VIDEO: Nineteen years ago, on June 18, 2007, nine Charleston firefighters died battling the Sofa Super Store fire in West Ashley.

Every year, the city gathers on the anniversary to honor the Charleston 9 and the legacy they left behind.

The firefighters remembered are Brandon Thompson, Engineer Bradford “Brad” Baity, Captain Louis Mulkey, Engineer Mark Kelsey, Captain Mike Benke, Captain William Hutchinson, Melvin Champaign, Assistant Engineer Michael “Mikey” French, and James “Earl” Drayton.

Charleston Fire Chief Dan Curia said the loss continues to shape the department and the community.

“The sacrifice that our nine firefighters made is immeasurable,” Curia said, “and we can never repay them for the trajectory they placed this fire department on.”

During the memorial, nine rings of a bell echo as the names of each firefighter are read. Curia said the sound carries meaning across the fire service. “Every firefighter in America knows what it means when that bell tolls.”

WCIV-TV ABC 4 Charleston

The post ‘It demands that we remember;’ South Carolina community honors 9 fallen firefighters appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: At least one person was killed after a massive fire tore through a resort in the Dominican Republic on Friday.

It occurred at the Wyndham Dominicus Beach hotel in Bayahíbe, located a little more than 40 miles west of Punta Cana in the country’s La Altagracia Province.

According to media reports, the person who perished in the fire was a 46-year-old Italian tourist who allegedly died due to smoke inhalation. At least a dozen other people were injured.

Local authorities said that a total of 1,690 guests had to be evacuated from the beachside resort hotel.

They were all relocated to other area hotels or given other lodging arrangements, the Emergency Operations Center of the Dominican Republic stated.

Wyndham’s other property in Bayahibe was not damaged.

The cause of the fire was not immediately determined.

KTLA-TV CW 5 Los Angeles

The post International News: Deadly fire torches upscale resort in the Dominican Republic appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Chris Ferrara, founder of US Fire Pump, discusses how the company has evolved far beyond manufacturing fire pumps into becoming a global leader in industrial firefighting solutions.

The post More Than Pumps: The US Fire Pump Difference appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Construction on Farmville's new fire station is expected to resume pending final approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

The post Farmville (NC) Expects Fire Station Construction to Resume Following HUD Review appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

During the Long Beach conference this week, hundreds of companies and creators showcased their latest tech developments — most seem straight out of science fiction.

The post Robo Firefighters, Holographic Assistants, and Universal Remotes: Inside the Augmented World Expo appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.