The South Carolina Civil Defense Agency was established in 1950 by the South Carolina Civil Defense Act. The Civil Defense Agency was created to establish a civil defense plan for the state and local areas to insure preparedness for disasters "resulting from enemy attack, sabotage, or other hostile action, fire, flood, earthquake, or other natural causes." (Act No. 896 of 1950). The agency was reorganized as the South Carolina Disaster Preparedness Agency in 1973, which became the South Carolina Emergency Preparedness Division under the Adjutant General's Office in 1977.

• History of the South Carolina Civil Defense Agency