The North Charleston Fire Department is more than 270 members strong serving a 79 square-mile area with more than 113,000 citizens and visitors. There are 12 fire stations, 12 engines, 4 aerial trucks, 2 heavy rescues, and 2 squads vehicles.
We have a long history of serving the “North Area.”
- The first fire department founded in the area to become North Charleston was the St. Phillip’s and St. Michael’s Fire Department in 1935. They had one station and one engine.
- The North Charleston Fire Department was formed in 1937 with only one station and one engine.
- In 1959 the departments merged to become the North Charleston Consolidated Fire Department.
- NCFD became a paid service in 1962.
- In 1972 the City of North Charleston was incorporated. The department became two separate entities, the City of North Charleston Fire Department and the North Charleston Fire District. The city fire department began with four fire stations, four engines and one ladder truck. The district consisted of five fire stations, five engines and one ladder truck. From there we have grown with the city.
- The two departments were again merged in 1996 to become the North Charleston Fire Department. There were 10 fire stations, 10 engines, 3 ladder trucks and 2 squads at that time.
- In the past 13 years the department has grown to include new technology and new training. We have thermal imagers in each station, a confined-space rescue team, a hazardous materials team, a marine firefighting team, and each firefighter in the department is trained to a minimum of IFSAC Firefighter One.
- The newest station (Station 6 at Otranto Rd) was open July 2018.