Wagener Fire Department to rebuild under new direction of interim chief

WAGENER, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Hazards have plagued the Wagener Fire Department.

Breaking city ordinances, necessary equipment broken or without batteries are just some of the problems at the department.

Even as a seasoned law enforcement veteran, Gerald Taylor was shocked to see the state the department was in when he took over.

“I have never seen anything like this,” Taylor said. “You could smell gas. As you see, there’s a paint can right there. This is a cooking area. This is supposed to be a fire department.”

Taylor became the interim chief of the department and inherited this mess when former fire chief Mark Redd was terminated.

“We’re required by the Fire Marshal’s Office to conduct commercial inspections. And yet, the fire department is not setting an example.”

And according to the city’s mayor, this mess isn’t even the reason Redd was let go.

“He was terminated for non-compliance. We gave him a list of documents and stuff that we asked for and there was no response,” Wagener Mayor Michael Miller said.

Miller claims he wasn’t aware of the conditions at the fire department, a culmination of years of neglect.

“They need money, they need supplies -- but they didn’t convey the need to us,” Miller said.

A building supposed to be used to protect the city turned into an eyesore and liability instead.

“When they walk in here, they’re looking at Wagener. And it ain’t pretty,” Miller said.

The interim chief says right now, his main goal is to build up a new team of firefighters. In the meantime, they’re using the help of other area departments for emergencies.

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