County Fire Rescue made changes to their mandatory overtime schedule for firefighters, requring them to potentially work a 48 hour shift as frequent as every three shifts.
Since the schedule change, relatives and loved ones of firefighters have used the hashtag #familyfirst on social media platforms to show disapproval of the demanding hours and time that is taken away from families.
Christa, the 14 year old daughter of an Horry County Fire Rescue Lieutenant decided to write a letter to the Horry County Council explaining that she doesn’t get to see her dad very much anymore because he is either working or comes home exhausted.
“The question is, would you pick Horry County/Firefighting over the people you have known your whole life?” She wrote in the letter.
Horry County Council Chairman, Mark Lazarus told News 13 at the last council meeting that he plans to analyze the data, and he is requesting that presentations are made at the planning workshop.
“As a council I think it’s on the top of our mind and we will be addressing that.” Lazarus said.
Right now, HCFR is short by 15 medics– spokesperson Mark Nugent says they have an extensive recruitment plan for 2018 to try to bring in local college students.
“I don’t know that we have ever had a focused or targeted person focusing on recruitment but we do now. You know we always want to hire within Horry County, that is our number one goal, beyond that we will look at other logical places to get the people that we really need.”Nugent said.
