The Saluda Fire and Rescue Department serves a rural community of approximately 3100 residents in 51 square miles and is located in a mountain community, on the crest of the Saluda Gorge, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our department has 36 active members including two 24 hour shift firefighter/EMTs that provide structural, wildland, rescue, EMS first response, and hazmat operations to the residents in our community. We also provide mutual aid to 5 neighboring departments covering an additional 174 square miles and 33,000 residents. While most of our district is primarily undeveloped, it includes numerous single-family homes, a day care with 55 children, and an elementary school with 270 students. We are also a resort destination so we have 1 hotel, plus 7 apartment buildings. Interstate 26 also cuts through a portion of our first-due along with US Highway 176 giving us a traffic volume of over 125,000 vehicles a day.