When David Shadoan was taking a networking class at Central Carolina Technical College, something resonated.

“I hadn’t really done any work in that area before and everything just clicked,” he said.

Ten years later, Shadoan, 34, is a Network Engineer for Sumter County Government, staying busy with the current task of moving equipment back into the newly renovated Administration building.

“What I like most about this job is, there’s always something new, even with day to day tasks and reviewing logs, it might seem mundane but there’s always new things to look for and constantly research,” he said. “The tech field is constantly changing. That’s one thing I like about it.”

To explain what he does, Shadoan used the analogy of a city.

“Your computer is your house and servers are the places where you might do business throughout the day,” he said. “When you look at a network, it consists of various roads that connect everything.”

During his junior and senior years at Sumter High School, Information Technology wasn’t really on his radar, but some programming and development classes changed his perspective.

“I thought – hey, I like this. It’s fun and I can see myself doing something like this,” he said.

Video games and time on computers gave him an appreciation and understanding of the basics, and he decided his future would be found in the digital world.

First, he took classes at USC-Sumter and then Central Carolina, from which he earned an Associate’s Degree in Computer Technology and several Certificates in his field.

His first technology job was with Computer Upgraders before he left to provide technical support for Sykes Enterprises. In 2011, he came on board with Sumter County Government as a Computer Tech II.

Shadoan is currently tasked with helping move a variety of equipment back into the recently renovated Administration building.

“There’s nothing too fancy about what we’re doing right now. We’re simply moving equipment from one building to another,” he said. “The weeks leading up the move were more interesting from a technology perspective — they involved learning the intricacies of and configuring a new access control system, planning for and configuring new network infrastructure hardware, and figuring out how to adapt to the frequent changes that come with both a construction and IT project of this scale.”

Sumter County Administrator Gary Mixon said Shadoan’s demeanor and problem-solving skills have been impressive.

“He’s really been helpful as we transition back to the Administration building and get back up and running. He’s not afraid of hard work and his attitude is upbeat,” Mixon said. “He’s the consummate team player and his efforts don’t go unnoticed.”

Shadoan said what is most challenging about working in the tech field is “trying to stay ahead of the curve.”

“The industry moves pretty quick so there’s always new technology and new ways of doing things,” he said. “You’ve got to pay attention.”

What takes up a lot of his attention when he’s not at work are daughter Emily, 3, and son Oliver, who just turned one. He said he’s proud of his wife Lacey as she juggles taking care of two small kids and working a flex schedule.

“She’s doing a fantastic job during a very difficult time and I’m very proud of her,” he said.

Being a father keeps him pretty busy away from work, but when there’s free time, he enjoys race cars.

“Mario Kart,” he said, laughing. “I love me some Mario.”

*See PDF for information and scheduling.

Sumter County’s Public Works Department is auctioning three vehicles. All information about prices, terms and conditions, payment, inspection and removal are available at https://www.govworldauctions.com/

Bidding begins at 5 p.m. on Sept. 15, 2020  

*See PDF for information and scheduling.

A new program aims to give Emergency Medical Technicians on the job training while creating a homegrown talent pool of emergency responders.

Sumter County is now accepting applications for its EMT Trainee program, a new offering that came about to help bolster staffing for Emergency Medical Services.

Asst. EMS Director Kent Hall said the idea is pretty simple: Folks with no medical background will start out as an Emergency Vehicle Operator. She or he will attend classes and also go through the road course before taking several shifts of driving with a Field Training Officer who will observe the trainee. During both emergency and non-emergency situations, the trainee will get comfortable driving an ambulance.

Training in CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation), first aid, blood borne pathogens and other basic skills will follow, with guidance from certified provider. Becoming familiar with their equipment, where it’s located on an ambulance and other basic lifesaving skills are also part of the training.

Time will be split between being on an ambulance and in classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday learning basic EMT from Hall, a seasoned Paramedic who has been teaching for years.

“This schedule gives them (trainees) the opportunity to be home at night with their families,” he said. “Some days they will go class on shift and some days they won’t.”

After three months of training, a trainee can take the test to become a nationally certified Emergency Medical Technician and then apply for certification in South Carolina, he said.

The next step after that is working shifts like other EMTs and Paramedics – 24 hours on and 72 hours off.

“We want to fill several positions immediately and we will have homegrown EMTs in our system, people who are invested in our community,” he said.

People often cite the cost of an EMT class as an obstacle to becoming a first responder. That’s not an issue with the new EMT Trainee program.

“They will go to class at no cost – not only that, they’re getting paid with a full-time job with benefits while they’re home at night with their families,” he said.

Insurance, a retirement plan, sick and vacation leave and no out-of-pocket tuition costs are a pretty strong incentive, he said, “and something a little different than what people might be used to if they want to become Emergency Medical Technicians.”

Potential trainees can visit Sumter County’s website under the Human Resources tab for more information: www.sumtercountysc.org.

Chief Bobby Hingst, Director of Sumter County EMS, said they look forward to finding new talent and adding to their team.

“We’re going through interviews as we speak and it’s nice to see plenty of interest in this new program,” he said. “If you want to become an EMT, this is your chance.”

*See PDF for information and scheduling.

*See PDF for information and scheduling.

Sumter County Council Tuesday evening met at Patriot Hall to discuss several issues.

Sumter City-County Zoning Administrator and Interim Planning Director Helen Roodman spoke first to members of Council about a request to rezone two parcels of land at 1650 South Guignard Parkway from Agricultural Conservation (AC) to Limited Commercial (LC).

Raymond Smith, the property owner, proposes to start a car stereo retail and installation business, she said.

During the Public Hearing, Jimmy Golden and Jacelyn Wright-Williams spoke against it.

Smith owns a nearly stereo shop and said he wishes to expand.

Second reading of the request was denied.

Roodman then spoke about a request to rezone a two-acre parcel at the corner of Patriot Parkway and Deschamps Road from AC to LC.

J.H. Seale and Son proposes to develop and gas station and convenience store, she said.

Second reading was approved.

Roodman next spoke about a request brought forth from the Planning Department staff to add General Merchandise Stores in the Limited Commercial (LC) and Neighborhood Commercial (NC) Districts. This which would essentially split General Merchandise stores into two categories, she said, based on their square footage either being under 11,000 square-feet or over that amount.

No one spoke during the Public Hearing.

Second reading was approved.

Council Chairman James T. McCain Jr. reported that during an earlier Fiscal, Tax and Property Committee meeting, information was received about two economic development issues. No action was taken, he said.

Councilman Eugene Baten said he attended a Veterans Upward Bound program meeting at Central Carolina Technical College. He also spoke for a mask mandate.

Sumter County Administrator Gary Mixon gave an update about Covid-19, citing numbers from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. There have been 3,145 cases in Sumter County, with an average of about 16 per day and 57 fatalities. Of those deaths, seven were veterans, he said.

Mixon also spoke about the storm that hit Sumter County on Sept. 17, 2020, as remnants of Hurricane Sally dumped a lot of rain in the area.

Mixon said the County’s Public Works Department immediately addressed issues that arose from the deluge. The Second Mill Dam worked as designed, he said, under the stress of a lot of rain in a short period of time.

After an Executive Session, Councilman Artie Baker made a motion to extend Mixon’s contract two years. Baten seconded the motion, which was unanimous.

The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.

*See PDF for information and scheduling.

The Penny for Progress project to improve the intersection of Wilson Hall Road and Carter Road officially got underway today as the Notice to Proceed was given from Sumter County Government.

This project is scheduled to be completed within 365 days and the purpose is to improve traffic flow while making it safer for pedestrians and motorists alike.

Improvements will include new turn lanes, installation of mast arms and signalization, along with drainage improvements and designated crosswalks.

Utilities are currently being relocated and will cause traffic slowdowns, so please be patient as we work to improve this intersection.

*See PDF for information and scheduling.

*See PDF for information and scheduling.

An online newsletter from Sumter County Government is now available for free.
Each month the Gamecock County Gazette will be delivered via e-mail, and for those who wish to receive a digital copy please send your e-mail address to jperry@sumtercountysc.org and our communications coordinator will add you to the list.

To see the newsletter, click here

*See PDF for information and scheduling.