CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- A new analysis of the furniture store
fire that killed nine Charleston firefighters last year says the
department inadequately trained and supervised its personnel and
exposed the men to excessive risks the night they fought the fire.
The report obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday morning
said firefighters did not follow standard practices and had
obsolete equipment when battling the Sofa Super Store blaze. The
analysis was compiled by a panel of experts commissioned by the
city and is to be officially released Thursday evening.
The fire at the Sofa Super Store last year was the greatest loss
of firefighters since the terror attacks on the World Trade Center
in 2001.
The report also said the building itself hampered the ability of
firefighters to battle the blaze.

Key findings about the Charleston Fire
Department from a report on the Sofa Super Store blaze that led to
the deaths of nine firefighters:

-- Firefighting operations at the Sofa Super Store did not comply
with federal regulations, recommended safety standards, or accepted
fire service practices.
-- The Charleston Fire Department failed to provide adequate
direction, supervision and coordination.
-- The documented duties and responsibilities of an incident
commander were not performed and risk management guidelines were
not adequately applied.
-- The culture of the Charleston Fire Department promoted
aggressive offensive tactics that exposed firefighters to excessive
and avoidable risks and failed to apply basic firefighter safety
practices.
-- Insufficient training, inadequate staffing, obsolete equipment
and outdated tactics all contributed to an ineffective effort to
control the fire with offensive tactics during the early stages of
the incident.
-- The Charleston Fire Department continued to apply offensive
tactics after the fire had evolved to a point where guidelines
called for defensive strategy.
-- Factors that should have caused firefighters to be removed
from interior positions were not recognized.
-- There was a lack of accountability for the location and
function of firefighters inside the building.
-- The Charleston Fire Department did not have appropriate mayday
procedures.

Key findings about the Sofa Super Store building that led to the
deaths of nine firefighters:

-- The fire originated in discarded furniture and materials that
had been placed outside the loading dock. The suspected cause of
the fire was careless disposal of smoking materials.
-- The Sofa Super Store had a very significant potential for a
major fire to occur.
-- An automatic sprinkler system should have been installed ...
or the buildings should have been divided by fire walls.
-- If a sprinkler system had been installed, the fire probably
would likely have been controlled within the loading dock area.
-- If effective fire walls had been provided, the fire probably
would not have spread beyond the loading dock.
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Source: Firefighter Fatality Investigative Report/Sofa Super
Store Fire.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)