Firefighter Hourly

St. Andrews Fire Department Needs Overhaul

In the midst of heavy criticism for the inability to work out an automatic aid pact with the City of Charleston it is clear one of two developments must take place at St. Andrews:

1. Merge the PSD with the City of Charleston
2. Overhaul leadership in the fire department

The current situation is both dangerous to firefighters and civilians. The inability to get the closest unit to the scene plus the apparent unwillingness to sit in a room until the problem is solved only adds to the other issues facing the St. Andrews PSD.

Firefighters complain about poor leadership from the top of the department. They say the lack of tactical knowledge alone worries them about their safety. This is echoed from a department that responds with St. Andrews. Firefighters there wonder about the calls made, apparatus positioning and lack of command on the fireground.

Firefighters point to living conditions in the stations, including the headquarters station, and wonder why there has been little to no response on diesel exhaust systems, mold and doors not sealing properly between the apparatus floor and dormitory.

While items previously mentioned are important the safety and survival aspects are most worrisome. We will explore those this week.

St. Andrews Fire Chief Can't Fix Problems

In an article in the Post & Courier the issue of mutual aid is danced around without any satisfactory answers being given. The St. Andrews fire chief states he was unaware of the issues surrounding the shooting that took place near his headquarters station. That's not surprising.

Mark Schrade states departments are working to end decades of backwards operations. However, he fails to provide reasons why his department can't respond on a simple mutual aid call without it turning into two full responses by two different departments. This "fix" is straightforward and not a two year issue. Schrade has been onboard since January of 2007.

Mark Ruppel, Charleston PIO and normally a straight shooter, gets in on the bit of word trickery as well, something pointed out by several Charleston firefighters. If the system is already working with St. Johns, why urge patience with the department you respond with the most? St. Andrews and the City of Charleston responded together on the Sofa Super Store fire yet, over two years later, they still can't get a handle on a straightforward call near the headquarters of St. Andrews. That's more than just a bug in the system.

Schrade also fails to provide any information on the way operations are conducted within his own department. Firefighters have long complained about the way the department is run citing issues as broad ranging as poor communications, substandard dispatching, lack of qualified personnel in command positions, lack of use of equipment purchased using taxpayer dollars,poor tactical decision making and for some firefighters, a lack of empathy and support over the Sofa Super Store. While Charleston firefighters were given access to counseling the chief at St. Andrews, according to some firefighters, failed to provide support for his people. When the Routley Panel gave their report briefing to the St. Andrews Fire Department the chief left just after it started.

Some firefighters complain of a clique, including a battalion chief, getting all they want while other firefighters are ignored. However, the most serious issues are safety and survival issues. We will explore these starting tomorrow.

We will discuss this tonight in the midnight podcast.

Closest Department Still Not Responding in Charleston

While the Charleston Fire Department is moving forward nearby St. Andrews Fire Department appears to be taking a step back in the protection of citizens. Earlier today a shooting occurred less than 1500 feet away from the headquarters of St. Andrews.

However, due to a meeting where St. Andrews chiefs were reportedly told not to jump city calls the department didn't respond. Firefighters walked outside to view the scene because they heard gunshots. A police officer waved them over otherwise they wouldn't have responded. Firefighters are dismayed by the overtly political moves.

Earlier this year the plan was to merge the City of Charleston fire communications with St. Andrews. This hasn't happened and as a result citizens within the public service district and the city may not receive the closest unit. The reason the plan hasn't gone through is political according to several people with politics being on the St. Andrews side.

We call on the City of Charleston to annex the area St. Andrews protects. This is the only way for effective coverage to take place without fear of small minded people protecting their turf.

$2.3 Million Dollar Purchase At St. Andrews PSD Wasted Money

When the St. Andrews PSD decided to fork over $2.3 million dollars for a new fire fleet and some garbage trucks people thought the fire apparatus would run with a company officer. They also thought the expensive quint apparatus would have enough people on it to respond effectively. It didn't happen and now some residents are questioning the purchase.

The old fleet needed to be replaced. It had fallen into disrepair after years of neglect but the price tag was only worth it if the apparatus were used in the manner they were supposed to be used. Despite the outlay in money citizens aren't getting the service they deserve.

St. Andrews has traditionally served as a launching pad for firefighters eager to become members of the Charleston Fire Department. Turnover is fairly high and some firefighters contend there is a leadership gap both with the Chief of Department and the battalion chiefs. They also state there has been very little movement in a positive direction.

For a short time it appeared the new fleet would vault St. Andrews past their neighboring departments. However a lack of focus on tactics, wasted money on apparatus not properly utilized and overall management deficiencies have landed St. Andrews back at the bottom of the heap.

$2.3 million reasons exist for residents to ask hard questions of the fire chief.

St. Andrews Fire Department Can't Meet NFPA 1710

While nearby City of Charleston firefighters are working towards meeting the nationally accepted standard for minimum staffing, the St. Andrews Fire Department has run a Quint with as few as two people over the last year. If Charleston was the subject of intense scrutiny over staffing then St. Andrews must also face the public.

Operating out of four stations, St. Andrews protects citizens in a confusing territory wherein streets will have 40 city of Charleston taxpayers and just one or two from the PSD or vice versa. Fire apparatus will pass the closer station even after the City of Charleston tried to work out an agreement with St. Andrews.

Now much time has been spent on a common SOG and common radio channels but the real solution is to provide all residents with the proper level of protection which St. Andrews cannot do while running less than a thousand calls per year.

NFPA 1710, used in court cases, NIOSH reports and seen as the minimum standard, requires 4 firefighters per engine. St. Andrews rarely staffs the rigs in that manner. In fact, some rigs have been staffed without a company officer, including the "Rescue" which has no rescue technicians assigned to it.

Charleston Should Absorb Ineffective St. Andrews Fire Department

The Charleston Fire Department is more capable of serving the citizens of West Ashley than if they continue to share duties with the St. Andrews Fire Department. At best it is an exercise in poor governing while at worst it is dangerous.

St. Andrews is unable to provide the effective services citizens need. From staffing issues at St. Andrews that Charleston got hammered on to ineffective leadership the wise choice for all citizens is to either annex into the city or have the city take over all services.

One of the issues is wasted tax payer dollars. A Quint was purchased last year and now runs as an engine only. The extra money spent on the aerial ladder was a waste of taxpayer dollars. In an economy such as this one no money can be wasted on trucks that aren't utilized to their full capacity.

Over the past year stations have been run by people who aren't ranked high enough to act company officer. Instead back up drivers have been placed into service as acting officers. They have little to no training as officers and in light of the Sofa Super Store fire one cannot imagine any department acting in such a reckless manner.

Charleston was criticized for their approach to fighting fire yet no one has inquired as to why St. Andrews functions as a barely literate department. From the perspective of calls run they respond to less than one thousand from four stations. This is less than many volunteer departments in the state.

We implore Mayor Joe Riley and members of City Council to absorb the St. Andrews Fire Department into the city. It would benefit all residents as well as firefighters.

Clearly the Charleston Fire Department is more than capable of providing the level of service needed for the citizens of West Ashley.

Two St. Andrews Firefighters Make Dramatic Rescue

Two St. Andrews Fire Department firefighters, Firefighters Kinchloe and Ferris, worked to remove a victim through the window of a bathroom this morning. The area was tight and they had to work in a small area while fire raged. Though the pair made the rescue the victim subsequently died.

FirefighterHourly.com proudly salutes firefighters Kinchloe and Farris for their bravery.

Communications Merger Should Lead To Charleston Taking Over St. Andrews

Charleston and St. Andrews are entering the final steps of an agreement for Charleston to dispatch St. Andrews units to calls. This is a positive step but falls short of what is necessary for St. Andrews residents. The department needs to be absorbed into the City of Charleston.

While Charleston is charging ahead with adequate staffing, training, operational changes and other enhancements, St. Andrews lags behind, so much so firefighters complain of many of the same issues present in Charleston prior to June 18, 2007.

While St. Andrews firefighters work hard to meet the challenges the alleged lack of money, always an issue over the years, severely limits the fire chief according to firefighters and personal conversations with the chief. The political component is one reason a merger needs to take place.

St. Andrews is a public service district, not a town or city. Surrounded by the City of Charleston the department runs almost every call with the City in the West Ashley area. In fact, a few St. Andrews stations actually are protected by the City of Charleston. This is inefficient government.

A merger of the two departments would provide a superior level of service, reduce costs to tax payers, and offer firefighters a chance to work in a major department committed to the future.

St. Andrews Firefighters To Get Thermal Imagers

According to several people St. Andrews Fire Department will seek to purchase thermal imagers to place on each rig. This comes on the heels of a storm of criticism from firefighters who say they are at a disadvantage without them.

Originally budgeted the imagers were put on hold until the department could see if it was one of the recipients of a grant. When the grant didn't come through the department went to the original plan. Upon learning of the imagers several firefighters expressed relief the PSD was going to allow the department to purchase the devices.