Engineer Walter E. Barrineau, Jr., CFD Retired, Passes Away.

Engineer Walter E. Barrineau Jr., CFD Retired, passed away early this past Saturday morning. Walter Eli Barrineau Jr. retired from the Charleston Fire Department after 25 years of service. He started with the department as an auxiliary fireman during the late 1930's. He became a fulltime paid fireman in 1940. He resigned from the department during World War Two to serve in the United States Navy. He was reinstated back into the CFD in 1946. He was promoted to Senior Engineer in 1958 and retired from the department in 1965. He spent most of his career on Cannon Street, assigned to Engine Company 6 and retired as the Senior Engineer of Engine Company 8. He received burns to his eyes and face while fighting the Tidewater Terminal fire in 1955 and retired from the department due to glaucoma and retina damage.

His funeral service and burial will begin at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 14, at the Bethany Cemetery at the corner of Meeting Street Road and Cunnington Avenue. There will be no wake. The CFD Honor Guard will be his pall bearers and his grandson, CFD Engineer Robert Barrineau, will be playing the bagpipes. Engine 108 will also be present at the request of the family.

He is survived by his son, Capt. Walter "Gene" Barrineau, also CFD Retired, and his wife Susan, two daughters, Judy West and her husband Terry, and Joan Richardson all of Charleston. Mr. Barrineau is also survived by seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Our sincere condolences go out to the Barrineau family.

A Salute to Richie!!

This week will be the last one before our Team member, Richard Denninger, leaves to return home to New York. Richie came to Charleston shortly after June 18, 2007 to help organize an effort to respond to the needs of the CFD after the tragic loss of the Charleston 9. Richie spent 27 years in the FDNY before retiring and returning to their Counseling Services Unit after September 11. He brought a wealth of information, experience, compassion, and his bagpipes to us when he arrived in Charleston and we are all better for it. Richie has been instrumental in the success of our program as he developed the CFD Peer Counselor Team, a group of active duty CFD members who serve our membership on a daily basis. It is impossible to look at any part of our program without seeing Richie’s influence. His leadership and expertise in developing and presenting our Behavioral Health Workshops and Peer Training programs have set the tone for the future of our Team.

From a personal viewpoint, Richie has been our friend, our mentor, our counselor and, most of all, our brother. While we are saddened by Richie’s departure, we will keep him close in our daily thoughts and will look forward to him visiting us periodically to help us with training.  

Racing at Rockingham!

Our Team will be competing with the "Never Forget" Camaro in the "Top 8 Doorslammers Quick 16" race at the Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, North Carolina next Saturday, July 17. Gates open at 9:00 a.m for a full day of racing. Come out and join for some great racing action!

Team to Participate in "The Fight for Air Climb"!

Our Team members, Sarah Braswell and Chris Wells, along with his son Casey, will be climbing the stairs of the North Charleston Coliseum this month to raise money for the American Lung Association. This issue is close to our hearts because of how prevalent lung problems are among firefighters. The stair climb will take place on Saturday, July 31, 2010, and they will be climbing 1,056 steps each! The mission of the American Lung Association is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.

We would like you to consider donating to support their efforts. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of many Americans who struggle to breathe! It is faster and easier than ever to support this great cause.

You can make your donation by visiting http://www.fightforairclimbcharleston.org/ or, if you prefer, you can send your tax-deductible contribution to the American Lung Association at 44-A Markfield Drive, Charleston, SC 29407.

Any amount, great or small, helps in the fight against lung disease and will be appreciated. We will keep you posted on their progress.

What a Great Day!

On Friday, we celebrated the graduation of 33 new CFD recruits along with 4 others from Awendaw and 2 from Folly Beach in a ceremony at the Gaillard Auditorium attended by their families, friends, and fellow firefighters. This ceremony marked the completion of 20 weeks of rigorous training. Congratulations to the recruits and to Chief Ghi, Capts. Cockcroft, Farmer, Hanuscin and the other instructors who worked hard to make this a success!

The Brotherhood is Alive and Well!

Today, while watching the NCFD crews operate at the fire that injured three of their own and later at the MUSC Trauma Center, it was gratifying to witness the outpouring of support for our NCFD brothers and sisters.  From all of those who responded to the scene to the others who were waiting for the injured when they arrived at MUSC, it is very clear that the brotherhood runs deep within our fire department family.

Three North Charleston Firefighters Injured In Fire

Three North Charleston firefighters were injured in a flashover while operating at a single family dwelling fire in the Baker Plantation neighborhood this afternoon.   All three were taken to the MUSC Trauma Center where two were later released and the third was airlifted to the Augusta Burn Center for further treatment. He is stable at this time and is expected to make a full recovery.  Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.