Charleston County Volunteer Rescue Squad

Today, we pause to remember the Charleston 9.

Nineteen years ago, on June 18, 2007, nine members of the Charleston Fire Department made the ultimate sacrifice while battling the Sofa Super Store fire. Their courage, dedication, and commitment to protecting others continue to inspire firefighters, rescuers, and emergency responders across the nation.

The Charleston County Volunteer Rescue Squad was honored to be among the many agencies that responded in support of this tragic incident. While time has passed, the memory of that day and the sacrifice of these nine heroes remains etched into the history of Charleston's public safety community.

Today, we remember:

• Engineer Bradford "Brad" Baity
• Captain Mike Benke
• Firefighter Melvin Champaign
• Firefighter James "Earl" Drayton
• Assistant Engineer Michael French
• Captain William Hutchinson
• Engineer Mark Kelsey
• Captain Louis Mulkey
• Firefighter Brandon Thompson

We honor their service, remember their sacrifice, and recommit ourselves to the lessons learned from that tragic day.

Gone, but never forgotten.