News Flash

At a press conference today, June 5, Charleston Fire Department officials announced that all four fire stations recently found to contain bedbugs have been successfully treated, and verified to be free of the insects on re-inspection by a specially trained K9 team. Firefighters have moved back into their home facilities and will still be observing precautionary steps to prevent re-infestation.

All other city fire stations have undergone precautionary inspections over the past several days and been confirmed to be bedbug free.

However, despite significant progress, officials stress that they consider these kinds of outbreaks to be an ongoing challenge, and one that they plan to remain vigilant against going forward.

“As we've learned over the past couple of weeks, bedbugs have become a serious, long-term issue for fire departments all over the country,” Interim Fire Chief John Tippett said. “The only real answer is to stay proactive, with stronger prevention protocols and regular treatments targeted specifically at these insects. This is precisely the regimen we're putting in place.

“Even with all that, we're asking everyone here to remain on high alert for signs of any new outbreak, so that we can act quickly to contain the problem and keep our service members and their families safe, both now and in the future.

“I would like to thank Dr. Eric Benson for his expertise and continued support through this process. And, I can't say enough about the tireless efforts of our Health and Safety Officer, Battalion Chief Kenny Jenkins, and the patience and high commitment to service all of our members maintained while we worked to get the situation under control.”