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About
The Cowpens Fire Department is located in the Town of Cowpens in Spartanburg County, S  outh Carolina. The Town of Cowpens recieves its name from the Revolutionary War battle which was fought near the area in 1781. The Battle of Cowpens was a decisive victory by American Revolutionary forces. It was a turning point in the reconquest of South Carolina from the British. Like the town in which it was established the Cowpens Fire Department also has a long and rich history in the Fire Service. Organized in 1947 it was one of only four fire departments in Spartanburg County along with Spartanburg City, Woodruff, and Inman. When the department was formed the original piece of apparatus was a 1929 Model A Fire Engine. It was Cowpens' first motorized piece of fire equipment. The fire department later purchased a 1940 GMC FirePower Engine . It was purchased in Columbia, South Carolina from World War II Surplus. Over the years the department has grown and many goals have been realized throught the hard work and dedication of members past and present.
Today our department consists of one station which houses nine pieces of apparatus. The department operates two engines, a heavy rescue, squad, brush truck, boat, ladder, tanker, and utility. Our command staff is made up of a Chief, two Assistant Chiefs, three Captains, and two Lieutenants. We also have over 35 volunteers and a part-time paid staff which works weekdays 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Our fire district is approximately 13.7 square miles in area and encompasses several major sites:
- 2 miles of Interstate Eighty-Five (I-85)
- Colonial Pipeline (A 40 Inch Petroleum Transportation Pipeline, moving 100 Million Gals. of Petroleum Products/ Year)
- Transcontinental Pipeline ( 72" natural gas transportation pipeline, Serves the entire Eastern Seaboard.)
- Plantation Pipeline ( 36" diameter petroleum transportation pipeline.)
- Approximately 3 miles of major rail transport. (Norfolk Southern Railway)
- 1/2 mile of the Pacolet River ( Major area river used for recreation, also used for hydroelectric power generation.)
In addition to the Cowpens Fire Department's district, mutual aid is also given and recieved from Converse and Drayton fire departments for structure fires. Spartanburg Communications also dispatches the two closest extrication units to incidents with entrapment, which also increases the departments service area into surrounding communities.
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