James Thomas is Bluffton Township Fire District's new Shift 3 battalion chief. Vernon Edenfield retires after 30 years, with a public send-off Friday, Oct. 30.

The Bluffton Township Fire District has a new battalion chief, and a battalion chief of nearly two decades is retiring this month.

James Thomas is now battalion chief for Shift 3, assigned to Station 38, the district said in a news release Wednesday. His promotion took effect Aug. 29. He was pinned at the Fire Commission Board meeting Tuesday, Oct. 20, with his family, co-workers and district leaders there.

Battalion Chief Vernon Edenfield retires after 30 years in the fire service. The district has invited the public to his retirement celebration at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at Station 38, 260 Raider Drive.

James Thomas: 18 years with the district

Thomas joined the district Aug. 11, 2008, and started on Shift 3. The release lists his career:

  • 2009: national and South Carolina emergency medical technician certification
  • 2018: deployed to Horry County after Hurricane Florence, with an engine company covering Horry County Fire Rescue stations
  • 2020: promoted to lieutenant and moved to Shift 2, most recently in charge of Ladder 333
  • May 2026: Fire Officer designation from the Commission on Professional Credentialing, part of the Center for Public Safety Excellence
  • September 2026: Fire Officer III certification

He has also served as a hazardous materials technician on the district’s hazmat team. He has driven and operated the aerial trucks, Truck 335 and Ladder 333.

Vernon Edenfield: 30 years in the fire service

Portrait of Battalion Chief Vernon Edenfield of the Bluffton Township Fire District in uniform.
Battalion Chief Vernon Edenfield. Photo: supplied by the Bluffton Township Fire District.

Edenfield started out in Texas, where he earned his EMT-Basic and Firefighter I certifications in July 1995. That is according to the district’s retirement announcement on Oct. 12.

After moving to South Carolina, he added:

  • South Carolina EMT-Basic in 1997, then Firefighter I and II
  • National Registry paramedic in 1999
  • South Carolina Fire Officer I in 2001
  • Fire Instructor I in 2002
  • Fire Officer II in 2006

The district promoted him to captain Dec. 16, 2004, and to battalion chief May 3, 2008. As a line captain he helped with medical training and recertification for district crews. In the mid-2000s a disaster dog named Rudy regularly came to the station with him.

“For 30 years, he has invested in this organization, the firefighters around him and the community we serve,” Fire Chief David Hindman said in the release. “We are grateful for everything he has contributed and wish him the very best in retirement.”

What it means for you

Anyone who worked with Edenfield, or was helped by his crews, can say thank you in person:

  • When: 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30
  • Where: Station 38, 260 Raider Drive, Bluffton
  • Who: open to the community, current and former colleagues and friends
  • RSVP: not needed; light refreshments are provided

The district covers 246 square miles of southern Beaufort County from nine stations. It broke ground on Station 39, its 10th, in May. For calls and incidents across town, see our Police and Fire log.