Port Wentworth Fire Department

Port
Wentworth Fire Department

Meeting the Demands of a Thriving Community

In 2021, the
Port Wentworth Fire Department answered 1976 calls from across the community, a
17 percent increase over the previous year. They are a small but mighty team—30
full-time firefighters, six part-time firefighters, a training lieutenant, a
captain and an administrative assistant—that works across two stations in the
city limits.

They are led
by Chief of Fire Operations Lance Moore, who has been working with the fire
department since 2009 and has been the chief since 2016. He has witnessed
firsthand the city’s rapid growth and, with it, the growth of the department.

“When I
started, we had one person on each truck and ran two trucks per shift. Now
we’re up to 10 people per shift,” Moore said. “We’re growing and making things
happen.”

Moore came to the
Port Wentworth Fire Department after working with a department in
Massachusetts. Firefighting was a career change for him, spurred by an
aspiration to help others.

“Helping the
department grow and go in the right direction is what gets me up every day,”
Moore said.

He followed
his family to Port Wentworth for a change of weather and scenery. He started at
Port Wentworth Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter in 2009 and was hired
full-time a few months later.

“I put a lot
of blood, sweat and tears into it and [I’m pleased] to see it become the
department that I envisioned years ago,” Moore said.

Keeping Up with Port Wentworth’s Growth

In Chief
Moore’s tenure, he led the department to receive an improved Insurance Services
Office (ISO) score. This shows how prepared a fire department is in the event
of a fire emergency and encompasses equipment, training, water supply, call
response times and more. An ISO score is given by the Insurance Services
Office, and the lower the number the better. In 2020, the department received a
score of 3, an improvement from the 5 that they had in previous years.
Homeowners insurance companies use this score when they are determining rates,
and a better score can translate to lower insurance premiums for everyone in the
area.

Port Wentworth
is home to a wide variety of residential and commercial development. With the
especially busy roads of Highway 21 and Interstate 95 falling in their
jurisdiction, the Port Wentworth Fire Department has a lot of ground to cover. 

Among the
notable calls that they have responded to in the past include the C-130 crash
in 2018. Because of the scale of that event, they collaborated with departments
from surrounding areas as well.

“With the
explosive growth of the city, trying to keep this department up with demand and
growing at an equal pace with the city has been a challenge,” Moore said. “It’s
a lot of work, but it’s fun.”

Future goals
include improving equipment and training programs and hiring more staff to
handle the city’s growing population. They also hope to build a new station
north of Interstate 95 to accommodate the growth in that area.

“[A new
station] will greatly enhance our ability to serve the public,” Moore said. “We
need a facility up there to continue to do our job efficiently.”

At any given
time, there are 10 firefighters on a shift between the two stations, working 24
hours on, 48 hours off.

The duties of
the fire department extend far beyond putting out fires. All the department’s
vehicles and equipment are inspected daily to ensure that they are in working
order. They also train businesses and civilians on proper fire extinguisher
use, service more than 500 fire hydrants throughout the city limits and visit
commercial buildings each year to conduct pre-plan inspections. These visits
give firefighters an idea of how they would go about responding to a call in
that structure and also allows them to point out and correct any fire code
violations.

Community Partnerships

The Port
Wentworth Fire Department is no stranger to getting out into the community.
They’ve rescued trapped kittens, driven Santa Claus through area neighborhoods,
given awards to young heroes and participated in Stand Up For America Day.
Every week, you can find them at the Port Wentworth Senior Center doing blood
pressure checks.

Sometimes,
community organizations come to them. The department received a donation from
Girl Scout Troop 30385 to provide oxygen masks for pets who are rescued from
fires, part of the troop’s Bronze Award service project.

The Port
Wentworth Fire Department also has a strong relationship with Southeastern
Guide Dogs, a nonprofit organization that trains service dogs for the visually
impaired and for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Trainers bring
dogs to the department to acclimate to the sights, smells and sounds of fire
gear so that they are prepared to assist their handler in the event of an
emergency.

Lieutenant
Manny Morilla with Port Wentworth coordinates with Southeastern Guide Dogs
whenever they come to visit.

“It’s
gratifying to be a part of their training,” Morilla said.

Be a Part of the Department

A new class of
recruits has just wrapped up their training, which consists of a challenging
physical training regimen that includes running, weight lifting and agility
exercises to ensure that they’re ready for what’s ahead.

While physical
fitness is a large part of the job, the recruits also spend eight weeks
training in a classroom setting, working with live burns, and perfecting other
firefighting skills to pass their National Professional Qualifications
Firefighter I test.

People come to
Port Wentworth Fire Department from all walks of life and different levels of
experience. What’s essential to their success at the department? A willingness
to learn.

“Absorb all
the knowledge you can. We have people that come on board with 10 years
experience and a ton of certifications down to people who are just seeing the
inside of a fire truck,” Moore said. “A positive attitude goes a long way.”

Like the city,
the Port Wentworth Fire Department is growing and has openings for those
interested in a fast-paced career that allows them to make a difference.
Interested candidates can apply at cityofportwentworth.com