The experts brought in to assess and recommend improvements for the Charleston (S.C.) Fire Department completed their Phase 1 Report. Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley hired the task force following the June 18 fire at a furniture store where nine Charleston firefighters died. The group made an initial assessment and recommended 27 changes that needed immediate implementation. City officials said that 19 of those initial recommendations were put in place.

The Phase 1 Report is a 39-page document that is the first of a group's three-phase task. The second phase will involve a detailed analysis of the June 18 fire; the third phase will outline a five- to 10-year plan to improve the department. Download the report.

The task force broke its more than 200 recommendations into three priority levels. The top priority items should be completed immediately. Those items fell under the categories of training, apparatus staffing, overtime and compensatory time, administrative cultural leadership, firefighter selection, dispatch and communications, regional cooperation, health and safety programs, respiratory protection, personal protective clothing, firefighter uniforms, apparatus, tools and equipment, and fire and building code enforcement. The task force made an extra point of telling the department to immediately increase the minimum storage pressure of its SCBAs to 2,000 psi.

The second-level priority items could be completed within six to 24 months. And the third-level items should be incorporated into the strategic plan.

Riley said the department would implement the report's recommendations.

The fire is also being reviewed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Hours after the report's release, the International Association of Fire Fighters reacted.

“Mayor Joe Riley’s characterization of this report as a ‘management review’ minimizes the significance of the June 18 tragedy, the loss of nine dedicated lives, and the need for immediate and real change," said IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. "This is a landmark report that highlights hundreds of problems and failures in a fire department whose policies and procedures contributed significantly to the deaths of nine fire fighters.

“The mayor’s own panel is recommending that the fire department be completely rebuilt from the ground up. The mayor’s handpicked chief developed the dangerous policies and programs implemented over the last 15 years in CFD &mdash…. Clearly, with this as his legacy, the mayor and his chief are not qualified to rebuild CFD. The claim by the mayor that this is a new day, a new era, by definition, requires new leadership. This is the third official condemnation of the way the Charleston Fire Department has been built and is run, and the report provides over 200 reasons for new, fresh, qualified leadership at the top.”

The South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued CFD four citations in connection with the fatal fire. The fines for those violations came to $9,325. The city sent the agency a letter requesting a meeting to "clarify what the city feels are incorrect conclusions" regarding the fines. The agency also issued three citations to Sofa Super Store, the building's owner and occupant; those fines totaled $32,775.

Here's a list of the recommendations CFD says it has implemented:

• Created two new positions: Assistant to the Chief and Safety Officer to create immediate staff support and assist with implementation process.
• Formed three committees including Apparatus and Equipment; Uniforms and Protective Gear; Safety and Health, with a fourth committee (training) slated for near future.
• In process of hiring six new dispatchers.
• Increased number of personnel on duty at all times in all companies to three (increase to four in future).
• In process of hiring additional administrative support.
• Selected PIO for the Fire Department Training.
• In process of scheduling ICS training for entire department.
• Majority of command staff (two chiefs scheduled for next week) attended ICS training overview in Montgomery County, Md.
• Incident Safety Officer class conducted for chief officers on Oct 10-11.
• Health and Safety Officer training class for Safety Officer scheduled.
• Safety Officer attended safety training overview in Worchester, Ma.
• Disseminated new training manuals in all stations on building construction, hazmat and CPR; follow-up training being scheduled.
• CFD, in conjunction with surrounding fire departments, developed monthly multi-jurisdictional training exercises, which started on Oct 16.
• Restructured current incident command practices to include size-ups; established exterior commands; and official transfer of command process.
• Assignment of safety officer at all incidents.
• Initial implementation of new accountability system under way (hardware purchased, and training outlined).
• Reinforced use of protective clothing, SCBAs, seatbelts, and off-duty firefighter response procedures.
• Implemented two-in two-out procedure.
• Disseminated new policy on keeping air cylinders filled to 2000 psi.
• Secured funds from private donation for new uniforms; Uniform Committee to make final selection within 30 days.
• Created a new policy to address hazards associated with metal truss roof system construction; follow up training being scheduled.
• Contacted manufacturer and awaiting proposal for complete upgrade of SCBA (Equipment Committee to make final recommendation).
• Thermal imaging camera is on each ladder truck and is to be used at every fire by the captain.
• Increased initial incident response from two engines/one ladder to three engines/one ladder.
• Implemented sending fourth engine and second battalion chief on all working fires and EMS.
• Implemented use of plain talk in place of 10 codes.
• Implemented utilizing third engine as RIT.
• Periodic meetings with staff and senior firefighter.
• Discontinued use of booster lines on structure and vehicle fires.
• Increased gallons per minute flow for all hose lines.

Implementation of the Fire Review Team’s Phase 1 Report Recommendations:

• Training – The City has accepted all recommendations of the Fire Review Team in regard to training. The Fire Department’s Training Division will be expanded in early 2008 from one battalion chief and one captain to a battalion chief, three captains and one administrative support person. The Fire Department will institute a Training Committee made up of a cross section of departmental volunteers. This Committee will work with Chiefs Thomas, O’Donald, Kleskie and the Departmental Training Officer to prioritize and execute a prioritized and detailed initial training plan and a sustaining training plan. All training requirements recommended will be budgeted in 2008.
• Equipment - The recently appointed Apparatus and Equipment Committee, made up of fire fighters from throughout the ranks, will act upon the recommendations of the Task Force to implement its recommendations regarding large diameter hoses and breathing apparatus. The hoses will be ordered in 2007 or as soon as recommended by the Committee and approved by Chief Thomas. The breathing apparatus recommendations will be reviewed by the Committee and acted upon within the Fire Review Team’s recommended six months to two-year period.
• Protective Clothing - The newly established Uniform and Protective Clothing Committee, consisting of volunteer from all ranks of the department, are presently determining their recommendation on daily uniforms that will meet NFPA best-practice standards and should make a recommendation to Chief Thomas by Nov. 1. Mayor Riley had previously recommended this expenditure (approximately $240,000) and it has been approved by city council. Mr. Gene Reed, a local business executive, gave the city the full amount of the cost of the uniforms. After its work on daily uniforms, the Committee will next take on review of the issue of determining a recommendation for NFPA best practices protective clothing (i.e., bunker gear). It is expected their recommendation will be available to Chief Thomas in early 2008. The City will budget for this purchase in early 2008 (approximately $600,000).
• The assignment of senior personnel to Assistant to the Chief and Safety Officer positions has been made and Chief O’Donald and Chief Kleskie are currently filling these positions.
• Five additional fire fighters are in training and will soon join the force. These additional fire fighters will bring all City Fire Companies to a full compliment of four fire fighters assigned per shift. The Task Force recommends that the city add additional fire fighters to try to ensure all trucks leave for a fire with four fire fighters onboard (i.e., additional firefighter to cover leave, sick leave and attrition). The Task Force calculated the need for 15% additional manning. The city has accepted this additional manning recommendation and intends to implement it over the next three budget cycles. The 2008 budget will support a minimum of an additional 12 firefighters above the four per shift per company, but our goal in 2008 is to add 15 additional fire fighters. Additionally, the 2008 budget contains significantly more overtime dollars than prior years to cover the cost of ensuring actual staffing no less than three fire fighters per company per shift.
• The recommended Fire Department PIO has been hired and will start work before Nov. 1.
• An additional administrative support position within the fire department administrative offices has been authorized and the job has been internally and externally advertised. A selection of a candidate is expected before Nov. 1.
• The Task Force report recommends a battalion chief and three captains in the Training Division. It also recommends a departmental logistics officer. The Training Division presently has a battalion chief and a captain assigned. Three additional captains are budgeted in 2008, which will allow for recommended staffing in the Training Division and the Logistics Officer position. The administrative staff position is also budgeted for the Training Division as previously indicated.
• A Fire Inspections Supervisor, additional fire inspectors, a Fire Liaison position working for the Chief Building Official having matrixed reporting responsibility to the Fire Chief, a dedicated management/budget analyst and dedicated human resources support are all recommended by the Phase I report. Several of these positions are now in place or advertised and all are in the 2008 budget.
• Committee Establishment – The Apparatus and Equipment Committee and the Uniform and Protective Clothing Committee have been established in the last several days and both will begin important work as described above immediately. A Training Committee will also be established shortly and this Committee will work closely with Chief Thomas, Chief O’Donald, Chief Kleskie and the department’s Training Officer to prioritize and coordinate the beginning of the additional training.
• Communication with the Organizations who represent the Firefighters’ Interests – The city accepts the need for better communication with all members of the department including organizations who represent firefighters’ interests. All of the Committees described above will help with this communication process.
• Review of Overtime and Compensation Time Policy – The present policies are the direct result of the settlement of a federal lawsuit brought against the city by a number of firefighters several years ago. A review of any changes to these policies must be approached with an understanding of how the present policies came to exist. The city will do this review, but in a careful fashion that does not guarantee any change.