Proposed location of EMS station sparks feedback from readers
• Placing an EMS station directly across from Daniel Island School is not just a poor choice – it is a dangerous one. The Barfield and Pierce intersection is already one of the most hazardous areas on the island. Every school day, hundreds of children are walking, biking, or being dropped off while cars speed through, parents are distracted, and traffic clogs both directions. We’ve already seen close calls and near misses with even a young boy several years ago being run over by a pickup truck at this very location. To add emergency vehicles into this chaos is to invite disaster. Instead of improving safety, this decision would actively endanger students, families, and residents. Emergency vehicles rushing out into congested school traffic would be delayed when seconds matter most to those EMS are heading out to save. Worse, the chances of another accident – a child struck, a car collision, a family pet injured, a panicked driver swerving – would skyrocket. And the congestion doesn’t stop with Daniel Island School. Immediately after that wave of drop-off and pick-up traffic comes Bishop England High School, with inexperienced student drivers flooding Etiwan Park and Barfield heading just a few blocks away. That creates back-to-back peak traffic periods – first young children on foot and bikes, then teenage drivers rushing to school – right where emergency vehicles would need to enter and exit. Now the idea that EMS vehicles could simply “park elsewhere” during these times is absurd. Taxpayer money should never be wasted on a facility that cannot function for 20–30 hours every week. And beyond school hours, the DIS school is surrounded by playgrounds, tennis courts, and fields where a lot of children gather daily, often without parents present. Are we really willing to risk speeding ambulances, and dangerous vehicle traffic right in the middle of where our children learn and play? This location is unsafe. It is irresponsible. And it puts both the mission of EMS and the lives of this community and our children in jeopardy. Another site should be chosen that ensures rapid emergency response without gambling with community safety and our tax dollars.
• The EMS has to be placed on Berkeley County property. If it’s not put there it will be put off DI which means a much longer response time for emergencies. If a child gets hurt (i.e. hit by a car that is speeding down the side roads) we would want EMS there ASAP and not have to wait 20 minutes because it’s coming from somewhere off Clements Ferry Road. EMS doesn’t necessarily speed down residential roads. And they generally don’t drive around with sirens unless there’s a real emergency. No one minds hearing the fire truck sirens when there’s an emergency – it just doesn’t happen that often. I was a volunteer for EMS in a small town and I can tell you that the number of times we were called to respond to an emergency was pretty rare. It’s unlikely it’s going to happen during school drop off and pick up times. And, if it does, they are not going to be flying out of the driveway. They will proceed with caution. So, the concerns people have of “EMS vehicles speeding to emergencies while hundreds of children are walking and biking to and from school daily. Not to mention the added noise of sirens” is unfounded. Furthermore, there are so many kids that hang out at Freedom Park at night without any parental supervision. I like the idea of having the EMS presence there to monitor that area. Not sure if they actually sleep at the station or not but any extra set of eyes is welcome.
• The school traffic is very hectic at certain times of the day. All golf cart traffic, car and truck traffic is very busy at all times. Children on bikes and walking would be extremely dangerous for an EMS truck speeding through the neighborhood.
• Living next to proposed location, I witness the large amount of children on bike traffic and car traffic daily. There are already safety concerns regarding traffic flow. The proposed area isn’t centrally located and response time could easily be lengthened during school hours or daily periods of heavier traffic.
• In addition to drop off and pick up times, these locations are simply too busy with pedestrians. From a property value standpoint, building this at either location would seriously impact many adjacent properties. From a quality of life standpoint, having this so near houses would be very impactful. The noise of garages opening and closing, back up beeps, etc., would awaken neighbors even if the sirens were not turned on in the initial block or two. DI Drive is very narrow and often has cars parked from Pierce down to Seven Farms leaving no room to pull over and let an EMS vehicle pass.
• The EMS station is a good idea, but in another place. How could it be fine in one of the busiest places that children are. Plus it would absolutely mar the landscape of the lovely area. I’d be very upset if my home was located there. Makes sense to be somewhere near fire station/ police substation as they all work together in emergency situations.
• It’s 7 minutes for the ambulance to get to the highway because it’s buried in the neighborhood. Also there are too many children around and too many residential houses adjacent. It is a disruptive addition to a wonderfully quiet residential area. Southern Clements Ferry is industrial and much more supportive of an EMS station.
• It is not a safe location with the school being right next door. Also, I do not think the EMS needs to be located right next to homes. It should not be in the neighborhood but in a business area.
• My concern is that it is too residential in the current proposed location. Plus, too close to the school. It seems like this should’ve been known and planned for much longer than two months ago. Have traffic studies been done by the local police department that are in support of this proposed location?
• Keeping the existing location or moving it to somewhere near Governors Park or the helicopter pad would give the emergency vehicles quick access to respond to on AND off island emergencies.
• If the county needs to use the land near the library, the current staked property closer to DI drive is more appealing than the location where the sign is located. I live directly behind the proposed EMS location, if it goes where the sign is located.
• Nature disrupted - trees will be cut - peaceful setting next to library and school gone. Spot next to library and school disrupted.
• I think the location should be central to both sides of the island. It takes 15 minutes to get to some parts of DI Park from the library in no traffic.
• I find it difficult to rationalize this site as the best option, and it’s evident that it is highly congested, especially with young school children during morning and afternoon hours. Kids freely ride bikes and walk here, making it an unsafe and illogical spot for an ambulance to enter and exit. The traffic on Daniel Island Drive also backs up during these times, further complicating access. A much smarter decision would be to place the station downtown Daniel Island, where it can efficiently serve both Daniel Island and the Clements Ferry area without these issues. The risk of an ambulance exiting the driveway and striking a child is a scenario no one wants to envision, and I hope planners thoroughly considered this before deeming this space viable. This location simply does not align with safety or practicality.
• 1. Does not belong in a neighborhood. 2. Will reduce property values of nearby homes.3. Not efficient if separates from fire and police services since they often respond to similar situations. 4. Location next to a school poses a traffic danger during before and after school as children are walking or riding bikes to and from school. 5. Potentially disruptive and/or dangerous to the neighborhood with loud sirens and increased vehicle traffic, especially with the volume of people walking on sidewalks and riding bikes on both sidewalks and streets.
• I think keeping essential services on the island is key. The proposed location is central for a large part of our population, and would not be a large station. It certainly would have less of an impact on traffic and safety than the school itself.
• It is a huge safety concern as well as a concern because of traffic in the area on a two-lane road with nowhere for cars to move over to let the ambulance through. …The rendering of the building is awful and does not match with the Daniel Island aesthetic. I would be furious if I was a resident whose home is worth over a million dollars and had this put in my backyard. The depreciation in value of the surrounding properties would no doubt be affected. No prospective buyer would buy a house with that in their backyard. The residents in the area and their investment needs to be considered. A solution in the downtown central area is where it needs to be. Work with the city at the fire department. It’s worked for all of this time so why isn’t it working now?
• Very glad to have EMS on DI. A location off Clements Ferry is too far especially with traffic. The current location seems most central to all of DI. If current location is not an option, then I absolutely and gratefully support locating by library.
• It is in the middle of the island so it can reach both sides of the island easily, sound will not matter, kids are older in this area, easy access to 526 to get to Clement’s ferry, because st. Thomas Island Drive should not be a thorough fair for emergency vehicles when there is no pull off/ shoulders and also no sidewalks or bike lanes for residence and children. There are mainly ditches or marsh on either side of this road. The emergency vehicles have increased highly recently down this road also.
• It will be fine. 1) Residents of Daniel Island need to realize that this city is growing whether they like it or not. To drag their feet and protest every development will only exacerbate growing pains. 2) These roads are only busy for a sum total of 2 hours a day, M-F, 9 months out of the year. If Berkeley County EMS can't figure out that easy logistically issue, I'm not sure I want them to save my life.
• The proposed location is fine. There’s no other location on Daniel Island that works no matter what people may say. They’ve laid out a plan that would move vehicles during school drop off and pick up for safety concerns.
• This location is in the heart of the DI community and to have it right next to the school allows for an immediate first response for the many kids of DIS. I saw comments of concerns of sirens in the middle of the night, there’s no reason why a standing order can’t be in place in my opinion to go lights not between certain times of the evening hours. The concerns of too many kids is irrelevant in my opinion. Let’s focus on the e-bikes that are flying around the kids when they get out of school before we worry about our first responders making movement to an emergency.
• The location is fine. The drivers of these units take more precaution making sure they are driving safe. I live on the island and I see plenty of private citizens driving with no due regard for others. That includes other cars and kids riding bikes in the streets and sidewalks. The land is already owned by the county and unless the taxpayers want to spend more money to purchase the “perfect” location then let them build in the location they want. On top of that, Berkeley County EMS has most likely done extensive research to figure out if this is a good location. Another thing to think about, has City of Charleston Fire told Berkeley EMS that they need to vacate their property to make way for another fire apparatus. That station houses an engine, ladder and battalion chief. The chief has to keep the car outside due to no space. On top of that, the same station is also a sub station for the police department. I am qualified to speak on this as a local firefighter in the neighboring city.
• The proposed location is too far from the business area and even further away from the retirement and nursing home on the Park Side. There is too much traffic on Daniel Island Drive for an ambulance to easily and quickly navigate to a call. The current location at the fire station is the best location for emergency services. A location near the hotels would also be more central for this purpose.
• There are a number of reasons why the proposed location is not appropriate: Ambulances would have to travel a narrow 2-way section of Barfield to get to a major, wider street (Daniel Island Drive). Sirens would introduce more noise into a residential neighborhood. Ambulances would be taking off from that facility in an area where there are children biking and walking to school and at the playground across the street. During the school year, that area is congested with bus traffic and car lines for pickup. It looks like the parking lot would have to sacrifice parking spaces. These parking spaces are needed for: election day when voting at the library and for parents to park when using that playground and sports fields across the street. The proposed design is not attractive nor keeping with the neighborhood. Sadly, this proposal represents yet another unimaginative solution by Berkeley County.
• It is in an extremely concentrated area with school and library. I also don’t think it is in a neutral location for the people that live on Clements Ferry road. It can take a good 15 minutes to get from one side of DI to the other, having it all the way down DI drive is a disservice to folks in Clements Ferry area.
• My 1st choice would be to keep it where it is but from what I understand that is not an option. The building is only going to be around 1600 sq ft. So it would fit the space on Barfield Street. I would NOT want it built next to the Library with the entrance on DI Drive as that would entail cutting down protected trees. I remember when the city tennis courts were built behind Pierce Street. The homeowners complained about putting the lights on the courts. I think the lights on the EMS building should be a nonissue.
• There appear to be no other options and this one is a good one for keeping it in the community. Jarrod Brooks has investigated every possible location that I have brought up to him, and told me about multiple others that just will not work. It seems this is a great, central location with a good alternative for the busy school drop off and pick up hours.
• As long as sirens aren’t used until it reaches the roundabout and the ambulances exit onto DI Drive and not use Pierce or Barfield through the neighborhoods along with being stationed elsewhere during school start and finish, I don’t see an issue. Having the resource on the island is so valuable and critical timing wise in the event of an emergency!
• I would love for it to be downtown by the stadium. Given the fact that an acre of land is 1.2 million, let’s just be thankful this is available. Moving it off the island is unthinkable
• Somewhere on Daniel Island Drive past the Baptist church or on St. Thomas Island Drive. There is a one-acre parcel of land for $400,000 at 1088 St. Thomas Island Dr.