Legacy of Andy Hogg: A life dedicated to emergency service

Andy Hogg dutifully served Barnwell County for over 40 years in many capacities. Now, he is retiring from roles in the county fire service, law enforcement, rescue squad, and his full-time position at Savannah River Site (SRS).

At the July 11 Barnwell County Council meeting, two resolutions of appreciation were presented commending Hogg for his service.

“Ever hear about the turtle and the fence post?” asked Hogg at the meeting. “The turtle did not get on the fence post by himself. I had a lot of good help in the past years.”

Hogg credits his family, volunteer firefighters, past and present sheriffs, and his long-standing career at SRS for allowing him to serve the community as extensively as he has.

“Not many people can say they have had their dream job, but I can. I have made lifelong friends and am grateful for the opportunities that my training afforded me,” said Hogg.

Hogg began working at SRS on June 27, 1983 and will retire on August 24, 2023. For over 40 years, Hogg worked with Centerra– a company providing total security for the 310-square-mile site. This includes access control, property protection, law enforcement, criminal investigations, traffic control, canine services, and much more.

“I just had all the skills and the tools necessary that I could pass it onto another agency,” said Hogg. “That is one of the reasons why I was so fortunate.”

Centerra initially began their contract with SRS in 1983, the same year Hogg began, making him a staple in the site’s safety for over four decades. Much of the training and knowledge Hogg transferred to the community came from his experience at the site.

Fire service: Building a department and a family

Hogg has served as chief of the Long Branch Fire Department since 2008 and played a vital role in establishing fire services in the county.

His father-in-law, the late Jimmy Baxley, served as the captain of the Barnwell Volunteer Fire Service for over 30 years as well as a reserve deputy for the Barnwell County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO).

Hogg explained Baxley was the reason he initially became involved in the community. When Hogg was dating his future bride and Baxley’s daughter, Teresa, he was introduced to the family-oriented world of the fire service.

At the time, departments like Long Branch were not yet established and the county handled fire service as a whole under the Barnwell Volunteer Fire Service. When this service structure began to be compartmentalized, the Barnwell County Fire Commission was created and retired Fire Commissioner Timbo Williams was hired to lead the charge in 2005.

One member from each existing department was selected to serve on the commission and aid Williams in creating other departments and substations.

By this time, Hogg had spent nearly 20 years with the City of Barnwell Fire Department and was one of the individuals selected to be on the commission. He served Long Branch for three years before being elected chief.

The Long Branch Fire Department grew exponentially under Hogg’s leadership. Not only did he play a role in finishing the interior construction of the station, but he made major advancements in Community Risk Reduction even before the S.C. Fire Academy (SCFA) officially recognized the importance of such programs.

Community Risk Reduction/Public Fire Education aims to inform the public on fire safety. Hogg and Long Branch department members were on the forefront of bringing these programs to Barnwell County.

“We were one of the few in the county and few in the state who were actually doing this program,” said Hogg, who spent time researching what other larger departments were doing in the state and localized their initiatives to fit Barnwell County.

Once the state began ramping up their Community Risk Reduction program, Teresa and other members of the department were invited to present their strategies at SCFA conferences and seminars.

Due to these efforts, Long Branch was awarded the S.C. Community Fire Safe and Risk Reduction Award for 2020 and 2021 during the 2021 S.C. State Firefighters Association Fire-Rescue Conference in Columbia.

Long Branch also brought festival style events to spread the importance of fire safety.

“Me and my wife bought bouncy houses, we made more of a carnival event,” said Hogg.

Long Branch Fire Department volunteers and the Hoggs used their own money to facilitate these events geared toward children. Food, carnival games, and more always drew in a crowd.

Local Boy Scout troops eventually became involved and taught children the importance of things such as stop, drop, and roll.

Hogg thanks his wife and other ladies in the department for their continued effort to bring these events to the community.

Long Branch also held events around the holidays to promote community relations and provide an opportunity for children to see what the volunteer fire service was all about. Their Easter egg hunts and Halloween trick-or-treat events also drew in large crowds.

“I love to dress up and have fun too, so most of the time us firefighters would dress up,” said Hogg, who sported a Batman costume at last year’s trunk-or-treat. “We even did haunted wagon rides through the fields.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the department had to change the style of these events from trick-or-treating to trunk-or-treating. However, this allowed for more community facets to get involved such as local churches and organizations.

“We kept it going, we just had to be careful,” said Hogg.

Although there were many high points during his service, there were also a handful of low points.

“I have lost a few members along the way to sickness and vehicle accidents, those are hard,” said Hogg.

Through his time at Long Branch, Hogg gained a fire-family that he will forever cherish.

Both of Hogg’s daughters got involved in the fire service alongside he and his wife, adding to the family-like structure of the department.

“It makes you proud,” he said. “I really didn’t push them to follow in my footsteps, it kind of sort of happened.”

“It more falls in line with tradition and family. A lot of family members, when they grow up with their dad in the fire service, their daughters and sons usually start volunteering,” said Hogg.

“Long Branch Fire Department and its members are my family. I am so very blessed, thankful, and grateful for the amazing people at our station. It has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of such a community-based department,” said Hogg.

Hogg has a long list of people he thanks for helping him along the way, including his “forever assistant chief” Rick Gooding, who Hogg stated has “helped shape LBFD” which he is forever grateful for.

“Thank you for your service not only to the Long Branch community and Long Branch Fire Department but the Barnwell County Fire Service as a whole,” said Barnwell County Fire Commissioner Wesley Gatlin at the July 11 county council meeting.

“Chief Hogg went through Firefighter I and Firefighter II classes with some of his members just to prove he could still do it,” said Gatlin, which resulted in laughs from those in attendance.

Hogg is leaving the department in the hands of Mark Cato– a veteran firefighter who has served in many capacities. Cato will officially become chief at the beginning of next year.

“Mark has been a member of the department for the last two or three years,” said Hogg. “He has a good vision and a good feel for the department.”

“I really believe the community and the department are going to be in very capable hands,” said Hogg of Cato.

Hogg thanked Williams, Baxley, former Williston Fire Chief the late Calvin Melton, current Williston Fire Chief John Melton, Elko Fire Chief Michael Shumpert, and former Blackville Fire Chief Charles Epps for their continued support.

Law enforcement: Reinstating former programs

Aside from dedicating his time to the fire service, Hogg was also a reserve captain with BCSO. He began serving in July 1994 under the late former Sheriff Joey Zorn and was promoted to captain in 2010.

“He’s been a great county volunteer,” said Barnwell County Sheriff Steve Griffith. “Our tactics, our firearms, our tracking team, it wouldn’t be where it’s at but for his volunteer training.”

Hogg trained countless members of the Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team (SERT), many of whom were present at the council meeting to show their support.

“At his direction, they’ve looked at the back end of a dog for many hours and many miles,” said Sheriff Griffith with a laugh.

Hogg and his mentor in the program, former Sheriff Thomas Gantt, reinstated the SERT team and aimed to build teamwork, support, and camaraderie amongst its members.

“Reserve Captain Hogg was instrumental in initiating our Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team and our bloodhound tracking team,” said Sheriff Griffith. “He has used his wealth of knowledge and training in tactical infantry, firearms, bloodhounds, to the benefit of the sheriff's office and to the citizens of Barnwell County.”

At the end of the month, BCSO will be holding a lunch in honor of Hogg’s retirement which was officially on May 1.

“Thanks to all the sheriffs past and present for allowing me to be a reserve,” said Hogg.

He thanks former sheriffs Joseph Zorn, Thomas Gantt, and Ed Carroll, and current Sheriff Griffith.

Overall, he thanks his wife and family for being a constant wealth of support.

A retirement full of traveling

When asked what his plans are for retirement, Hogg said with a laugh, “A whole lot of nothing, and it sounds good to me.”

Hogg and his wife plan to travel with her job during his retirement. Some of their desired destinations include Alaska, Hawaii, and the Cayman Islands.

When he is not traveling, Hogg plans to still be of service to his Long Branch family and the Barnwell County community.