MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The Myrtle Beach Fire Department celebrated Station 1’s 20th anniversary on Saturday by inviting the community to tour the station they call their ‘home away from home.’
Station 1, located on Mr. Joe White Avenue, is the busiest and one of the oldest fire stations in Myrtle Beach.
Deputy Chief Ian Maxwell, who joined the department 26 years ago, recalls moving from the old Station 1 to the Mr. Joe White building in 1999.
“I remember moving furniture into this station, so just the station has changed. We had an older station that had sort of seen better days, so moving to the new station was tremendous. It was a great upgrade for us, and the call volume is tremendously busy,” Deputy Chief Maxwell said.
During the 20th anniversary celebration, Lt. Jonathan Evans with the Myrtle Beach Fire Department said the decades of service to the community would not have been possible without the firefighters and EMTs at Station 1 who respond to every call.
“It’s the people that work for this department, that’s our history. Without them, we wouldn’t be here. The dedication they put in day in and day out, it is a very difficult job some days, especially at this station being the busiest station in the city,” Lt. Evans said.
However, throughout the difficult and hectic 20 years at Station 1, the firefighters that worked there built bonds that make the station worth celebrating.
“This becomes your home away from home. They spend a third of their life here, so you get to know the ins and outs of everybody’s personality, their quirks, what makes them tick, and it forms a brother and sisterhood that’s unlike anything I’ve ever found,” Deputy Chief Maxwell said.
