Duke Energy Foundation grants boost emergency response across South Carolina

Across South Carolina, local emergency response agencies are on the front lines when severe weather strikes. Even well‑prepared teams can face capacity gaps when storms create overlapping emergencies, turning routine responses into complex, multi‑site operations that strain available resources.

To help address those challenges, the Duke Energy Foundation launched its HERO (Helping Emergency Response Organizations) grant program in 2022. The program partners with local agencies to fund practical, on‑the‑ground resources that improve coordination, response times and safety during hurricanes, winter storms and other severe weather events.

HERO funding supported the purchase of professional‑grade chainsaws, protective gear and maintenance equipment for a dedicated deployment trailer supporting Dorchester County’s rapid response efforts.

Those investments are already making a difference across South Carolina.

In Anderson County, Hurricane Helene in 2024 created dozens of hazardous road closures at once, quickly stretching emergency resources. Using a $15,000 HERO grant, the county purchased a fully stocked traffic‑control trailer with cones, barriers and portable speed bumps. The centralized trailer allows crews to quickly mobilize and secure multiple sites at the same time.

The investment proved valuable during Winter Storm Fern in 2026, when crews quickly blocked unsafe routes and warned motorists as conditions worsened.

“During large-scale storms, we’re not responding to one scene – we’re responding to dozens,” county officials said in their grant application. “This trailer helps us manage multiple hazards efficiently while keeping our firefighters and the public safer.”

The addition of this Salt Dogg spreader doubled the City of Sumter’s winter treatment capacity, helping crews keep roads open throughout Winter Storm Fern.

In Dorchester County, HERO funding supported the launch of a Cut & Toss Team to clear debris and restore emergency access during severe weather. When Fern brought down limbs across key routes, the team rapidly cleared priority roadways – reducing delays and easing pressure on fire, rescue and public works crews.

“Having this in-county capability significantly improves our response efficiency,” said Justin P. Newman of Dorchester County. “It strengthens our storm resiliency and improves coordination across departments.”

In Sumter, grant funding expanded the city’s winter weather response capacity through the purchase of a Salt Dogg spreader. During Fern, the new equipment doubled treatment capacity, enabling crews to manage more than three inches of snowfall across the city.

Working alongside the South Carolina Department of Transportation, public works staff treated more than 190 lane miles of roadway using nearly 70 tons of salt.

“That level of response would not have been possible without the added capacity provided by the new spreader,” said Richard Pring, director of public works for the City of Sumter. “The investment made a real difference in keeping roads passable and communities connected.”

During Fern, Oconee County Emergency Services opened two simultaneous shelters with 25-person capacity, one also able to accommodate medical special needs.

In Oconee County, HERO funding supported the addition of a second shelter trailer, allowing officials to operate two warming shelters simultaneously – including one equipped for residents with medical special needs.

V. Aaron Smith of Oconee County Emergency Services said the added capacity has strengthened local preparedness during cold weather events: “The ability to operate two shelters at once has been invaluable. The investment in emergency preparedness strengthens our local capabilities.”

As the Foundation prepares to launch the fifth year of the HERO grant program, emergency managers across South Carolina are continuing to apply lessons learned from recent storms – identifying practical tools that expand capacity and improve response when conditions are at their worst.

For counties that have already deployed these resources, the impact is tangible: faster route clearance, improved communication during outages and expanded shelter capacity when residents need it most.