In the words of Emily Dickinson:

"Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality...."

My beloved Charleston is awash with sadness after the loss of nine heroic firemen this past Monday night. As the national news networks have reported, it was the largest loss of firemen since the 9/11 tragedy. It hit even closer to my heart than I can express and has made me realize how blessed my family really is.

My son-in-law of less than a year is a member of the first fire company to respond to the call to the fire that became a deathtrap at the local Sofa Super Store this past Monday evening. Firemen in his company work 24-hour shifts with 48 hours off on 3-day rotation schedule. He got off duty at 7:00 AM that morning with his usual “be careful out there, guys” to his friends coming on duty. Less than 12 hours later, his company responded to the fire that took the lives of 9 firemen at once in an immense flashover inferno as they entered to save two employees trapped in the burning building, and all available firemen were called back to duty to assist. Two of his friends in their early twenties, both members of the wedding party last October, were killed instantly under a collapsed roof in temperatures of over 1700 degrees. He remained at the scene working to put the fire out and recover the bodies of his friends until after 4:00 AM. (He was one of the firemen in the CNN video of them carrying out the last victim as all the other firemen at the scene saluted.) When he returned to the fire station and collapsed into my daughter’s arms, he couldn’t stop crying, “They just don’t train you for stuff like this.”

Of significant note, one of the two employees made it out on his own while the other employee was rescued by firemen who cut a hole in the outside wall.

Most firemen, young & old alike, who risk their lives by running into buildings that others are running out of, usually have to work extra jobs to support their families. Yet, they pay the greatest price to keep us safe in our homes & work places. So the next time you see a fireman in a coffee shop or restaurant, don’t hesitate to simply say thanks for what they do for us....and buy them a cup of coffee or pick up their tab while you’re at it....such a small price to pay for what they do for us as everyday heroes.

A proud and grateful mother, I salute and celebrate the lives of them all.

Hi, Mint Julep!

I LOVED your story, as I wrap my heart around the hugs I send generously to your family and into your community. The same evening, here in Santa Monica, CA, we experienced an intense fire at a media production company, Imperial Media Sevices. As a person trained in the life-saving profession, I had to lend myself to the scene. While most onlookers videotaped and photographed the scene (with smiles and thinking the whole scene "COOL"), I looked the firefighters in the eyes and thanked them. THIS IS A SERIOUS BUSINESS, NOT A MOVIE OR MEDIA CIRCUS. A simple "thank you" or the offering of a bottle of water goes a long way along the lines of gratitude!

Again, Mint Julep, I THANK YOU for bringing ANOTHER great story, sensitivity and such awareness to this forum.

TR

TR, thank you for acknowledging those firemen in Santa Monica.

In the words of Emily Dickinson:

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

After an emotionally-packed conversation with my daughter last night about the events of the last few days, I am increasingly amazed at the fire-fighting community as an extraordinary service-oriented entity as a whole.

The selflessness of firefighters and their community of wives is absolutely astounding. There have been memorial funds set up by different organizations this week here in Charleston to raise funds to directly assist the families who have lost their loved ones in the inferno this past Monday. As a new wife, my daughter has “stepped up to the plate” and organized the other wives of the Pine Ridge Fire Department during this tragic time. Under her leadership, all of the wives have chosen to honor the lives of their two firefighters who died in the blaze, Brandon & “Frenchie”, by setting up a fund to purchase a Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) that will assist in saving the lives of others. It was a dream of Brandon’s to have this $30,000 piece of equipment, so the wives have decided to dedicate funds sent directly to the Pine Ridge Fire Department to fulfill his dream. What an amazing group of women!

God Bless all those women who send their mates off to potential danger every day and still manage to think of their community instead of themselves at a time of such great personal loss.

As John Milton phrased it: “They also serve who only stand and wait.”

My heart and prayers are with the city of Charleston. I feel blessed that your son in law was able to help and remained alive. Firemen, like police and the military, do a job most people do not understand. In the 1950's and early 60's I spent many an hour in Charleston and loved every minute of it. It is a charming town with a great history of meeting problems head on. I trust the community will rise to this occasion and support the families of those who are not able to continue their life. Hug your son in law and support him the best you can. He will need his family and friends now.

Hi Mint Julep,

Just wanted to let you know that I have shared your story with some friends and we are all keeping everyone in our thoughts and prayers!

Sending strength to all of the amazing folks in Charleston, Cyndi

The “Charleston Nine” firefighters were all laid to rest over the past 4 days with one funeral following another. As the city begins its healing, I wanted to share a few additional last thoughts with the Community Forum.

I spent last Thursday evening with my daughter and son-in-law at the Pine Ridge Fire Department (where Brandon Thompson and Michael French were volunteer firemen on their “off days” from the Charleston Fire Department) and all the other volunteer firefighters’ families. Brandon Thompson’s fiancée was there, and I have to say that I have never seen such strength in a young woman in all my life. (She and Brandon Thompson were to be married October 7th). Brandon was the firefighter who kept writing grant after grant in pursuit of a Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) for Pine Ridge. I learned more about this camera while I was there that evening – it would have probably saved all nine lives that were lost. It can detect heat to find “hot spots” behind walls and ceilings so that firefighters know if a building is safe to enter when the fire is hidden, and can also detect cold spots such as a person. Since a person’s body temperature of 98.6 degrees is cold compared to the fire, the camera shows this as a silhouetted cold spot. ATF investigators preliminary findings indicate that the fire was already raging in the ceiling, but hidden under the steel truss roof and above acoustic ceiling tiles. The firefighters who died were still looking for victims / employees as they were told there were 4 missing, when it was actually 2 who were already out of the building before the roof collapsed.

I had just made a donation to Pine Ridge to their memorial fund for Brandon and “Frenchie” (that was to be used for the purchase of a TIC instead of the families as the wives had requested), when a phone call came in to the station with an anonymous donation of 4 Thermal Imaging Cameras (one for each side of a building) from a local businessman. The tears started flowing, first from Brandon’s fiancée and then spread quickly throughout the firehouse as men and women alike quietly cried with her. God bless whoever made that call. The tragic deaths of Brandon & “Frenchie” brought about the capability of saving countless lives in the future. What an amazing legacy for such extraordinary young men.

May all of the courageous "Charleston Nine" rest in eternal peace.

my dear mint julep,

first I must apologize for being away from this board for so long and only now seeing your amazing posts on this topic. thank you so much for sharing this with us all here. I, too, have quite a few firefighters in my close extended family and am in total agreement with all you say here about what extraordinary human beings they truly are.

thank god your son in law is still with us. and may the other nine whose lives were lost rest in peace, indeed.

I am with you and your beloved charleston in my heart, sending wishes for gentle grieving as you all recover from this tragedy and continue to honor the lives lost to save others.

my best,
suede

MJ ~ I am so moved by your account of this tragedy and so, so sorry for your collective loss...