Council split on role in fire dept.

Charleston City Council members want a voice in charting a course for the fire department, but they are at odds with each other and the mayor over the extent of their involvement and how soon to inject themselves into the process.

Some council members prefer to wait until various investigations finish assessing the fire department and its handling of the June 18 Sofa Super Store fire that killed nine city firefighters. Others say the blaze raised safety and leadership issues that demand more immediate action.

Mayor Joe Riley has provided updates to the council on the status of the investigations and the city's response to the blaze. But he also has shut the council out of key decisions, such as the hiring of expert consultants to evaluate the fire department, some council members said.

That doesn't sit well with Councilman James Lewis, who said the mayor's office has been too slow in sharing information about the fire. Council often learns about important developments, such as the consultants' recommendations, just before they are announced to the general public, leaving little time for input, he said.

"He feels because he is the mayor he has the opportunity to run the city the way he wants it. I think that's the wrong way to go about it," Lewis said. "We have a responsibility to the city, too. If we just sit there and let things happen and don't say nothing, then we aren't doing our jobs."

Councilmen Jimmy Gallant and Henry Fishburne are pushing for council-led committees to have greater involvement in reviewing the fire and whatever changes are needed to bring the fire department in line with national standards. Gallant,

chairman of council's Public Safety Committee, plans to raise the issue at his panel's Sept. 10 meeting.

"I don't want to interfere with the investigation," Gallant said. "We just don't want to wait for something else to happen before we have good information."

Last week, Riley reminded council members that Charleston's strong-mayor form of government empowers him to set the course for city departments. On Monday, he took a more conciliatory tone, saying he values council members' opinions and looks forward to their input on improving the fire department.

Riley said the ongoing criminal investigation into the sofa store fire has limited the information he can share with council. "When that is completed, things will be easier," he said.

In the meantime, Riley asked council to be patient.

Not all council members are eager to jump into the debate. Some, such as Councilwoman Kathleen Wilson, said the city needs to avoid knee-jerk reactions and let official investigations run their course.

"We need to resist the temptation to get in and fix things right away," she said. "Let's allow people to do their jobs before we rush in to judge."

Councilman Wendell Gilliard said he has a list of concerns about the fire department, including the need for more training and the lack of air conditioning on firetrucks. But he too thinks council should wait until the investigations are complete before it weighs in on change, he said.

"We owe it to the city to find answers and move forward," he said. "But we need to be patient. We need to show positive leadership. I don't think we need to be pointing fingers at this juncture."

Gilliard and others said they are satisfied that Riley is keeping them abreast of new developments.

Councilwoman Anne Frances Bleecker, whose district includes the furniture store destroyed in the fire, said Riley and Fire Chief Rusty Thomas have been responsive to every question she has asked. "We have been included as much as we can be at this stage."

Fishburne, however, said council needs to educate and prepare itself for the changes likely coming as a result of the investigations, changes that could affect a range of issues including fire tactics and building codes. "We need to get going."

Fishburne said it is important to have a public body involved in the discussion to show that the process is open, fair and transparent. "It's the community's fire department," he said. "They need to feel like they are part of the process."

Gallant, a police chaplain, spent the night of the sofa store blaze consoling the families of the nine fallen firefighters.

"If there was something I could have done to prevent that, I would have done it," he said. "I don't ever want to tell nine families again that their loved ones are lost. That is going to stay with me for the rest of my life."