Bluffton Township Fire District promotes James Thomas to battalion chief

The Bluffton Township Fire District has promoted James Thomas, an 18-year veteran of the department, to battalion chief.

Thomas is assigned to Shift 3 at Station 38. He was formally pinned during the Fire Commission Board meeting Oct. 20, with his wife, two sons, father and stepmother in attendance, along with fellow firefighters and district leadership.

Thomas joined the fire district Aug. 11, 2008, beginning his career on Shift 3. He earned national certification as an emergency medical technician in September 2009, followed by his South Carolina EMT certification later that month.

He was promoted to lieutenant in 2020 and reassigned to Shift 2, where he most recently served as lieutenant of Ladder 333.

Throughout his career, Thomas has served as a hazardous materials technician on the district’s hazardous materials team and as an aerial apparatus driver and operator for Truck 335 and Ladder 333.

In 2018, he deployed to Horry County following Hurricane Florence as part of an engine company providing coverage for Horry County Fire Rescue stations.

Thomas earned the Fire Officer designation from the Commission on Professional Credentialing, a program of the Center for Public Safety Excellence, in May 2026. He also earned his Fire Officer III certification in September.

The Bluffton Township Fire District provides fire protection, emergency medical first response and other emergency services across 246 square miles of southern Beaufort County. The district operates nine fire stations and offers fire safety education and community risk reduction programs.

For more information, visit www.BlufftonFD.com.