Latest news with #MyrtleBeachFireDepartment
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Myrtle Beach officials talk CCMF safety protocols after Ocean Boulevard violence
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Myrtle Beach officials held a Carolina Country Music Fest news conference on Monday, after some residents and visitors expressed safety concerns with recent gun-related crimes on Ocean Boulevard. City officials say more than 30,000 people attended each day of CCMF in 2024. The event also brought $50 million to Myrtle Beach. Officials say to keep the event successful, they must keep people safe. 'You'll see several safety features throughout the venue, such as fencing, hydro-barricades, and meridian vehicle barriers will be installed tomorrow,' George Johnson, Myrtle Beach Special Events and Police Master Corporal, said. 'These are all in place to help guide traffic, protect concertgoers, and maintain a secure environment.' The Myrtle Beach Fire Department says dehydration has been the most common medical emergency at CCMF. The department responded to more than 200 heat-related emergencies at last year's festival. Travis Glatki, the city's Emergency Management Coordinator, says that since first responders started treating people at an on-site medical tent in 2022, they decreased the number of transports from CCMF to local hospitals by almost 90%. 'Depending on the time of day, we will feature between five to seven dedicated medical response teams, comprised of certified EMTs and paramedics, stationed exclusively at the event site,' Glatki said. 'This substantial medical presence ensures rapid response capabilities for any health emergency that may arise.' He also says two ambulances will be on standby for anyone who needs hospital care. But with recent gun-related crimes on Ocean Boulevard, some residents and visitors say they are worried about their safety at CCMF. Myrtle Beach police say their staffing and procedures this year will be the same as last year. The police department will still have help from other agencies, but roads around CCMF will have even more barricades this weekend. 'We have reached out not only to our local partners, but also to our federal partners to receive additional assistance,' Johnson said. 'So, for us, all hands will be on deck. We will all be working that weekend to ensure everyone is as safe as possible.' Dana O'Brien, a city Emergency Management Specialist, told News13 that if severe weather forces everyone to evacuate, CCMF officials will let people know through announcements, screen displays, and the CCMF app. 'If lightning or severe weather ever becomes a concern within an eight-mile radius of the event, the grounds will need to be cleared,' O'Brien said. 'So, it's good practice to know your exits and have a plan for where you would seek shelter.' A city spokesperson says 9th Avenue North is the main pedestrian walkway. There are two exits: one on 9th Avenue and Ocean Boulevard, and the other on 9th Avenue and Kings Highway. * * * Skylar Musick is a multimedia journalist at News13. Skylar is originally from Long Island, New York. She joined the News13 team in June 2024 after graduating from Villanova University in May 2024. Follow Skylar on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 charged after person shoots at police, crashes stolen car in Grand Strand chase, officials say
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Two people have been charged and two have been released after four people were taken into custody Thursday morning after police were shot at and led on a pursuit of an armed suspect in a stolen vehicle along Highway 17 Bypass, authorities said. Riley Pegram, 17, of Brown Summit, North Carolina, was charged with three counts of attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, kidnapping, unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a stolen vehicle and failure to stop for blue lights. Omarion Glass, 20, of Greensboro, North Carolina, was charged with three counts of attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and use or employment of a person under 18 to commit certain crimes. Myrtle Beach police attempted to 'proactively approach' a car with four people, all wearing masks, around 8:15 a.m. when the vehicle fled, Myrtle Beach Police Chief Amy Prock said. Capt. John Evans with the Myrtle Beach Fire Department said that the pursuit started in Market Common and went along Farrow Parkway. Police later clarified that the pursuit began in the area of Twilight Surf Motel off 17th Ave. South. Around 8:30 a.m., Horry County police were asked to assist MBPD as the suspect was seen driving the wrong way in traffic at 'excessive speeds,' HCPD said. The suspect's vehicle wrecked near 67th Avenue North and North Highway 17. All four people in the vehicle were taken into custody, but two are not facing charges and were released to state custody. Nearby resident Susan Lindauere praised the quick response from police. She said she saw a big plume of smoke believed to be from when the crash happened. 'It was pretty much cops coming right and left everywhere, every which way,' she said. 'And it was a pretty dramatic scene for about 10 minutes. So by the end, I think there were probably 20 to 25 cop cars. And I knew it was pretty intensive at that moment. So I stayed back with a couple of neighbors back here as we observed.' Another resident, Benjamin Hicks, thought he was going to be hit. 'I saw the white SUV just back there behind us, speeding by, and about a hundred cops behind him,' Hicks said. 'And I was like, 'Oh, I'm about to get run over.' I'm walking my dogs, I was like, 'Oh, these people are in danger in the community.' So I just got out of the way.' There were no officers injured during the incident. Count on News13 for updates. * * * Jordan White is a Digital Producer at News13. She joined the News13 team in August 2024. Jordan, a Myrtle Beach native, graduated from St. James High School in Murrells Inlet and is a graduate of Coker University. Follow Jordan on Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of her work here. * * * Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read more of her work here. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Myrtle Beach Fire Department hosts 7th Citizens Fire Academy
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The Myrtle Beach Fire Department welcomed new members to its 7th Citizens Fire Academy, where community members get hands-on training and take a deeper look at the department's operations. The department started the 10-week program in 2019, and Capt. Jonathan Evans said it incorporates a little bit of everything. 'This week we're doing EMS skills, talking about CPR, showing them an ambulance, all those things,' Evans said. 'Next week, we'll be doing a history of the fire service so, they'll kind of see where the whole thing started, all the way up. They'll also get to go to the Emergency Operations Center and check out what they have going on there.' He said this year's 18-member group is the largest yet 'I've had everything from 18 to 81 years old in this class, and it's all about how much you want to get into it. It's not for a job necessarily, it's more for information,' Evans said. 'Although, it uses as a pathway for some folks get hired to learn more about the department, so we can also learn more about them.' Evans said a handful of members selected for this program have graduated and become firefighters; others may have helped the department gain sponsorships. 'We want our community to be educated because it helps for when we go to ask for a fire truck, or a station, or whatever the case may be,' Evans said. 'If we're not showing them why, or what we need it for, or what we're doing, it kind of makes it a little more difficult.' Evans said the group meets once a week for about two hours. 'They'll do some fire skills later on in the fire gear, and right here on the training ground do the smoke maze, do the burn building, really getting as involved as they want to get,' he said. Evans said those in the group will also have the opportunity to drive a fire truck through a concise course, go up about a hundred feet in the ladder truck, and learn water rescue skills. 'We haven't had the chance to get them to the ocean yet with this program because of the time of the year when we do it, but usually, we go to one of the city pools,' Evans said. 'Chief Mitch talks about what the water rescue program is. We'll have some of his ocean rescue supervisors, and they'll do some skills in the pool.' Currently, Evans said the program is only offered during the springtime. He said the department has talked to a few state representatives in different departments about the program to hopefully start implementing it elsewhere. * * * Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
