Salisbury Fire Department Women's Auxiliary Visits!

We are excited to be hosting members of the Salisbury, North Carolina Fire Department Women's Auxiliary as they visit Charleston this weekend.  Our Team became associated with the SFD over two years ago when they lost two of their own in a tragic fire in a cabinet manufacturing business in Salisbury.  We have had the honor of visiting and working with their firefighters on several occasions and the ladies took us up on an invitation to visit us.  Tonight, we enjoyed dinner with them at Jestine's Kitchen across from Central Station in Charleston before taking them for a riding tour of downtown on Engine 11. Afterwards, they were treated to a tour of Central Station and a visit with the crews of Engine 102 and 103.  Special thanks to my wife, Marci-Jo and CFD Wives Club members Laura Haigler and Jennifer Happ for acting as tour guides,  to Captain Joe Johnston and CFD Retiree Richard Happ for volunteering to drive them around the City, and to the crews of Central Station for hosting them in their station. They will tour Charleston tomorrow before we take them on a ghost walk tomorrow night to cap off their visit.    

CFD Promotional Ceremony Held Today!

Today, we celebrated with the CFD family at the promotional ceremony for all of our new Battalion Chiefs, Captains, Engineers and Assistant Engineers held at the Emmett Robinson Theatre on the campus of the College of Charleston.  It was a special day for those who have worked hard to advance in the department. As we sat in the audience, it was especially exciting to see all of the smiles on the faces of the friends and family members and to hear the sounds of the children.  It made my heart smile as I was reminded of my earlier years.  If I could offer any words to these men, it would be to be proud of what you have accomplished and to cherish every minute of this journey.  This is an exciting time in your lives!    

Carolina Children's Charity Sponsoring Fundraiser!

CFD Retirees Sponsoring Christmas Toy Drive!

CFD  Retiree Joe Gregorie and his grandaughter, Mary

Our Team hosted the CFD Retirees "Hooked Up" program Thursday night at the Visitors Center in downtown Charleston.  We enjoyed a great meal followed with a presentation by CFD Battalion Chief Joey Roberts on the new Engines 108, 115 and Air 101.  Thanks to Chief Roberts and to the crews who joined us for the meeting.   

Retired Battalion Chief Buddy Aytes, Battalion Chief Joey Roberts and Captain Joe Johnston

The Retirees group has decided, once again, to support "Debi's Kids" by collecting toys to be donated to under-privileged children at Christmas time. We are beginning the drive now and will make our delivery of the toys after our December meeting.  Anyone interested in donating to this very worthwhile project can contact our Team offices and we will pick up your donation.

New Red Charleston 9 T-Shirts Now Available!

The red Charleston 9 T-shirts are now once again available. Diane French and her family have graciously decided to donate any profits from the sale of these shirts to our Team in memory of Mikey. Please send us a Facebook message if you would like to order these shirts or call Gerald Mishoe at (843) 609-8300 or e-mail him at gerald@scfirefighters.org.

CFD Retiree Ernie Droze has donated two original photographs to us of the wreck of Charleston Fire Department Engine 3. The inscription on the back of one of them says that this accident occurred on May 21, 1916, at 9:05 p.m., at the corner of King and Society Streets, responding to Box 613. Assistant Engineer Markley Prince was fatally injured in this accident. What a important piece of our history! We will cherish them and display them in honor of Engineer Prince. Special thanks to Ernie and Sonya for allowing us to have these.

Dedication Set for Captain James Hardison

This Saturday, September 18, the family and friends of CFD Captain James Hardison, deceased, will gather at Cook Field at the corner of North Rhett and Remount Road in North Charleston to plant a tree and place a marker in honor of his 6oth birthday.  Capt. Hardison, a popular CFD Captain, was stricken with a heart attack while playing and coaching softball at the field on April 20, 1997.  His family has extended an invitation to CFD members to join them for this dedication that will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the field.  

Promotional Ceremony Set for New Battalion Chiefs, Captains, Engineers, and Assistant Engineers!

The Charleston Fire Department invites family and friends to celebrate the promotion of our new Battalion Chiefs, Captains, Engineers, and Assistant Engineers at a ceremony on Thursday, September 23, 2010, at 2:00 p.m., at the Emmett Robinson Theatre, Simons Center for the Arts, located at 54 St. Philip Street, in downtown Charleston. Please R.S.V.P. Debbie Brown by September 20, 2010 at (843) 720-1981.

Services Set for CFD Retired Firefighter John Hutchinson

Earlier this week, we informed you of the passing of CFD Retired Firefighter John Hutchinson.  His funeral services have now been set with the wake being held on Friday, September 17, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the New Israel Reformed Episcopal Church located at 60 Simmons Street in downtown Charleston. His funeral will be at the church on Saturday, September 18, at 1:00 p.m.,  with burial at Monrovia Cemetery on King Street Extension.

Hurricane Preparedness Workshop Held Tonight!

Thanks to everyone who came out tonight for our Hurricane Preparedness Workshop. We were happy to welcome new folks in our community who have moved here from New Mexico, New York and Pennsylvania.  While our attendance was less than we hoped for, we will continue to work to provide support and programs to assist our CFD families and members of the community. Special thanks to Mark Ruppel, our CFD Public Information Officer, who did a splendid job!

In Sympathy . . . . . . . . .

It is with sadness that we report the passing of CFD Retiree John Hutchinson. John last served in the CFD in the Coming Street station.  He was a member of the CFD Retirees' Group and always attended our annual picnics. Funeral arrangements will be announced later this week. 

Chick-Fil-A KId's Night A Success!

Thanks to the Captains and crews of CFD Engine 116 and SAFD Engine 301 for making the Chick-Fil-A Kid's Night a great success tonight. It was a pleasure for this old man to watch you guys work the crowd! Al Thompson, the owner of Chick-Fil-A and his staff have been so supportive of all of us after the SSS fire. It was nice to be able to help them out. Thank you, Mr. Thompson, it was our pleasure to be there tonight. Looking forward to the next time!

Hurricane Preparedness Workshop Reminder!

The Charleston Firefighter Support Team is sponsoring a Hurricane Preparedness Workshop for the CFD family to be held on Wednesday, September 15, beginning at 7:00 p.m., in the conference room of the Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center located at 2100 Charlie Hall Blvd., West of the Ashley. Many topics will be discussed including preparing your homes, supplies that you may need, evacuation routes, shelter availability, and living in a community damaged by a storm.

We will have several members of the CFD there to discuss their personal and on-duty experiences with storms in the past. Being at work while your families are at home during a storm can be an unsettling experience for you and your loved ones. Being stuck in traffic on an evacuation route for hours can be scary, especially with young children in the car. Loss of electricity, telephone service and gasoline for days is something many of you have not experienced.

It is important for all of you to take advantage of this important meeting. Sharing of experiences by those of you who have been here during a storm will be invaluable to our new families. Secondly, it has been twenty-one years since Hurricane Hugo changed the face of Charleston and our lives and many of you who experienced it were children at the time. We have had many close calls over the years that put our preparedness to the test. Hurricanes Floyd and Gaston are just two that readily come to mind.

Please come out and join us for this informative evening.

"Never Forget" Camaro Makes 4 Second Pass!!

It is hard to believe that a race car can teach you so many lessons of life. Patience, commitment, and determination are all virtues that we have learned in building, tuning and running the Charleston 9 “Never Forget” Camaro and tonight it all finally paid off. Our hot rod ripped off a 4.92 second pass tonight while competing in the Top 8 Doorslammers race at Dorchester Dragway. It was good enough to put us second in the qualifying order. Unfortunately, the track conditions prevented the completion of the race but we’ll go on to Fayetteville, NC for the next race on September 18. This run was our first in the 4 second range and a goal we have been working on for several years. R.I.P. Charleston 9. This one was for you!

Our "Tools of the Trade"

The modern Fire Service is fortunate to have an array of the best of equipment and tools to "get the job done". Whether it's the latest in rescue equipment or a brand new ladder truck, we are blessed to have much to make our firefighters' jobs easier and safer. Our Team is no different in that we utilize what will enhance our ability to reach out to our firefighters, their families, and to the general public in promoting our firefighters and the services they provide to their communities. These are just a few of our Team's "tools".