The Awendaw-McClellanville Fire Department has been selected to receive the 2024 Fire Safe South Carolina Community Designation, an honor that highlights their commitment to public safety, community outreach, and forward-thinking emergency response.
The designation reflects the department’s ongoing efforts to reduce home fire-related injuries, promote consistent fire and life safety messaging, and emphasize the importance of collecting and utilizing data from fire and emergency responses. It also underscores their dedication to building trust and resilience through education, prevention, and strong partnerships across the community.
To earn the Fire Safe South Carolina designation, fire departments throughout the state must demonstrate a clear commitment to Community Risk Reduction. That includes providing regular fire safety education, identifying and addressing local risks, and working closely with local partners to create a culture of preparedness.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for doing what we love—serving and protecting this community,” said Awendaw-McClellanville Fire Chief Shaun Gadsden. “Our team shows up every day with a commitment to safety, preparedness, and care, and this designation is a meaningful reminder that those efforts make a real difference.”
As a result of these statewide efforts last year, 279 community partners were identified (an 11 percent increase since 2023), nearly 1,284 fire service members were educated on risk reduction-related topics (nearly triple since 2023), and more than 1.1 million citizens (a 70 percent increase since 2023) were educated on fire and life safety topics.
The Awendaw-McClellanville Fire Department will be formally recognized for their designation during a June 13 award ceremony at the 2025 Fire-Rescue Conference in Myrtle Beach.