Richbourg announces retirement

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The Clarendon County Fire Department will have a new leader for the first time in more than a decade. In a letter dated April 26, County Administrator David Epperson announced the retirement of longtime firefighter and Chief Frances Richbourg, one of the few women to hold such a position in South Carolina. Her retirement is effective today. Deputy Chief Michael Johnson has been named interim chief. "Throughout her career, she has been a trend-setter, serving as the county's first female fire chief and one of only a few female fire chiefs in South Carolina," Epperson wrote. "She was the handler for the state's first arson detection canine and the first, and only, female president of the South Carolina Firefighters' Association." Epperson said Richbourg led the department through two separate credit ratings, which improved insurance ratings for Clarendon residents. "Under her leadership, the department has grown as a combination volunteer-career department," he said. "Station 16 was added to cover the Industrial Park, a training ground was built, along with a new Station 3 and the ground-breaking of a new Station 4." Richbourg was unavailable for comment Wednesday. See the May 9 edition of The Manning Times for more.