Enough already on fire probes

On June 18, 2007, nine Charleston fire heroes perished in a fire at the Sofa Super Store and their families continue to grieve. Our entire community was affected by the loss. Few, if any, were more affected than 32-year veteran firefighter, Chief Rusty Thomas. He bears the weight of the deaths of those firefighters under his command each and every day.

The Post and Courier reported on March 14, 2009, that some of the relatives of the deceased firefighters are asking SLED to re-investigate this tragedy. They are urging that the fire commanders, including Chief Rusty Thomas, be prosecuted for the deaths of the firefighters.

This case has been exhaustively investigated by the Fire Review Team, reportedly at a cost of nearly one half million dollars to the city. It has also been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on a federal level. Locally, it has been investigated by the S.C. OSHA and the Charleston Police Department as well as our top state police agency, SLED.

The government should indeed spend money and investigate when there is a tragedy. But we should not continue to spend money on unending investigations when so much has already been done to determine the facts.

So far, the primary fact determined in the many investigations is that a blaze erupted in a building that had five additions that were apparently not permitted. Fire codes were not followed and an inferno ensued. Many firefighters responded, and risked their lives, which is the nature of their business and why we have great respect for them and their work. Has anyone ever insinuated that the commander of the tragic 9/11 fires be criminally charged? Of course not.

An alleged failure to properly train and supervise is the reason why some folks want to put Chief Thomas and his fellow commanders through a criminal trial and potentially face prison. Can't it always be said that better training or supervision could have been accomplished in any workplace or any setting? And if we are to lay blame for failing to train, shouldn't we also look at the circumstances given the chief?

Chief Thomas wasn't responsible for the variances granted or the building code violations involved. Further, he wasn't in charge of his own budget. So who should be criminally punished?

The answer to that question is no one. It was a terrible loss and tragedy, but not a criminal act.

As a member of the S.C. House Ways and Means Committee, I help write budgets for state agencies. We work with very limited tax dollars. To suggest that a government official, who does the best he can with his or her budget, should be subjected to the criminal process is not logical. Could Chief Thomas and his commanders have done things differently at the fatal fire?

Yes. Isn't hindsight always 20/20? Did he and the others think they were doing their best at that time to save lives?

Absolutely.

Chief Thomas laid to rest nine friends. He accepted responsibility as commander in chief of this horrific fire. He then resigned his job. He took off his fire chief's hat and left it at the Wentworth Street Fire Station along with a piece of his soul.

What more needs to be done?

Chip Limehouse, a Republican, represents District 110 (portions of Charleston and Berkeley counties) in the S.C. House of Representatives.