The needless deaths of 9 men were not one mistake or some single person's fault. The tragedy that happened on Savannah Highway the evening of June 18, 2007 was the result of a chain of compounding errors, command missteps, budget cuts, training deficiencies, poor business ethics combined with fire code violations and pure firefighter bravado.
The Sofa Super Store Fire and the deaths that occurred 3 years ago was not an accident it was a consequence of command failure and a city too obsessed with a balanced budget.
Cedar Posts prior coverage of the fire:
During the night of the Sofa Super Store fire, the crew from Engine 6 was the last out of the building. Capt. Mark Davis (left), engineer Billy Kilcoyne (center) and firefighter Thaddeus Morgan talk about their experience during the fire.
Engine 6 on the Memorial Bridge Cedar Post's conversation with CFD Captain Mark Davis five months after the fire.
Cheating Death On the one year anniversary June 17, 2008 Charleston's Post and Courier published a follow-up to the above story. "Cheating Death" writen by P&C staff writer Ron Menchaca profiled Mark Davis and Billy Kilcoyne as well as Thaddeus Morgan.
The Charleston Post and Courier's detailed coverage Mourning 9 Heros.
Cedar Post's push to build a Training Academy and Fire Station Number 9 at the site of the June 18, 2007 fire. A New Fire Station 9 for Charleston.
4 comments:
NO ACCOUNTABLITY! NO ONE DID ANYTHING WRONG! IGNORANCE KILLED NINE GOOD MEN. NO INCIDENT COMMAND IN THE CFD! THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABLITY DRAWS CLOSER FOR THOSE WHO LEAD THESE MEN TO THEIR DEATHS. NO AMOUNT OF COVER UP CAN COVER UP THE TRUTH, NONE!
NINE GOOD BROTHERS REST IN HEAVEN,
"IN JESUS NAME, AMEN!" LAST WORDS OF FF MELVIN CHAMPAIGN 6-18-07 TIME 19:32:43 FROM INSIDE OF THE SSS
Thank You Cedar Posts whoever you are for telling the truth! These men would not have died had the Chief and Mayor Joe had been up to speed on steel truss buildings.
You know the only reason these guys are dead is because the Asst Chief on the scene set them in! Period! Why he is not behind bars is my question!
The sad truth is that this should have been a wake up call for us all ...but the SC Legislature was bought off by the SC Homebuilders Asso. to the tune of 500,000 dollars in "campaign contributions" and they rolled over on the SC Building Codes Council. Sen "Ragneck" Knotts stood in the well of the senate and attacked SC Building Code Officials who are responsible for the safety of our buildings.
Stay tuned for more deaths in SC because we have passed a law that allows your builder to sell you a substandard home that can become our own families SSS tragedy.
REST IN PEACE MY BROTHERS !!
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