Congratulations to Walter Matthew Smittle, Division Chief of Special Operations at Midway Fire Rescue, for being recognized earlier this week after completing the South Carolina Chief Fire Officer Program, hosted by the South Carolina State Association of Fire Chiefs. This was the second year the program has been offered in the Palmetto State, which is geared toward empowering fire service leaders with the knowledge to navigate many of the unique challenges that come with managing today’s fire service and planning for the future.

The course was held over two weekends and involved presentations, classwork, work sessions and out-of-class assignments. Division Chief Smittle will now bring the knowledge and experience gained from this program back to his role at Midway Fire Rescue and the Georgetown County Technical Rescue Team.

“We plan to continue to send representatives from our organization to future offerings of this program,” said Brandon Ellis, Director of Emergency Services for Georgetown County. “This level of training not only helps empower our leaders, but it continues to build upon our advancements in the fire service in Georgetown County.”

Smittle (center) is pictured with Midway Chief Brent McClellan (left) and Georgetown County Emergency Services Director Brandon Ellis.