OKATIE, S.C. (May 14, 2026) – The Bluffton Township Fire District (BTFD) broke ground Tuesday on Fire Station 39, its 10th fire station, located at 301 Sun City Blvd. in Okatie. The ceremony marked a significant milestone for the district as it expands emergency response capacity to keep pace with one of South Carolina’s fastest-growing areas.
Station 39 will house an engine company staffed by BTFD firefighters as well as a Beaufort County EMS ambulance, bringing co-located fire and EMS resources to the area. The $5.7 million capital improvement project is being led by Beaufort County and funded through the county’s 2017 General Obligations Bond. Construction is being performed by Fraser Construction.
“Station 39 has been a long time coming,” said Fire Chief David Hindman. “Seeing it finally become real, with shovels in the ground and the people who are making it happen all in one place, was something worth celebrating. We are ready to get started.”
The groundbreaking was attended by district leadership including Deputy Chiefs Derek Church and Adam Corn, along with Fire Commission Board members Natalie Majorkiewicz, Bill Rickett and Glenn Williams. Beaufort County was represented by County Administrator Michael Moore, Deputy County Administrator Nicole Wood, and County Council members Paula Brown, Logan Cunningham, Joe Passiment, and Ana Maria Tabernik. Beaufort County EMS Director Donna Ownby, Deputy Director Howell Youmans and Senior Crew Chief Kevin Peeples also participated, along with Jay Fraser of Fraser Construction.
BTFD currently serves approximately 75,000 residents across 246 square miles of southern Beaufort County from nine stations. Station 39 will add coverage capacity within Sun City as well as in the Lawton Station, Cypress Ridge, and Hampton Lake areas. It is expected to improve response times for residents in the western part of the district.
BTFD holds accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) through the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), a status it has held since 2020 and renewed through 2030, making it one of a small number of fire agencies in South Carolina to hold that distinction.
