Fire Chief Rusty Thomas has been out of a job for almost a month now. One assistant chief has since left and now a second, one of the commanders at the scene of last year’s Sofa Super Store Fire, has now been forced into early retirement. The June 2007 fire left nine firefighters dead, with leadership in the department taking responsibility early, but with no measurable penalty.
An independent review of the fire and the department’s response was a scathing indictment of mismanagement and antiquated fire fighting practices that contributed to the tragedy. Thomas announced his exit before he was thrown out, but Asst. Chief Larry Garvin didn’t have such foresight. Suggesting there was a need to usher in fresh, new leadership, interim Chief Ronnie Classen and Mayor Joe Riley ditched Garvin a good two months (or more) before they find that fresh, new fire chief.
The mayor said Garvin’s exit had nothing to do with the Sofa Store fire, but, unfortunately for him, none of the rest of us live in a bubble. Garvin is leaving for the same reason Thomas left — firefighters and residents have no faith in the old leadership of the department. The sooner they’re gone, the sooner the few people still loyal to the old guard can mourn and move on.
