Fire Department · Career
Myrtle Beach Fire Department
Myrtle Beach, SC · Horry County
180+ personnel across 6 stations protect a year-round population of 30,000+ that swells with roughly 15 million tourists annually.
No active openings right now
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Department careers page ↗Myrtle Beach Fire Department traces its roots to 1936, when it began as a volunteer outfit protecting a small Grand Strand town. Nearly a century later it has grown into one of South Carolina's busiest departments, staffing six fire stations and an administrative office across roughly 17 square miles of coastline, and answering more than 15,000 calls for service a year.
The department's mission mixes structural firefighting with the demands of a major tourist destination: it runs an Ocean Rescue division alongside technical rescue, hazardous materials response, urban search and rescue, water rescue, and EMS transport, on top of fire suppression and prevention/public education work. Chief Tom Gwyer, a department veteran hired in 1993 and promoted to chief in 2018, leads a workforce the department describes as roughly 180 strong, framing it internally as an "ELITE team" built on accountability, respect, integrity, and trust.
Beyond emergency response, MBFD runs community programs including free smoke alarm installation, a Fire Marshal's office for life-safety questions, and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit merchandise store, and it maintains an active social media presence to keep residents and the millions of annual visitors informed.
MBFD hires Firefighter Paramedics and Firefighter EMT-Basics directly into the department, with pay built around a base salary plus holiday pay/bonus, and additional incentive pay for ocean rescue swimmers, ambulance riding time, foreign-language proficiency, and a college-degree differential. Applications are not open on a rolling basis; interested candidates are asked to reach out to the department's Recruitment Officer to be considered for the next hiring cycle.
Benefits
South Carolina Retirement System (PORS) pension, free employee healthcare plus a supplemental fire department retirement account, paid annual/sick/personal/military/bereavement/civil leave, tuition reimbursement, free family access to three city recreation/fitness centers, an Employee Wellness Program, a structured career development program, and promotion eligibility to Master Firefighter after 3 years.
Is Myrtle Beach Fire Department currently hiring?
Applications are currently closed. The department asks interested candidates to email the Recruitment Officer at firerecruiting@cityofmyrtlebeach.com to be notified about the next hiring cycle.
What positions does MBFD hire for?
The department hires Firefighter Paramedics and Firefighter EMT-Basics, with additional incentive pay available for ocean rescue swimmers, ambulance riding time, foreign-language proficiency, and a college degree.
How many stations does the department operate?
MBFD operates 6 fire stations plus an administrative office, with over 180 personnel protecting roughly 17 square miles of coastline.
What area and population does MBFD serve?
The department protects a year-round population of 30,000+ residents that swells with an estimated 15 million tourists annually, and responds to more than 15,000 calls for service a year.
What specialty services does MBFD provide beyond structural firefighting?
The department runs an Ocean Rescue division and provides technical rescue (rope, confined space, elevator), urban search and rescue, hazardous materials response, water rescue, vehicle extrication, and EMS transport.