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Two new initiatives at Sumter County Emergency Medical Services are producing and nurturing homegrown talent.
An EMT Trainee class that launched last fall with its inaugural class now has 11 participants on the verge of becoming nationally certified Emergency Medical Technicians, said Kent Hall, Assistant Chief of EMS.
There’s also an Advanced EMT class being taught in-house by Hall with a dozen participants. The class wraps up in August, Hall said.
“Kent is a great instructor with a lot of knowledge he enjoys sharing with his students,” said Chief Bobby Hingst, Director of EMS. “We’re also helping our EMTs learn new skills to further their careers and to set the stage for them to become Paramedics, if they so desire.”
Hall said he’s proud to watch the EMT Trainees as they learn the ropes.
“The trainees are riding along with crews and answering calls,” he said. “They’re studying for the test and learning more about EMS each day and with each call.”
One of those trainees is Taylor Harvin, a 23-year-old Sumter native who has been driving the ambulance, checking vital signs and helping out where she can.
“Career-wise, I always wanted to do nursing and this was an opportunity to see whether or not it was for me and to get some hands-on training,” she said. “It’s fun. And busy.”
Ashleigh Bland has been part of the Sumter County EMS family for about six months and jumped at the chance to become an Advanced EMT.
“I’m already signed up for (Paramedic) classes in October,” Bland said.
Bland grew up in Charleston and has worked in Lexington and Lancaster counties before coming aboard with Sumter County EMS.
“I like taking care of people and genuinely care about people and I’ve always felt like I have a greater purpose out there,” she said. “I just want to be able to do more and provide the next level of care.”
Carey Turner is a veteran EMT who grew up in Sumter and got interested in his profession when he and a buddy came upon a car wreck by chance. He saw first-hand what it’s like working to save lives.
“I’ve learned a lot already and the class just started not too long ago,” he said. “Assistant Chief Hall is a really good instructor and I hope this will help me get to the next level.”
Hingst said he’s proud of the EMT trainees working hard to become certified and he’s impressed with the class of EMTs looking to better themselves.
“We strongly support and encourage our folks to sharpen their skillsets and continually strive to learn new techniques and acquire more knowledge about their field,” he said. “Having a classroom at EMS Headquarters has made us a stronger department.”
*See PDF for information and scheduling.
Sumter County Councilwoman Vivian Fleming-McGhaney successfully completed the National Association of Counties High Performance Leadership Academy, a 12-week online program that equips frontline county government professionals with leadership skills to achieve results for county residents.
*See PDF for information and scheduling.
Sumter Veteran Robert Fisette led the Pledge of Allegiance before Tuesday’s County Council meeting.
County Councilman Charles Edens introduced Fisette and told the audience they were neighbors for 20 years.
“I was not aware of all these attributes,” Edens said, referring to Fisette’s record of service in the U.S. Air Force and to our country.
Fisette served in the Airborne Division during the Vietnam War and was awarded a Purple Heart. He also served as an Army Ranger and drill sergeant, and currently enjoys working with the Purple Heart Chapter in Sumter, Edens said.
Fisette and his wife Clara have five children, 16 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson.
“Thank you for your service,” Edens said.
Fisette said he comes from a military family – his father and two brothers all served in the Air Force. He said it was fun and allowed him to see a lot of the world.
We appreciate your service, Mr. Fisette. 
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Internet Explorer is not compatible for online registration for sports or renting facilities.
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Sumter County Utility's Online Payment Center is now live.
Click here
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Sumter County's community centers are once again available for rent. State and federal guidelines regarding Covid-19 will be followed.
More info here:
https://reconline.sumtercountysc.org/wbwsc/webtrac.wsc/splash.html
*See PDF for information and scheduling.
All South Carolinians 12 years old and up are eligible for the free Covid-19 vaccine.
These are the locations in Sumter giving out vaccines:
Sumter County Civic Center, 700 West Liberty Street, is a Prisma Health Tuomey clinic.
WALK-INS ARE WELCOME.
Prisma Health Tuomey’s clinic at Sumter County Civic Center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
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Prisma Health Tuomey, 129 North Washington Street
Prisma info: https://prismahealth.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine
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Doctors Care at 2475 Broad Street
Doctors Care info: https://doctorscare.com/coronavirus-information/
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Walmart's Pharmacy at 343 Pinewood Road
https://www.walmart.com/cp/1228302
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The CVS at 1080 Alice Drive
https://www.cvs.com/
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Sumter Cut Rate, 32 S. Main St.
803-773-8432
For more information:
https://register.vams.cdc.gov/?jurisdiction=SC
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Walgreens at 210 North Lafayette Drive
For more information:
https://www.walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid-19
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Tandem Health-Pike West
370 South Pike West
For more information:
https://www.tandemhealthsc.org/covid-19-vaccine/
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Sumter County Health Department
105 North Magnolia Street
For more information:
https://cvas.dhec.sc.gov/
1-855-472-3432
803-773-5511
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Sup-Rx Pharmacy #90
1011 Broad Street
Sumter, S.C. 29150
For more information:
http://www.suprx90@ftc-i.net
(803) 773-6378
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DHEC Mobile Clinic at South Forge Apartments
230 S.C. 261 South
Wedgefield, S.C.
For more information:
https://cvas.dhec.sc.gov/
1-866-365-8110
803-484-6612
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The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control: https://scdhec.gov/covid19
The DHEC Care Line is 1-855-472-3432
*See PDF for information and scheduling.
If you have a case in Family Court, you can now go online to check for any updates.
The Family Court Public Access allows you to go online and find out about scheduled hearings, the ability to search the docket, and the opportunity to search and find relevant case information quickly and easily.
The link is available through Sumter County’s website here: http://cms7.revize.com/revize/sumtersc/departments/e_-_i/family_court/index.php
*See PDF for information and scheduling.
The Santee Wateree Regional Transportation Authority is offering free rides on its buses and shuttles in Sumter County for the foreseeable future.
“We want to assist our citizens and to build up ridership and to let them know we are doing all we can do for our citizens,” said Lottie Jones, the Executive Director of SWRTA.
As the coronavirus has impacted pretty much every aspect of our lives, public transportation has been hit hard as well.
“We understand the hardship it’s had on folks in our area. And for the unemployed who may need to go places, but may not have funds,” she said.
Right now, SWRTA is operating only in Sumter and Lee counties, but continues to offer service to and from Columbia. The mid-day Express Commuter Route has been especially helpful for veterans who have appointments at the VA Hospital in Columbia, she said.
This service runs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and is available not just for veterans, but for anyone who needs to go to Columbia and get back to Sumter.
Riders are required to wear masks, she said, and social distancing measures are in place. The SWRTA is in the process of putting hand-free sanitizer on the buses, she said, while several daily cleanings are now part of the normal protocol.
“We’ve taken many safety precautions,” she said, “and we want folks to feel secure while riding our vehicles.”
For more information, call (803) 775-9347 or visit https://www.swrta.com/
*See PDF for information and scheduling.
As of 11:59 p.m. on June 7, 2021, there have been 594,574 cases of Covid-19 in South Carolina, according to the state Department of Environmental Health and Control (DHEC).
There have unfortunately been 9,761 deaths, with 23,372 hospitalizations and a total number of tests reaching 7,978,587.
For Sumter County, we’ve seen 10,519 cases of Covid-19, with 499 hospitalizations and 209 deaths. The total number of tests performed has been 144,425.
State and federal authorities continue to offer simple advice for staying healthy: Wear a mask in public, socially distance from others by staying at least six feet apart, wash your hands often, avoid crowds and crowded places and if you don’t feel well, stay home.
If you don’t feel well you need to get tested.
There will be FREE TESTING at Sumter County Health Department (DHEC) at 105 North Magnolia Street, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, Neither an appointment nor a referral is needed, but you can pre-register at https://covidtest.dhec.sc.gov/en-US/
There will be FREE TESTING at Central Carolina Technical College, 506 North Guignard Drive, courtesy of Tour Health, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. No referral is needed, but an appointment is needed. You can register here: https://www.tourhealth.com/
Other testing sites that charge a fee include: Colonial Family Practice, 325 Broad St., Sandhills Medical Foundation, 425 North Salem Ave., CVS Pharmacy, 41 East Calhoun St. and The Integrated Wellness Center, 738 W. Liberty St.
For more information, visit the DHEC website: https://scdhec.gov/
*See PDF for information and scheduling.
Sumter County Council Tuesday evening passed a balanced budget that included a 2-mill increase as the Sumter School District requested.
Before a 6-1 vote to approve the budget and millage increase, Sumter City-County Planning Director Helen Roodman spoke about a request to rezone 77.14 acres of land at 915 North Wise Drive from Heavy Industrial (HI) to Limited Commercial (LC).
First reading was approved unanimously.
Roodman then spoke about a request to rezone .29 acres of land at 911 Oswego Highway from Light Industrial-Warehouse (LI-W) to Agricultural Conservation (AC).
Councilwoman Vivian Fleming-McGhaney said she appreciated attention being brought to flooding issues in that area. Roodman noted that new floodplain maps will likely be in place within the next 12 months; that process was delayed by the coronavirus.
First reading was approved unanimously.
Roodman then spoke about a request to rezone 1.72 acres of land at 4035 U.S. 15 South from Agricultural Conservation (AC) to Neighborhood Commercial (NC).
Third reading was approved unanimously.
Roodman then spoke about a request to rezone 18.99 acres of land at 1045 Cockerill Road from Heavy Industrial (HI) to Agricultural Conservation (AC).
Third reading was approved unanimously.
Sumter County Attorney Johnathan Bryan then spoke about an ordinance to amend the Sumter County Waste Disposal Fee to $52.19 to $53.76 for Fiscal Year 2022 with a 3 percent increase each year for a subsequent nine-year period.
During a Public Hearing, no one spoke. Third reading was approved unanimously.
Council Chairman James T. McCain Jr. then notified his fellow council members the next agenda item would be an ordinance regarding approval of a request for a 2-mill increase from the Sumter School District’s Board of Trustees.
Councilman Eugene Baten made a motion to give the school district $700,000. Councilman Carlton Washington seconded that motion.
Washington compared various budget costs while advocating for the school district. McCain and Washington discussed the merits of meeting with school board members.
Baten’s motion failed.
McCain noted that the School District’s Board of Trustees requested the 2-mill increase.
Baten voted no for the millage increase. Voting yes were: Chairman McCain, Vice Chairman Jimmy Byrd, Councilwoman Vivian Fleming-McGhaney and Councilmen Charles Edens, Artie Baker and Carlton Washington.
Sumter County Administrator Gary Mixon spoke briefly about the capital bond ordinance regarding the annual issuance of $3.5 million in general obligation bonds to fund capital projects. A great deal of work has gone into the budget process, he said, as about $14 million in requests were whittled down to $3.5 million.
Third reading was approved unanimously.
Mixon then spoke about the budget ordinance and said he’s proud to present a balanced budget of $52,477,365.
Third reading was approved unanimously.
Mixon also thanked Finance Director Uvette Pope-Rogers and her teammate Kelsey Andrews along with others in the Finance Department for their hard work over the last four months. He also thanked all the department heads for their efforts during budget season.
During the Public Comments, Michael Herriot referenced the earlier rezoning matter on Oswego Highway and noted he’s been fortunate to not have problems with his sewer system for the last 20 years.
The meeting adjourned at 6:42 p.m.
*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
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Coronavirus Updates
Sumter County's Covid-19 web page was updated at 10 a.m. on June 10, 2021: Coronavirus.