CDBG Grants Will Award Life-Saving Equipment to Saluda County, Facility Improvements in Greenwood, Abbeville Counties

Life-saving equipment for Saluda County is among three Community Development Block Grants awarded to the Upper Savannah Region, the State announced this week.

Grants were awarded to Saluda, Greenwood and Abbeville counties. Upper Savannah COG Community Development staff prepared and submitted the grant applications to the S.C. Department of Commerce in the fall CDBG round.

Saluda County will receive $65,872 to purchase equipment to store and transport vital lifesaving pre-hospital blood for trauma patients. The equipment will provide blood products that will aid in on-scene patient stabilization, significantly improving outcomes for patients with rapid blood loss. Some EMS staff are already certified in blood administration while others will be trained if needed.

Saluda County does not have a hospital or emergency medical facility to aid in emergency calls of this magnitude. Patients must be transported by ambulance or air medical services to the nearest emergency medical facility located outside the county.

The closest emergency room facilities for Saluda County are Edgefield County Hospital (29 minutes), Newberry County Memorial Hospital (approximately 34 minutes), and Self Regional Hospital in Greenwood (approximately 39 minutes). The nearest Level III trauma centers are Self Regional and Lexington Medical Center in Lexington. Aiken Regional Medical Center is a Level IV trauma center.

This project total is estimated to cost $73,372, including a $7,500 local match.

It was the first of its kind grant application to the State.

“Jill Warren contacted me to inquire whether it was eligible for funding through our CDBG program,” Upper Savannah COG Assistant Community Development Director Brittany Hallman said.

Warren is Director/Airport/County Grant Coordinator in Saluda County.

“We have not previously encountered or been involved in a grant of this nature,” Hallman said. “I contacted the state, which they convened and determined it to be eligible under the current program guidelines. This type of project was also new to them.

“So (USCOG Community Development Director) Keith Smith and I arranged to meet with Saluda EMS staff to gather more details on the proposed project and went from there. The project had a lot of supportive elements to justify the equipment need.”

The emergency medical call history in Saluda County revealed approximately 17 cases in 2024 that fell into the statewide blood administration protocol, according to EMS staff member Ethan Derrick. These cases include seven traumatic incidents, eight gastrointestinal-related cases, and two obstetric/gynecological hemorrhages.

Greenwood County has been awarded $923,890 to improve the Department of Public Health facility, formally known as Department of Health and Environmental Control, located at 1736 Main Street South in Greenwood.

Funding would address the deteriorating exterior conditions, HVAC installation, parking lot improvements, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant restroom updates. The proposed project is estimated to cost $1,064,093, with a local match of $140,203.

Abbeville County was awarded $445,328 to improve the DSS facility parking lot located at 909 West Greenwood St. in Abbeville. A report issued by the SC Department of Health and Human Services determined that the facility parking lot was not meeting ADA compliance.

In addition to the non-compliance, other parking lot conditions include unlevel and uneven surfaces, large cracks, deteriorated parking stall lines and speed bumps, and exposed hazards. These hazardous conditions are unsafe and need to be addressed. The proposed project is estimated to cost $506,055, with a local match of $60,727.