Through The Smoke: The Charleston Fire...What's Changed? - Part 1
In June of this year, nine brave firefighters from the Charleston, SC, Fire Department (CFD) were tragically killed in a commercial building fire. These men, Captain William "Billy" Hutchinson, Captain Mike Benke, Captain Louis Mulkey, Engineer Mark Kelsey, Engineer Bradford "Brad" Baity, Asst. Engineer Michael French; Firefighter James "Earl" Drayton, Firefighter Brandon Thompson and Firefighter Melvin Champaign.
An independent panel hired to study the CFD following the Sofa Super Store tragedy recommended a major overhaul of the department's practices, procedures and equipment. And following the fire, the report and other information - what has really changed so far? What are the steps of change? What changes will be happening and what the additional phases of the report may recommend following the fire that killed nine firefighters.
Join Chief Billy Goldfeder for a discussion with the panel about the fire and the report and what these noted experts found when they went to Charleston. Joining us on the show will be retired Fire Chief Gordon Routley, fire protection expert; Tim Sendelbach, former chief of training for Savannah, GA, Fire and Emergency Services; Mike Chiramonte, a fire inspector and former fire chief in Lynbrook, NY; and Montgomery County, MD, Fire PIO Pete Piringer.
The guests discuss what they've observed and recommended as well as what has changed so far at the CFD, what will change and the important issues related to implementing and affecting "change". Perhaps, and even more importantly, we will here how Phase 1 of the report can be of value to every fire department.
Note: Panel members Assistant Fire Marshal Kevin Roche from Phoenix and Assistant to the Fire Chief Brian Crawford were at previously scheduled details during this recording.
Please send any suggestions, questions or comments, to: [email protected].
Related Links:
• Charleston Phase 1 Report (PDF)
• Frustrated Charleston Firefighters Come Forward
• Firehouse.com's Coverage of the Charleston Tragedy
• Remembering the Worcester Six - Dec. 3, 1999
• Firehouse.com's Worcester Coverage
• Chief Frank Montagna's Memorial Page for Dec. 18, 1998 fire that claimed three FDNY firefighters
• NIOSH Report for Dec. 18, 1998 Fire
• NIOSH Report for Dec. 22, 1999 fire that claimed three Keokuk, IA, firefighters
• NIOSH Report for Dec. 16, 2003 Fire that claimed one New York City Firefighter
• Remembering Pearl Harbor - Dec. 7, 1941
• USS Arizona Memorial
• Need a "Freedom at All Costs" reminder? Click here
• The Leader's Toolbox: "I'm Just a Volunteer and Lessons Learned in Charleston
IPOD Compatible:
• iTunes - Subscribe to Podcast FREE Here
About the Author
Billy Goldfeder
BILLY GOLDFEDER, EFO, who is a Firehouse contributing editor, has been a firefighter since 1973 and a chief officer since 1982. He is deputy fire chief of the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department in Ohio, which is an ISO Class 1, CPSE and CAAS-accredited department. Goldfeder has served on numerous NFPA and International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) committees. He is on the board of directors of the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival Section and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
Richard Gasaway
Richard B. Gasaway, PhD, CSP is an authority on human factors, situational awareness and the high-risk decision-making processes that are used in high-stress, high-consequence work environments. He served 33 years as a firefighter, EMT-paramedic, company officer, training officer, fire chief and emergency incident commander. Gasaway's doctoral research included the study of cognitive neuroscience to understand how human factors flaw situational awareness and affect high-risk decision-making. He authored six books, and his contributions on situational awareness and decision-making are featured and referenced in more than 400 publications. Gasaway's training programs have been delivered to more than 88,000 students.