Gerald Mishoe, Executive Director
Lowcountry Firefighter Support Team
Charleston , SC
Gerald Mishoe was nominated by Nicholas Fazio of Freedom Financial Solutions.
Mr. Mishoe is currently the Executive Director of the Lowcountry Firefighter Support Team, Inc., an emergency services behavioral health counseling team headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina.
He has been involved in the Fire Service since 1967 as a firefighter, paramedic, company officer, and chief officer. He was inducted into the South Carolina State Firefighter Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2007, he led the development of a counseling unit for the Charleston Fire Department after the tragic deaths of nine Charleston firefighters in the Sofa Super Store Fire.
In 2012, he helped found the South Carolina Firefighter Assistance and Support Team, which provides behavioral health care for emergency services personnel across South Carolina.
In 2013, the Charleston Firefighter Support Team transitioned to a non-profit organization, the Lowcountry Firefighter Support Team, that now serves twenty-three counties in the State with a comprehensive peer and clinical-based program. The Team comprises eighty-seven peer team members and thirty behavioral health clinicians in six different regions of the State of South Carolina.
In 2017, he led the formation of the Lowcountry EMS Support Team, followed in 2018 by the Lowcountry 911 Telecommunicator Support Team to provide improved support for EMS and 911 Telecommunicators.
All three teams (Firefighter, EMS, and 911 Telecommunicators) operate under the original 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization to provide a well-rounded program for emergency services personnel and their families.
Mr. Mishoe is also a development team member of the Center for Firefighter Behavioral Health, headquartered at the Medical University of South Carolina. The Center provides online resources and training for firefighters and other first responders throughout the United States and abroad. He is well-versed in firefighter behavioral health and is a sought-after speaker and instructor in the subject matter.
Under his leadership, the Team has developed a robust community outreach program that supports the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, the Annual Walk for Autism, the Miracle League Baseball Program, and The Point Women’s Group on the Sea Islands supporting the Medical University Women’s Cancer Center. The Team also has four antique fire trucks used for weddings, birthday parties, funerals, parades, and other events in support of the community.
