In 1956 several members of the local Ruritan Club saw the need for fire protection for their community, so they raised money through fund raising and 
purchased one fire truck. They used this truck until 1965 when the state set up South Greenville Fire District as a Special Purpose District. At that time the governor appointed 1 fire chief and 4 commissioners. The commissioners where designed to represent a specific section of the fire district. Appointees were Fire Chief Tollett Campbell, Commissioner J. W. Moon (representing the northern section), Commissioner John James (representing the eastern section), Alan McDavid (representing the western section), and C. M. Chapman (representing the southern section). At this time the district started receiving tax money so they were able to purchase more fire trucks, which were housed in local garages until 1968 when four fire stations were built, one for each section covered.
In 1977 South Greenville Fire District became a combination paid/volunteer department. At that time four personnel were hired, a fire chief, one night dispatcher, and two firefighters. Communications were primarily CB radios until in 1980 the department started using VHF communications.
The next fourteen years South Greenville Fire District operated out of four stations and continued adding personnel. In 1994 the department acquired a section of the county known as Possum Kingdom after community concerns about fire protection in that area. This added a fifth station to the department and in 1996 a sixth station was added near Greenville Technical College’s Brashier Campus due to a boom of growth in that area. At the present time, South Greenville Fire District operates out of eight stations which covers 134 square miles. Our staff includes 1 Fire Chief, 1 Assistant Fire Chief, 1 Administrative Specialist, 3 Battalion Chiefs, 3 Captains, 6 Lieutenants, and 59 Fire Suppression Personnel. Our services include Fire Prevention, Fire Suppression, Rescue, and Hazmat. The employees of the present South Greenville Fire District are truly grateful that the first men and women of this great organization were so determined and dedicated to make this department what it is today.
