LATEST NEWS:

June 18, 2009 -- Sofa Super Store remembrance (Charleston Post & Courier)

February 12, 2009 -- City officials release final results of investigation into Sofa Super Store fire (Live 5 News)

February 5, 2009 -- 24 Firefighter Job Opportunities (ABC News 4 Charleston)

January 13, 2009 -- CDC investigating safety of firefighters' pants (Charleston Post & Courier)

January 7, 2009 -- Fire Dept. loses top rating (Charleston Post & Courier)

December 28, 2008 - Charleston firefighters still seeking counseling (Associated Press)

December 17, 2008 -- Solicitor reviews fire probe (Charleston Post & Courier)

December 17, 2008 -- Families reach partial settlement (Charleston Post & Courier)

December 17, 2008 -- Charleston Trims Fire Department Staffing, Training Budget (Charleston City Paper)

December 16, 2008 -- Disgraced Former Fire Chief Appears On Local News (Fire Fighter Hourly)

December 4, 2008 -- Charleston considers honors for firefighters (Associated Press)

November 7, 2008 -- New fire chief has rebuilding process under way (Charleston Post & Courier)

October 21, 2008 -- New union president wants to move Charleston forward (Charleston Post & Courier)

September 29, 2008 -- Riley selects Carr to be new Charleston Fire Chief (Charleston Post & Courier)

September 19, 2008 -- Charleston Mayor Names Fire Chief Candidates

August 25, 2008 -- City, fire union build closer ties (Charleston Post & Courier)

July 23, 2008 -- Garvin retires early on request (Charleston Post & Courier)

July 22, 2008 -- Fire chief's post attracts more than 100 applicants (Charleston Post & Courier)

July 10, 2008 -- ATF: Cigarette likely cause (Charleston Post & Courier)

July 7, 2008 -- Two More Lawsuits Filed In Fatal Charleston Fire (Associated Press)

July 2, 2008 -- Chief Rusty Thomas retires (Charleston Post & Courier)

June 18, 2008 -- General President Harold Schaitberger Releases Statement on One Year Anniversary

June 18, 2008 -- S.C. city still raw a year after 9 died in blaze (Associated Press)

June 18, 2008 -- Sofa Super Store Fire: One Year Later (Charleston Post and Courier)

June 13, 2008 -- SC gov vetoes sprinkler bill tied to deadly blaze (Associated Press)

June 3, 2008 -- Fire transfers revealed (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 29, 2008 -- Fire Dept. changes stoke tensions (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 21, 2008 -- Interim Charleston Fire Chief Appointed (Firehouse.com)

May 17, 2008 -- Riley blames store owner (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 17, 2008 -- City Council members say they've been left out of loop on fire developments (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 16, 2008 -- Report: Fire Department's culture, store's code violations created time bomb (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 16, 2008 -- Local fire community reacts (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 15, 2008 -- Charleston Sofa Store Phase II Report Released (International Association of Fire Fighters)

Read the Routley Report

May 15, 2008 -- Report: firefighters were inadequately trained and exposed to excessive risk (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 15, 2008 -- Rusty steps down (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 14, 2008 -- Charleston Fire Chief Rusty Thomas to retire June 27 (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 14, 2008 -- IAFF Looks Forward to Working With Charleston Mayor Riley and New CFD Leadership (International Association of Fire Fighters)

May 14, 2008 -- Charleston chief retires (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 9, 2008 -- Fire report draft released (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 7, 2008 -- Riley reverses on fire report (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 7, 2008 -- Charleston to release report on fatal fire (Associated Press)

May 6, 2008 -- Riley will release fire report Thursday, May 15 (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 6, 2008 -- Mayor Joe Riley Press Conference: Watch Video

May 6, 2008 -- Fire report expected in 2 weeks (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 6, 2008 -- Mayor Riley’s Decision to Release Report In the Best Interest of Charleston (International Association of Fire Fighters)

May 6, 2008 -- Union to fight for report's release (Charleston Post & Courier)

May 6, 2008 -- Firefighters union criticizes delay in releasing report (Charlotte Observer)

May 4, 2008 -- Mayor Riley Endangers Fire Fighter Lives with Sofa Store Report Cover-up (International Association of Fire Fighters)

April 8, 2008 -- New firefighting equipment not widespread (Charleston Post & Courier)

April 8, 2008 -- Firefighters union, city officials meet (Charleston Post & Courier)

April 7, 2008 -- Fire union invites dialogue (Charleston Post & Courier)

March 29, 2008 -- Fire Department suspends captain (Charleston Post & Courier)

March 28, 2008 -- Tapes show split between fire officials, union (Charleston Post & Courier)
Watch training tapes:
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3

March 28, 2008: Riley open to fire talks (Charleston Post & Courier)

March 27, 2008: Schaitberger Visits With Charleston Fire Fighters (Charleston Post & Courier)

March 27, 2008: Schaitberger Meets With Local 61 Members and Leaves Lasting Impression (Fire Fighter Hourly)

March 26, 2008: Charleston Fire Department Hires New Training Chief (ABC News 4)

Complete Coverage (Charleston Post & Courier photos, videos and media coverage)

Fire Fighter Hourly

2007 Coverage

WCBD News Franko Blog

Radio and telephone communications from sofa store fire released (Charleston Post & Courier)

December 7: Charleston Fire Department chooses new uniform (FireRescue)

December 3: City of Charleston is Still Guilty (International Association of Fire Fighters)

December 3: Charleston Fined $3,000 in Fatal Fire (Associated Press)

October 30: Survey: Many local firefighters don't trust leaders (Charleston Post & Courier)

October 18: In wake of deadly fire, panel advises changes (Wilmington Star)

October 18: Panel releases fatal-fire report (The State)

October 18: Riley had pledged that panel would operate independently (Charleston Post & Courier)

October 17: Fire panel in S.C. releases proposals (Associated Press)

October 17: Panel urges sweeping changes in safety, training, leadership at fire department (Charleston Post & Courier)

October 17: Charleston Report Uncovers Hundreds of Failures in CFD Policies (IAFF)

October 10: Fire panel wants big change (Charleston Post & Courier)

October 3: Fire chief, mayor subpoenaed (Charleston Post & Courier)

October 2: 1st suit filed in deadly fire (Charleston Post & Courier)

September 28: Blogsite Uncovers True Feelings Of Firefighters (ABC News 4)

September 27: Firefighters union endorses Riley opponent for mayor (Associated Press)

September 26: Mayor Doesn't Believe Firefighter Complaints (ABC News 4)

September 25: City Firefighter Speaks Out Against The Chief (ABC News 4)

September 24: New policy may have kept 9 out of inferno (Charleston Post & Courier)

September 22: Dispute over state's fire citations must have full and fair hearing (Charleston Post & Courier)

September 21: Fire report blasts city (Charleston Post & Courier)

September 20: Charleston Fire Department Fined For Deadly Fire (Fire Fighting News)

September 20: Union wants fire chief out (Charleston Post & Courier)

September 19: Charleston Mayoral Race Heats Up (ABC News)

September 19: Fire department can be model, Riley says (Charleston Post & Courier)

September 12: Mayor Riley reacts to OSHA and IAFF criticisms (Charleston City Paper)

September 7: National union calls for federal oversight of state OSHA investigation (Charleston Post & Courier)

September 7: Fire union wants oversight (Associated Press)

September 5: CFD sends chief for training (Charleston Post & Courier)

August 31: S.C. Firefighters' Families to Receive Workers Compensation, Donations (Insurance Journal)

August 30: Charleston Uniform Under Scrutiny (Charleston Post & Courier)

August 27: Workplace safety office rarely inspects fire departments (Wilmington Star)

August 24: Union warned leaders in '02 (Charleston Post & Courier)

August 22: Veteran Charleston firefighters named to new posts (Charleston Post & Courier)

August 19: Trapped: The story of nine Charleston firefighters' deaths (Charleston Post & Courier)

August 18: Fire panel: CFD must change (Charleston Post & Courier)

August 17: Task Force Issues Preliminary Recommendations for Charleston Fire Department (IAFF)

August 12: Booster Lines, Bullies and Buffoons (Firehouse.com)

August 12: Fire training ripe for cheating (Charleston Post & Courier)

August 11: Anguish, courage (Charleston Post & Courier)

August 4: Agency to study sofa store fire (Charleston Post & Courier)

July 29: Heat sensors weren’t used in fatal fire (Charleston Post & Courier)

July 26: Lapse in protection concerns some experts (Charleston Post & Courier)

July 26: Charleston launches own investigation into tragedy (Charleston Post & Courier)

July 17: Department's insurance rating could be re-evaluated (FireFightingNews)

July 17: Experts Question Hose Choice in Charleston Fire (Charleston Post & Courier)

July 6: Charleston chief blocks fire probe, then relents (MSNBC)

July 4: Firefighting Procedures Re-examined (Charleston City Paper)

July 2: 'Old school tactics' questioned after Charleston, S.C., fire (Fire Rescue)

June 29: No normalcy (ABC News)

June 28: Chief Rusty Thomas: 'I'll Never Resign' (ABC News)

June 28: Fire union wants changes (The Post and Courier)

June 23: Deadly Charleston Blaze Started in Loading Dock Area (Firehouse.com)

June 22: Thousands honor Charleston firefighters (MSNBC)

June 21: Firefighters scramble to get to S.C. (Telegram & Gazette)

June 20: Tragedy in South Carolina resonates in city firehouses (Philadelphia Inquirer)

June 20: Store became a deadly 'inferno' (Chicago Tribune)

June 20: S.C. blaze revives Worcester pain (Boston Globe)

June 20: Nine 'courageous firefighters' die in warehouse blaze (CNN)

June 19: S.C. Warehouse Fire Kills 9 Firefighters (ABC News)

June 19: 9 Firefighters Killed In Charleston Blaze (CBS News)

June 19: Nine Firefighters Die in South Carolina Furniture Store Fire (Bloomberg)

June 19: Nine US firefighters killed in warehouse blaze (Reuters)

June 19: Blaze Kills 9 Firefighters in South Carolina (NPR)


OTHER LINKS:

Charleston Local 61 web site