- Greg Hambrick
Staff Writer
Greg Hambrick writes for the Charleston City Paper. He covers the 2008 elections, City Hall, and other Charleston news. He likes musicals and comic books. He's not surprised that people don't vote when you have lazy, half-invested fingers pointing toward the polling place.
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Category Archives: News (Sofa Store Fire)
Municipal Greed Stalls State Sprinkler Bill
March 19, 2008 – 11:40 am
On June 19, less than a day after the Sofa Super Store fire killed nine Charleston firefighters, Chief Rusty Thomas was asked if sprinklers would have helped with the fire. He said yes. But when he asked if sprinklers would have saved the lives of his men — barely able to hold back tears, he [...]
House Bills Target Sofa Store Faults
January 15, 2008 – 1:27 pm
A bill introduced last week would require buildings with trussed roofs to be identified on the outside with some sort of plaque saying as much.
One introduced today would make it easier for businesses to afford sprinkler systems. It’s similar to a bill introduced by Sen. Glenn McConnell. Both are push backs to a call for [...]
Charleston Fire Rating Under Review
January 8, 2008 – 5:15 pm
It was clear soon after the Sofa Super Store fire that there’s something wrong with a “Class 1″ fire rating for a department with a host of problems from staffing to equipment to command structure. We reported on the questionable value of a Class 1 ISO rating last fall.
The rating agency will be in town [...]
Charleston News Top 10 List
December 26, 2007 – 2:43 pm
Here’s a rundown from the dead tree edition.
Fire Department Uniforms: City Paper Arbitrator Recommends Collared T-Shirts
December 11, 2007 – 10:40 am
Three members of the Charleston Fire Department’s Uniform Committee are up in arms over Chief Rusty Thomas’ decision to go with t-shirts instead of the polo shirts the firemen had requested, according to a News 4 story yesterday.
“This is what they wanted. This is what they wanted. They’re excited about it, really excited about [...]
City, OSHA Sofa Store Settlement
December 4, 2007 – 1:03 pm
Mayor Joe Riley announced yesterday that the state’s Office of Occupational Safety and Health and the city have reached a settlement on fines and penalties stemming from the June Sofa Super Store fire that killed nine firefighters and brought national attention to Charleston and the antiquated way we fight fires.
OSHA’s original citations amounted to more [...]
Fire Review: A Whole New Rusty
October 17, 2007 – 11:06 am
The big news from the release Wednesday of the city’s independent fire review was the new man standing beside Mayor Joe Riley. Well, it was still Chief Rusty Thomas, but his encouragement and excitement about the new changes to the department couldn’t be understated, as he tried to keep from pumping his fist and giving [...]
Breaking: City Fire Review Team Issues Phase 1 Findings
October 17, 2007 – 10:51 am
Mayor Joe Riley and Fire Chief Rusty Thomas released the Phase I report from the city’s independent fire review team. Immediate recommendations in August include fire hose sizes, command structure, and staffing. The latest report really just adds more specificity to that report. Adding details on improved training programs and avenues for rank and file [...]
Breaking: OSHA Notes “Serious,” “Willful” Fire Violations
September 20, 2007 – 2:54 pm
The state’s Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation cited the City of Charleston’s Fire Department and the Sofa Super Store for serious and willful violations stemming from the June 18 Sofa Super Store fire that killed nine firefighters.
The more than $9,000 in citations for the department included:
• Failure to inform fire brigade members about special [...]
Riley Defends Snappy Dressers
September 4, 2007 – 4:54 pm
When Mayor Joe Riley responded quickly to a Post and Courier report, stating that he would grudgingly change fire department uniforms since they are apparently a health hazard, you could tell he was upset about letting the clean, crisp uniforms go.
Now, it looks like he’s more upset with some government double speak. In a letter [...]
