| Editor’s note: Following the announcement Monday of Thomas Carr as the new Charleston fire chief, FireRescue1 approached three figures who all have unique perspective on last year’s Sofa Super Store fire to find out their thoughts on the selection. |
Carr looks forward to challenges as Charleston chief
Charleston Anniversary Memorial Coverage
 Photo Jamie Thompson Gordon Routley addresses a session at FRI in Denver in August on the Charleston fire. |
Gordon Routley has served as fire chief in Shreveport, La., assistant to the fire chief in Phoenix, and safety officer in Prince George’s County, Md. He heads the task force that was set up to look at the department and its response to last year’s fire.
“The situation in Charleston is a tremendous challenge for any fire chief. However, I am convinced that Mayor Riley has made the best possible choice in selecting Tom Carr to lead the organization. The Charleston Fire Department is made up of highly dedicated and capable individuals who are still recovering from a tremendous blow. They are ready to move forward under the leadership of a fire chief who can see where they need to go, knows how to get there, and has the interpersonal and organizational skills to make it happen.
“Chief Carr is a unique individual who has demonstrated the ability to bring people together and make things happen, without a lot of fanfare. He knows how to focus on the mission and the individual firefighters who get the work done in a way that gets everyone moving in the right direction. It is never about him — it is always about ‘us’ and where we are going.
“Mayor Riley has made a very strong public commitment to support the rebirth of the Charleston Fire Department as a modern, progressive, well-staffed, well-trained and well-equipped fire department. The City Council and the citizens appear to be enthusiastic supporters of that effort. The firefighters are ready to move forward and now they have a fire chief who can provide the vision and the leadership. There is plenty of work to be done, but the circumstances are very positive.”
Blogger Jay Lowry, of Firefighterhourly.com and a FireRescue1 columnist, is a former Charleston firefighter and fire marshal.
“Bringing Chief Carr in means the firefighters in Charleston now have a leader with a national reputation who emphasizes safety, which will help to change the culture that has existed in this city for the past 45 years.
“It was important to not only go outside of the fire department but also outside of the region to bring in someone with a more worldly view. This could be, and in no way am I overstating this, the most important hiring decision in the fire service in the past 10 or 15 years as you’re dealing with what has become known as a very dark day in fire service history.
“To respond in the way the city has with this appointment is appropriate and honors the fallen nine because Chief Carr will be building a legacy that responds directly to them. He will build a department that reflects the sacrifices those men made.
“This type of appointment underscores the need for progressive, educated fire chiefs especially here in the southeast. What has been more important a lot of times has been the person’s longevity within that department as opposed to their ability to transform culture. This appointment will be an eye-opener for any chief who feels as though ‘their way’ is always the right way.
“I know the Carr appointment will resonate locally and within the state, and I’m sure it will nationwide, too. I think we could be seeing a shift happen here, that we are not going to see LODDs occurring because departments are under the watch of people who perhaps shouldn’t be in those positions.”
 Photo courtesy of Roger Yow Roger Yow was a 25-year member of the department. |
Roger Yow retired as president of the Charleston Firefighter’s Association Local 61 last month. He is a former captain with 25 years of service in the department.
“I first met Chief Carr at the IAFF Redmond Symposium in September last year. We had a meeting and talked in depth about the special training he had offered the CFD command staff, and as all the management staff had completed the training, he offered to host some of our members to give them the opportunity to get the same training. We took him up on that offer and sent some of our members to Maryland.
“We also talked about his ties to Charleston and how much he loved the city, and at one point I jokingly told him he needed to retire and come to Charleston to be our chief. I had no idea at the time that it would actually happen.
“When I heard that he was in the running for the position I was very happy about it. We had done our research and found that Chief Carr would be the best choice to lead the CFD into the future.
“Before we had a mayor’s chief, but I truly believe that Chief Carr has been and will continue to be a firefighter’s chief. We welcome him to Charleston and our members look forward to working with him.”