According to some, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.  It would appear that this applies to Charleston, South Carolina based on a report based on a fire that occurred in 2010.

The Post and Courier published an article entitled “The Same Mistakes”.  According to the article and the report this incident contained many of the same mistakes that occurred in the Sofa Super Store 4 years ago.

Every day articles are written from both sides of the “safety” spectrum.  Those that feel we are too aggressive and too risky, to those that feel safety stands in the way of us getting the job done.  As we often write about here, the answer does not lie in the extremes.  As firemen, we signed on to protect life and property, to protect the lives of others at the risk of our own.  As our “battleground” becomes more dangerous, we must adapt to it and continue to train and learn so that we can execute our mission while affording ourselves the best possible chance of coming home.

It is hard to say how accurate the article is from the Post and Courier.  We all know that there can be a bias in the media, often time founded in a lack of understanding of what we do as firemen.  But when the article is based on and supported by an official document from the Charleston Fire Department, it becomes harder to ignore.  According to the article, there are discrepancies with the report and it has yet to be officially released.

Read the rest and follow the discussion here:  

 http://backstepfirefighter.com/2011/12/13/the-definition-of-insanity/