Horry fire chief Crosby to retire; Thompson named interim chief

Nearly a month ago, Chief Fred Crosby made plans to retire from Horry County Fire Rescue.

But when he met with County Administrator Chris Eldridge, the two decided the announcement should wait until after Atlantic Beach Bikefest. Local officials had spent nearly a year planning for the event, which saw three murders in 2014, and they wanted the emergency crews’ leadership to remain intact throughout the busy Memorial Day weekend.

So it was no surprise when the chief handed in a notice Wednesday saying his last day would be Friday.

“It was the cleanest way to do it,” Crosby said. “Everybody was a little nervous about Bikefest and we didn’t think they needed anything to add to the nervousness.”