04/17/2026
At the most recent Newberry County Council meeting, Pomaria Fire Station 4 and Pomaria Rescue Station 13 were recognized as part of a longstanding tradition to highlight our volunteer departments and the vital service they provide to our community.
Emergency Services Director Tommy Long introduced Mr. Barry Richardson, chief of both Pomaria Fire and Pomaria Rescue. Chief Richardson shared his appreciation to Newberry County Council for the recognition and stated that Pomaria Fire Department was one of 10 stations organized in 1960 to form the county's initial volunteer fire service. Members attended their first training class in 1961, and the station obtained its first fire truck in 1962.
The department currently has 22 members, including 14 interior firefighters, with three certified at the Firefighter I level and five certified at the Firefighter II level. All members have some degree of National Incident Management training, and many have taken advanced-level National Incident Management System classes. Eighteen members have Hazmat training, with four at the Technician level. Seven members are second- or third-generation volunteer firefighters in Newberry County. In 2025, they responded to 176 calls. In addition to serving Newberry County, they provide mutual aid response to Richland County and Fairfield County and are a part of the SC Firefighter Mobilization program.
The Rescue Squad was chartered in 1987 to address a need for services in the Pomaria community and began providing basic rescue services in 1988, followed by a basic ambulance service in 1989. The Squad currently has 34 members, including six paramedics, one advanced EMT, and five basic EMTs. In addition to medical responses, the squad has the equipment and training to respond to vehicular extrications, rope rescue, confined space rescue, wilderness search and rescue, collapse rescue, and trench rescue. The squad responded to over 400 calls in 2025.