In this episode:
Firefighter After Action Review: Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire takes listeners inside the experiences of Charleston Fire Department leaders, as they share their firsthand experiences from the tragic Sofa Superstore fire on June 18, 2007, which claimed nine firefighter lives.
Well, working here in Charleston, I consider Charleston a very traditional city. We didn't have the best equipment, we didn't have the best staffing, but we were able to get the job done. I would put a Charleston firefighter up against any firefighter in the nation because I think we were that department ... We had heart.
In the powerful first episode of our Firefighter After Action Review: Charleston Sofa Super Store Fire series, we sit down with Assistant Chief Joseph Roberts, Assistant Chief David Griffin, and Battalion Chief Thomas Axon. The chiefs share their personal journeys into the fire service and what drew them to serve in Charleston, offering a window into the department’s culture and operations before the tragedy—a department full of heart but stretched thin in staffing and resources.
Listeners will hear candid recollections of their relationships with the fallen firefighters and an unflinching look at the events of that day. From the moment they were notified to their roles on the fireground, the chiefs provide a detailed account of the chaos, challenges, and split-second decisions that defined the response. This conversation highlights not only the bravery of those lost but also the lasting impact that line-of-duty deaths have on a fire department and its community.
It goes from one firefighter missing, then we got two, then we got three, and eventually it even went up to 10 or 11 firefighters missing and you got a job to do, but you're taking this in and you really can't believe what you're listening to on the radio.
Remembering
And so I learned very quickly on that day that all of those stories and those lessons that they were trying to teach me—those would've come in really handy on that day if I would've paid attention. So, as a young firefighter, that's why it's so important to listen to these lessons that these older firefighters have, because they've lived a lot of what you're going to live in your career.
