Joyce Moed | Feature Samples

Charleston's Warehouse Fire

By Joyce Moed, Reporter

CHARLESTON, S.C.–The fact that none of the nine firemen who died last Tuesday morning in Charleston’s warehouse fire were members of the South Carolina Firefighters Federal Credit Union in Columbia isn’t stopping the relatively new organization from doing what it can to help the victims’ families.

“We’re firefighters helping firefighters,” said Bill Kennedy, president and CEO of the South Carolina Firefighters FCU. “It’s a unique bond.”

The 800-member credit union was chartered in January 2006 and opened its doors that following April.

“We haven’t really reached Charleston yet,” Kennedy said.

But still, they are doing what they can.

“It’s a very sad situation. We are collecting funds,” he said, “focusing on credit unions throughout the country, and credit union members.”

The fire in a Charleston furniture warehouse caused the roof of a furniture warehouse to collapse, killing the nine firefighters.

The credit union has collected funds for the memorial service that took place on Friday, June 22, and is continuing to collect funds for the families. The funds it collects will be distributed through the National Credit Union Foundation.

“We can roll up the donations quickly,” said Steve Bosack, deputy director of the NCUF. “It’s all electronic. We help channel the money to the right place.”

The South Carolina Firefighters FCU is the first credit union in the state designed specifically for firefighters. Because Charleston is about a 90-minute drive from Columbia it was taking some time for it to be able to serve that area, Kennedy said.

“Our getting involved in this will give more accessibility,” Kennedy said. “It will give us a better image. People will see what we can do.

“But we’re not doing it for that reason,” Kennedy stressed.

He said they are helping because firefighters share a bond he compared to fraternity brothers, and because of the strength of the credit-union movement.

“We have been getting calls from all over the country,” he said. “When things like this happen, the credit-union movement rises to the top.”

CU Aid was developed by the National Credit Union Foundation in cooperation with state credit union foundations, leagues and the NCUF’s disaster preparedness committee, according to information from CU Aid’s website.

Questions about how donations will be used locally can be directed to Bill Kenney at 803-454-1804 or bill@scfirefighters.org.