By Jamie Thompson
FireRescue1 Editor
CHARLESTON, SC — There are not many newly appointed fire chiefs who can say they’ve had an impact on their department before their first day on the job. But there aren’t many fire chiefs like Thomas Carr.
The Montgomery County, Md., fire chief was named Monday as the new chief of the Charleston Fire Department. His appointment has been hailed as a coup for the city, with Charleston mayor Joseph Riley saying he has achieved his goal in bringing the “best person in America” to lead the department.
While Chief Carr’s appointment can not be officially be ratified until the city council meets next Tuesday, the 54-year-old has already made inroads into bringing about the desperately-needed change that was highlighted by last year’s Sofa Super Store fire, which killed nine firefighters.
Advanced training
In the wake of the fire, Chief Carr invited commanders from the Charleston Fire Department to attend advanced training in Montgomery County. He showed not only that thing should be better, but perhaps more importantly, that they could be better.
The benefit these sessions brought to Charleston are obvious — but they also gave Chief Carr personal perspective on a department which, just a few months later, would be looking for a replacement for Chief Rusty Thomas, who retired in June.
“When the job came up, I looked at it with interest,” Chief Carr said. “I thought ‘I’ve made lot of progress with Montgomery County and we are doing well — now here’s an opportunity to work with the firefighters of Charleston and maybe have an impact there.’”
Getting to know some of the Charleston members through the training sessions only affirmed his interest, Chief Carr said, describing those he worked with as “tremendous.”
But it was the concerted effort and drive of Charleston to find a suitable chief to take the department forward that was most impressive, he said.
As one of seven final candidates for the job, Chief Carr completed two days’ worth of interviews and meetings last Tuesday.
“It was a very grueling process, but it really showed the commitment that the community has to the fire service, more than any I’ve seen anywhere,” Chief Carr said. “It was unbelievable.”
‘Country’s finest’
In making the announcement Monday, Charleston Mayor Riley said Chief Carr’s reputation in the fire service is “unsurpassed,” and that he hopes the new chief will help the department to become the finest in the country.
It’s fair to say huge changes will be needed for that to happen, but Chief Carr said he relishes the opportunity.
“I have worked hard in Montgomery County to effect change — I’m one of those people who thrive on that,” he said.
“I think that’s part of the interest I have in Charleston … and working with the folks here to figure out what path takes us to the best place.”
 The fire service continues to evolve its approach to fires and we’ll need to keep our finger on the pulse.  | ||
| — Chief Thomas Carr | ||
Chief Carr’s resume is impressive. He holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Maryland University College and a BA from National-Louis University. And his work in the fields of emergency management, firefighter health and safety and incident command is well known across the country.
He puts significant weight on learning from mistakes and following the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives. When he hosted senior members of the Charleston department for the training sessions last year, Chief Carr said it made him reflect on the near misses within his organization.
“They’ve always been of significant concern to me,” he said.
An example can be found two years ago, when Chief Carr noted a rise in collisions involving apparatus.
“We were having close to 200 collisions a year,” he said. “So we had a real focus on that and were able to drop that down significantly, by about 20 percent in the first year after.”
Change of focus
Having spent his entire 30-year fire service career in Montgomery County, including the past four as chief, the new post will certainly offer Chief Carr new challenges.
Montgomery County has about 2,100 career and volunteer firefighters, compared to the 246-person strong Charleston Fire Department, and has a much bigger call volume.
The lower call volume is not a bad thing, according to Chief Carr, who said it will allow him to focus on other areas.
“Not that I don’t enjoy the working fires, but I am happier working day in and day out having people focus,” he said. “I get excited making progress in that area. I am more focused now in my career on the people and making sure I am able to support the people.”
To enable this, Chief Carr said he is committed to ensuring Charleston looks at
the latest technology for firefighters, both from an equipment and procedural perspective.
“The fire service continues to evolve its approach to fires and we’ll need to keep our finger on the pulse,” he said. “I am committed to doing that and fighting for whatever we need.”
One of the early tasks for Chief Carr in the new position will be working with the task force that was set up to look at the department and its response to last year’s fire.
Headed by Gordon Routley, the team has already completed an initial review of the department and detailed analysis of the Sofa Super Store fire. But the final part of its three-phase mission — the development of a five to 10-year strategic plan — was put on hold following the resignation of Chief Thomas a day before the findings of the report were released.
Chief Carr’s appointment will enable the team to move forward with its final duties.
“It’s a great team and it’s critical that we do strategic planning,” Chief Carr said. “It’s critical to create a roadmap.”