Please join us in welcoming Ben Woods, Jr. to our Team. He was born in Charleston where he lived with his parents on Bowen’s Island near Folly Beach. He moved, as a young child, to Edisto Beach with his parents and would become a volunteer firefighter with his father on the Island. Ben is a thirty-three-year veteran of the fire service. He began his paid career with the Lady’s Island St. Helena Fire District in Beaufort County and served eight years there before moving back to the local area to join Summerville Fire Rescue. He currently serves as a Battalion Chief with Summerville Fire Rescue. He is also a member of the department’s Peer Team and brings his own experiences and struggles to the team and those we serve.
Ben is married to his wife, Marci, a Nurse Practitioner, and they have three adult children, Thomas, a career firefighter at the Albemarle County Fire Rescue in Virginia, Christian, a career firefighter with Summerville Fire Rescue, and his daughter, Peyton, a nursing student. Without question, this is a family of people dedicated to the service of others.
Ben states that his personal mental growth since seeking help himself, has allowed him to see signs and symptoms of mental stress in others as he works to get others the help they need. Without question, Ben is an amazing example of a peer counselor, and we are honored to have him join our Team!