Myrtle Beach firefighters receive new ballistic vests Myrtle Beach firefighters receive new ballistic vests By Patrick Lloyd | May 5, 2021 at 7:26 PM EDT - Updated May 5 at 7:26 PM MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - The Myrtle Beach Fire Department now has one more tool in its toolbox to help keep its firefighters safe. The department received new ballistic vests thanks to a federal grant given to Grand Strand Health, who gave the department the vests. Officials say they’ll come in handy during some situations. “These are going to be a huge asset to our personnel,” MBFD Chief Tom Gwyer said. “The way the world is ever-evolving, there comes a time where we need to protect our personnel and fire and EMS, and this is going to go a long way to do that and to serve our community when we have these unfortunate events down the road.”