In the 10 years since Charleston lost nine firefighters in the June 18, 2007, Sofa Super Store fire, the department has seen significant changes from the ground up and members say they are proud of the progress.
Following the tragic fire, investigations conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and an independent review panel led by Gordon Routley—who wrote the Routley Report, laid the framework for changes that the department needed to consider.
The department had a lot of ground to cover, based on the findings of the various reports and the American fire service was watching.
Then-Mayor Joe Riley named Montgomery County, MD, Fire Chief Tom Carr as Charleston's new chief in September 2008.