Charleston Fire Department Fire Chief receives national award
August 18, 2010
CHARLESTON, SC – August 18, 2010 – Fire Chief magazine today announced the winners of the 2010 “Fire Chief of the Year” awards, presented annually in recognition for of dedication to and leadership in the fire and emergency services. This year’s winners are Timothy S. Wall of the North Farms Volunteer Fire Department in North Wallingford, Connecticut, and Thomas W. Carr of Charleston Fire Department in Charleston, South Carolina. Both chiefs will be honored on August 26th at the opening session of the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) 2010 Fire-Rescue International Conference and Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois. This is the 15th anniversary of the awards program.
“Fire Chief magazine is very pleased to recognize the dedication and commitment of fire chiefs, especially during these challenging times,” said Janet Wilmoth, editorial director of Fire Chief magazine. “Under Chief Tom Carr’s vision and support, Montgomery County, MD Fire & Rescue [his previous department] became one of the most-progressive departments on the East Coast.”
2010 Career Fire Chief of the Year Thomas W. Carr has served with distinction in the fire service for 30 years. He began as a firefighter/paramedic with Montgomery County in 1978 and rose through the ranks to become chief in 2003. There, he led a force of 1,100 career and 1,000 volunteer personnel in serving nearly 1,000,000 residents on more than 100,000 emergency responses a year.
In Montgomery County, Chief Carr led a full-service fire, rescue and EMS department. Programs included communications, community outreach, public information, training, fire-code enforcement, personnel health, wellness and safety, apparatus management and procurement, fire investigations, and bomb squad.
Chief Carr then moved to South Carolina where he was selected to lead the Charleston Fire Department in 2008 — which was reeling from the tragic Sofa Super Store Fire that claimed the lives of nine city firefighters.
“The task of taking the fire department from mourning to recovery was, and continues to be, a monumental endeavor,” said Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. in his nomination of Carr. “Chief Carr’s steady leadership, open approach, vision, and personal investment in the men and women of the city of Charleston Fire Department are gently, but steadily guiding the Department to new greatness.”
The 2010 Chief of the Year awards are sponsored by Pierce Manufacturing, the leading North American manufacturer of fire apparatus. As part of the 15th anniversary celebration, 27 previous Chief of the Year honorees have been invited to attend the presentation.
About Fire Chief magazine
Established in 1956, Fire Chief is the magazine for progressive fire service leaders. Articles by fire officers from across the country and worldwide cover a wide variety of important areas to today’s fire service leaders. In addition, a monthly lineup of departments provides even more information, in a quick, accessible format. Fire Chief’s monthly readers include chief officers, with a sizable contingent of incident commanders, training officers, safety officers, and other titles and ranks. Issue content and more information on the publication can be found at http://www.firechief.com
