Published: June 21, 2007

The Independent — Four Ashland firefighters will be among thousands from across the nation and world at a memorial service today in Charleston, S.C., for the nine firefighters who perished in a warehouse fire on Monday.

The firefighters, Deputy Chief Scott Penick, Capt. Steve Alley and firefighters Evan Allison and Andy Weinfurtner will represent the Ashland Fire Department and Ashland Firefighters Association Local 706 at the service. Beginning at 8 a.m. they will march in the processional, which is expected to include more than 100 fire trucks and thousands of firefighters. The entourage will wind through Charleston, past the scene of the furniture warehouse fire and to the North Charleston Coliseum for a memorial service at 10 a.m.

Joey Baer, president of the AFA, said the department is affiliated with the international association, which organizes memorial services when multiple firefighter fatalities occur.

He said departments send firefighters, and sometimes equipment, to the service “out of respect for the brother firefighters and family members of those that died.”

Firefighters often talk of the “brotherhood,” the bond between not only the firefighters in an individual department, but the fellowship felt for all in the profession.

“Every line-of-duty death across the country is a local line-of-duty death,” said Penick, quoting a statement made by another fire chief. “It hits departments as if it was a local line-of-duty death. I don’t know those guys individually, but I’m sure the guy down there was like the guy I was sitting in the kitchen talking to earlier.”

Monday’s tragedy was the worst multiple firefighter fatality incident since 9/11, when 343 firefighters lost their lives.

When incidents like this occur, Baer said “it reminds us what can and does happen anywhere. It doesn’t have to be a large city.”

Penick said Monday’s accident struck an even deeper chord with the Ashland department because it came during the department’s Safety Stand Down Week, when the department has three days of safety training.

“You can do everything right and firefighters can still get hurt and still lose their lives, even if you are doing everything right,” Penick said.

“I can’t second-guess ... but from the information I’ve gotten, I’m not sure we would have done anything differently than those (Charleston firefighters) did — especially when you are doing a rescue.

“A guy dying in a house fire is easy. It doesn’t take a sofa warehouse. We average a structure fire every 10 days.”

Flags will fly at half-staff above the Ashland department today and a memorial wreath will be placed in front of the Central Fire Station.

CARRIE KIRSCHNER can be reach at ckirschner@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.