Fire that Killed 9 Firefighters Cost Charleston, S.C. $7.4 Million

May 29, 2008

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Records obtained by a Charleston, South Carolina, newspaper show the city has spent or plans to spend more than $7.4 million after the fire that killed nine firefighters last year.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reported that it obtained the information through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The money comes from funds budgeted after the June 18 fire, emergency reserves and $228,000 a local businessman donated for new uniforms.

The city has raised property taxes for the first time since 1999 because of the costs.

The city has spent about $3.6 million for staffing, equipment and training improvements in the fire department.

A city-appointed panel recommended some 200 changes after the fire. The most expensive items include dozens of new positions for firefighters, officers and dispatchers.

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Information from: The Post and Courier,

http://www.charleston.net

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Latest Comments

  • June 2, 2008 at 7:43 am
    Dread says:
    Lack of funding or manpower weren't the issues here. Out-dated response protocols and incompetent leadership caused the loss of life and the incurring of these costs. No one... read more
  • May 29, 2008 at 6:38 am
    Victoria Pakosh says:
    Too bad it always takes a tragedy to get action. The fire service has been cut to death in almost every city in the country, numbers have been reduced to way below minimum sta... read more
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