In May of last year, we lost a beloved teammate and friend when Phil Hawkins passed away. In addition to being a lifelong friend, Phil was our Vice President since the Team became a non-profit organization in 2013.

Phil retired as a Battalion Chief after 35 years of service in the Charleston Fire Department and had continued to share his love of the Fire Service, his wisdom, and his dedication for the betterment of our Team.

Late last year when North Charleston moved into the Ashley River Fire Station, the signs were changed to reflect the event. During that time, I noticed the old Ashley River letters stacked up in the station for disposal. Since Phil had been our Vice President and a long-time member of the Board of Directors at Ashley River, we decided to make a tribute to him for his service. So, this week, we took three of the letters retrieved from the stack to create that tribute to him, Phillip Victory Hawkins, and installed it in our office.

Continue to rest easy Brother, we know you are watching over us.