Phillip Boyle
Fort Hill – Graham County commissioners have terminated the county’s emergency services director, but it was not immediately clear what led to the dismissal.
County Manager Jason Marino said that Graham County Emergency Services Director Phillip Boyle was terminated on Friday.
Marino did not state the reason of Boyle’s dismissal.
Boyle, in an in-person visit to The Graham Star on Tuesday, acknowledged that he was terminated but provided no details.
“I am unable to discuss what is going on,” he said.
Marino hired Boyle on Sept. 30 over five other candidates. The hiring did not require approval from the Graham County Board of Commissioners, according to previous news coverage.
Boyle had previously served as emergency preparedness coordinator for the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. He moved to Graham County from Lexington, S.C.
He had served in other emergency medical services and emergency management positions in South Carolina, Alaska, and North Dakota.
Morino said EMS Capt. Brian Stevens will serve as interim emergency services director.
Stevens served as interim director for a short time following the resignation of previous long-time director Larry Hembree, who resigned in August 2021 effective Sept. 30, 2021.
Boyle was hired on Hembree’s last day, with his start date on Monday, Oct. 4.
Graham County Emergency Management is located at 70 West Fort Hill. Office hours are from 7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Monday – Friday. It manages a staff of more than 20 emergency medical technicians and paramedics and a fleet of several ambulances. Emergency Management is a lead agency in coordinating resources in the county and resources that other state and local agencies might be able to supply Graham County.