What’s next for Wagener residents amid fire department crisis?

WAGENER, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - For the third time in four years, the Wagener Fire Department is finding itself in the middle of a crisis.

At an Aiken County council meeting on Tuesday night, leaders decided to end the contract between the county and the fire department in 90 days.

This comes after its fire chief and 19 firefighters left their positions.

Now the question is if there’s a fire in Wagener, who will respond?

People in Wagener and even surrounding towns in Aiken County are worried about their safety.

It’s making people wonder if their home or business catches on fire will there be anyone to help, and if there is, will they get there quick enough?

Now, there are fewer firefighters to respond to an emergency.

“Something needs to change, and I don’t know what the change is, but there does need to be a resolution so everyone’s safe,” said Aiken County resident Marty Roever.

There’s been a change. Three times in the last four years, but it’s not the change people are hoping for.

Melinda Starnes, who lives in Aiken County, said: “We don’t have stability. What’s the cause behind the change of leadership? You know, what’s going on above the fire department as far as the mayor and the town council?”

The change is making people concerned for the town and for the safety of those living in it and around it.

Roever said: “God forbid that there was something really serious. Right now, there is no one in Wagner to respond, so they’re going to have to respond from much further away. And minutes are very critical. I was an EMT, and I understand minutes are critical. You need to get someone to respond. Not for fire as well as for medical emergencies.”

Residents are hoping for a resolution soon and that no one gets hurt because of it.

“We have a fire department here that protects the town. It protects the people in the coverage area of District 16. We do have neighboring departments that do provide mutual aid, but without this fire department here, there’s already assigned to this coverage area,” said Starnes. “Now, these other fire departments are going to have to come in and cover the calls until this result is resolved. That puts a strain on their resources and their people. Yet we have people here, good people here that left. Why?”

Many people throughout Wagener were hesitant to talk about the issue, saying they didn’t want to get involved because it involves an issue with higher-up leadership.

But others are encouraging more to speak up, saying not speaking could lead to even bigger issues, like an increase in the cost of homeowners insurance.

Problems keep happening in the fire department

Tillman Rushton became Wagener fire chief after David Watson resigned in 2023 following a police investigation that raised questions about overtime he’d logged. The matter was turned over to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for further investigation.

Within days of Watson’s exit, a woman was arrested on two counts of third-degree assault and battery after some issues at a Halloween corn maze staged by the Wagener Fire Department.

And before that, a controversy in November 2020 left the town without a fire chief and took the firefighting roster down from 12 to four.

Mark Redd was fired from the town’s volunteer fire department in 2020 after more than 40 years of service and more than 20 as chief. The firing led to a mass resignation of volunteers and a rift among some of the small community.

A retired public safety veteran in Aiken County was brought in to rebuild the agency, and Watson came in sometime after that.

Redd ultimately sued Miller, claiming defamation.

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