A concurrent RESOLUTION

 

to congratulate W. Paul prince for his sixty years of service with the Loris Fire Department as a volunteer chaplain and first responder and commend him for his dedication to the citizens of Horry County.

 

Whereas, the members of the South General Assembly have learned that W. Paul Prince has served for sixty years as a volunteer chaplain and first responder for the Loris Fire Department and would like to commend him for his dedication to the citizens of Horry County; and

 

Whereas, in 1965, he started working as a firefighter with the all-volunteer fire department which only had a 1941 model fire truck and one other vehicle that responded to less than forty calls. Mr. Prince recalls one of his calls, "I drove my car straight to the fire, and I pulled the door open, and there was a burning inside toward the kitchen and towards the bed, because it was just a small trailer. I saw him, not moving and the bed, on the foot, and it was getting smoked up. I held my breath and drug him to safety." Saving people is what makes the late-night calls and the time away from home worth it for Mr. Prince. The Loris Fire Department now operates three engines, one ladder tower, one rescue/squad vehicle, one tanker, two brush trucks, and one antique fire engine; and

 

Whereas, the Loris Fire Department responded to over fourteen hundred calls in 2024, and has been the busiest volunteer fire department in the State for over a decade; and

 

Whereas, it was through the Jaycees that Mr. Prince got his first experience in public service, and held each leadership position in the local chapter. He has served his community as a volunteer firefighter, county councilman, local booster club member, and a poll worker, along with many other volunteer services. During his tenure on county council he worked with his counterparts to secure funding for a county-wide fire department, emergency response service, and 911 service; and

 

Whereas, and as a member of Loris First Baptist Church, Mr. Prince exhibits enthusiasm to serve that stems from a heart that loves the Lord and follows Christ's example of service. He has served a wider community on mission trips with the South Carolina Disaster Relief Team, helping to put roofs on houses in Homestead, Florida, after hurricane Andrew; helping to strip out the inside of flooded homes so they could be restored after the flood in Albany, Georgia; helping with food distribution in McClellanville after hurricane Hugo, and during the pandemic; and

 

Whereas, after sixty years of serving the volunteer Loris Fire Department, Mr. Prince continues his work as chaplain; and

 

Whereas, grateful for his many years of dedicated service to the citizens of Horry County, the General Assembly commends W. Paul Prince for his lifetime of commitment and dedication. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

 

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, congratulate W. Paul Prince for his sixty years with the Loris Fire Department as a volunteer chaplain and first responder and commend him for his dedication to the citizens of Horry County.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to W. Paul Prince.

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