Charleston’s chief is stepping down after five years in the office. She was the city’s first female chief and said her decision to resign was personal.
According The Post and Courier, Charleston’s local newspaper, Karen Brack made an the announcement in an email to city firefighters this morning.
In her statement she wrote: “it is with very mixed feelings that I have made a person decision to resign my post as Fire Chief effective April 7, 2017.”
She continued to say it has “been a great honor to serve this department and this community.”
Brack became chief in August 2012, chosen to succeeded Chief Thomas Carr who resigned due to a battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Chief Carr died a year later. He was credited with putting the department back on track after the 2007 Sofa Super Store fire which killed nine firefighters.
According to the newspaper, Brack continued Carr’s work to modernize the metropolitan fire department with more than 300 firefighters in 20 fire companies.
The Post Courier reported that under Brack’s tenure, the fire department moved its headquarters to a brand new station and secured mutual aid agreements with neighboring communities.
Charleston’s Mayor John Tecklenburg said Brack “has been instrumental in the outstanding achievement of the Charleston Fire Department over the past five years,” and that she “personified its mission to protect the lives and property of our citizens.”
