Firefighter Retires After 51 Years Serving Communities

After half a century of running toward danger while others ran away, volunteer firefighter Bill Rimm finally gets to rest.

Horry County Fire Rescue honored Rimm at a retirement ceremony at Station 45 in Carolina Bays, celebrating his 18 years of volunteer service with the department. But his commitment to saving lives started long before that, spanning more than 33 years with other fire departments, including Washington DC Fire Department's Rescue Company.

The ceremony brought together operational staff, command teams, administrators, and Rimm's family for an emotional send-off. Chief Tanner presented him with a plaque recognizing his dedication, and attendees shared cake and a meal to mark the occasion.

Fellow firefighters praised Rimm not just for his decades of experience, but for how he shared that wisdom. One colleague remembered him as "so humble and so knowledgeable at the same time," calling him a class act who would pick up overtime shifts even in retirement from his full-time department.

Why This Inspires

Volunteer firefighters like Rimm form the backbone of emergency response across America, especially in smaller communities. They leave dinner tables, miss family events, and interrupt sleep to answer calls for help, all without a paycheck.

Rimm's 51 years represent thousands of calls answered, countless lives touched, and a commitment that spanned half a century. He trained new recruits, responded to emergencies in multiple communities, and showed up shift after shift because his neighbors needed him.

His story reminds us that heroes don't always wear capes or make headlines. Sometimes they're the quiet volunteers who show up year after year, decade after decade, simply because it's the right thing to do.

As Chief Tanner told Rimm at the ceremony: once a member of the HCFR family, always a member of the HCFR family. After 51 years of service, that family extends far beyond one fire station.