Lesslie firefighters talk safety at schools, plan 60th anniversary celebration

During fire prevention week, the Lesslie Volunteer Fire Department is celebrating its 60th anniversary serving areas southeast of Rock Hill.

Firefighters visited Independence Elementary in Rock Hill on Monday to discuss fire safety with the students. The students toured two fire trucks, looked at firefighting equipment and sprayed water from a firetruck with Sparky the Fire Dog.

One of York County’s first volunteer departments, Lesslie is holding an open house from 2-5 p.m. Sunday at the main station, 3191 Lesslie Highway.

Elected officials will be on hand for a ceremony where the department’s newest tanker truck will be dedicated in honor of the late Larry McConnell, who served as chief until shortly before his death in 2014 after five decades of volunteer service.

Several Lesslie VFD members will be on hand Sunday, including Jerry Williams, one of the founding members of the department in 1955 who was chief for four decades at Lesslie and is still active at the department.

For information, call the main Lesslie station at 803-324-0828.

Staff reports

This story was originally published October 6, 2015 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Lesslie firefighters talk safety at schools, plan 60th anniversary celebration."