Columbia, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster today announced that Emily H. Farr will continue serving as the director of the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (LLR). Director Farr was first appointed to her current position by former Governor Nikki Haley in August, 2016 and was confirmed by the South Carolina Senate on March 8, 2017.

“Emily Farr’s focus on fire safety has resulted in a more unified and effective approach than our state has ever seen among its firefighting community, and her passion for making it easier to do business in South Carolina has made it even more attractive for capital investment and for the hardworking people that make up our workforce,” said Gov. Henry McMaster. “Director Farr has proven that she is the right person for the job, and I am grateful for her continued service to our great state.”

LLR has been instrumental in developing a collaborative relationship with SC fire service leaders to carry out the mission of the agency’s State Fire Division. This collaborative approach resulted in the launch of Fire Safe SC, a statewide Community Risk Reduction program with the ultimate goal of reducing fire-related deaths in each county. This program is in partnership with S.C. State Firefighters’ Association, S.C. Fire Chiefs Association, and S.C. Fire Marshals Association.

“I am thankful to Governor McMaster for his continued support,” said Director Farr. “I am excited to continue serving as LLR’s director and look forward to building on the agency’s successes as we carry out our vision of making South Carolina a safe place to work and live.”

LLR has been an essential part of Team South Carolina during the state’s response during Hurricanes Florence and Irma. Through LLR’s State Fire Division, the agency is responsible for coordinating and leading the state’s firefighting and search and rescue emergency functions during statewide emergencies. During the hurricanes, State Fire coordinated and managed in-state search and rescue and firefighting assets sent in response to the storm, as well as search and rescue teams from Tennessee, Louisiana, and FEMA.

LLR’s Division of Professional and Occupational Licensing (POL) administers the licensure process of more than 400,000 licensees and is currently piloting new licensure application and payment processes with a goal of reducing approval times. This new process already has cut printing costs by 50% and 88% of POL licensees are now renewing online.