By Ron Menchaca and Glenn Smith
The Post and Courier
 AP Photo/John Bazemore Family members walk past the row of nine caskets and portraits at the June funeral for the fallen firefighters. |
Charleston, S.C. — Two veteran Charleston firefighters were tapped Monday to fill new positions recommended by an independent panel studying ways to improve the fire department in the wake of the fatal June 18 Sofa Super Store blaze.
Battalion Chief Robert O’Donald will become assistant to Fire Chief Rusty Thomas. Battalion Chief Bryan Kleskie will serve as the department’s new safety officer.
O’Donald is a third-generation city firefighter who often is talked about as Thomas’ likely successor. Kleskie is an Army veteran who holds an associate degree in fire science. Each has been with the department about 20 years.
The postings were among numerous recommendations announced last week by the six-member panel of firefighting experts. The panel, which is expected to issue a more detailed analysis next month, also recommended the department create a position for a public information officer. That job has not yet been filled.
Panel members said the positions will aid the department as it works to address numerous deficiencies, including staffing shortages, lax safety enforcement and failure to keep pace with modern national firefighting techniques.
Mayor Joe Riley said O’Donald and Kleskie are “two outstanding young and experienced firefighters” who are “very smart, professional and able to hit the
ground running.” He said the internal appointments allowed the city to avoid spending a great deal of time searching for prospective candidates.
But some are unhappy with the choices. Roger Yow, who heads the local firefighters’ union that represents about half of the department’s firefighters, called the assignments “outrageous” and said the city should have cast a broader search. “They missed a wonderful opportunity to do the right thing and fill these positions by going outside the (department) to bring in professionals with proven records from a modern fire department.”
Riley said he and Thomas would have been willing to look outside the department to fill the positions but that it wasn’t necessary. The independent review team recommended O’Donald and Kleskie for their respective appointments, and the city concurred, he said.
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