10/14/2026
Lugoff Fire-Rescue awarded $1,000,000 for training facility
Lugoff, S.C. (October 14, 2026)– Lugoff Fire-Rescue (LF-R) has been awarded funding totaling $1,000,000 by the South Carolina General Assembly. LF-R will use this funding for the construction of a new firefighter training facility within the LF-R District.
LF-R Battalion Chief Chris Jones worked with Mr. Daniel Roberts and Senator Allen Blackmon to secure funding for this project. Having trained firefighters is critical for the communities we serve. By having this facility located within the LF-R district, this will only enhance and grow the training opportunities LF-R firefighters and surrounding agencies firefighters can participate in. LF-R firefighters currently utilize Camden Fire Department’s training facility for its annual live burns, but logistics and staffing requirements have made it harder to utilize their facility beyond once a year.
“We are gracious and thankful to the City of Camden for opening up their training facility to us and allowing us to use it all these years. One of our biggest long-term goals since I joined this department as Battalion Chief of Operations was to develop our own training facility. This facility will benefit all Kershaw County fire departments – including the City of Camden – and even firefighters across the state who come to Lugoff to attend classes sanctioned through the South Carolina Fire Academy. We are honored, blessed, and thankful to the members of the General Assembly for funding our training center project. Without the support of our legislators and the sponsorship of the project by Senator Blackmon, we would not have been able to move forward with our plans” said Fire Chief Chris Spitzer.
The training facility will be the first in the LF-R district's 58-year history with the ability to conduct live-burn training. The project was funded through supplemental budget appropriations that were approved by the South Carolina General Assembly on August 25, 2026. The bill was signed into law on September 1, 2026 by Governor Henry McMaster.
