We were pleased today to host the Bluffton Fire Department’s Recruit Class. Twenty-one recruits and BTFD Training Captain Randy Hunter made the trip to Charleston to spend the day with us. We started at our Team’s classroom with State F.A.S.T. Coordinator Patti Graham discussing the benefits offered by the SC State Firefighters’ Association. Our Team Leader, John David Reindollar, followed Patti by leading a discussion on our Lowcountry Firefighter Support Team and our various programs available to them. Our Executive Director, Gerald Mishoe, then explained the MUSC Center for Firefighter Behavioral Health and its online resources. Our Team Chaplain, Doug Farmer, concluded the morning with the “Finding Balance” program that he created and so ably presents.
After lunch at the Golden Corral, it was on to the North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum where they were given a guided tour of the amazing apparatus and displays there. Afterwards, we traveled to Savannah Highway and escorted them on a tour of the Charleston 9 Memorial Park. They were given a history of the Sofa Super Store Fire and a detailed remembrance of each of the nine Charleston firefighters who gave their lives in service to our community. Understandably, this is the emotional part for us as it gives us an opportunity to share memories of Mike, Billy, Mark, Brandon, Louis, Frenchie, Melvin, Brad and Earl. These memories have been shared with us by their families and fellow firefighters over the years and gives these recruits an opportunity to know these men as husbands, fathers, sons, brothers and good friends. It has always been an honor for us to provide this part of their visit as a personal way of remembering our nine brothers.
We ended the day with a goodbye to twenty-one new friends who will soon complete their recruit training and join the ranks in their departments. Good luck to each of them as we look forward to seeing them again soon.
