Columbia-Richland Fire Chief Sues Firefighters Association Over Statements Tied to LODD

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• Columbia-Richland Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins filed a defamation lawsuit June 22 against the Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina and its president over public statements the union issued following the May 2023 death of Irmo Firefighter James Muller.
• The association issued a June 19, 2023 press release and social media posts alleging Jenkins’ leadership was responsible for years of neglect and deficiencies that contributed to conditions at the fatal apartment fire.
• Muller died during a three-alarm fire at the Tropical Ridge Apartments in Columbia when a fourth-floor loft collapsed through multiple floors, trapping his crew.
• The lawsuit alleges the defendants falsely claimed Jenkins’ administration caused severe staffing issues, nonfunctioning apparatus, delayed response times, and NFPA safety violations.
• Jenkins also claims the association falsely accused him of making misleading statements about the fire’s cause and misrepresenting facts to outside investigators.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia-Richland Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins sued the Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina and its president Tuesday, alleging defamation over public statements the union issued following the May 2023 line-of-duty death of Irmo Firefighter James Muller.

The lawsuit, filed in Richland County, targets statements the association made in a June 19, 2023 press release and related social media posts issued shortly after the fatal fire at the Tropical Ridge Apartments in Columbia. The fire was a three-alarm structure fire in which a fourth-floor loft collapsed through multiple floors, trapping Muller’s crew. A mayday was declared during firefighting operations.

According to the complaint, the defendants stated that the fatal fire “exposes years of a chief’s neglect and deficiencies” and that Jenkins’s leadership had resulted in what the union characterized as “severe staffing issues, nonfunctioning apparatus, delayed response times, NFPA safety violations.” The defendants further represented that Jenkins “continues to put residents, businesses, and firefighters at extreme risk,” according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also alleges the defendants questioned Jenkins’ honesty and competence and accused him of making false or misleading statements about the fire’s cause and the role of outside investigators in examining the incident.

Jenkins contends that the statements made by the firefighters association and its president constitute defamation and seeks damages in the lawsuit. The allegations have reignited debate over responsibility and accountability following the firefighter’s death, which has been the subject of investigation and scrutiny in recent months.

A NIOSH investigation into the incident previously made 13 recommendations to the department, including findings on the department’s mental health response activation following the death. The Irmo Fire District and Columbia-Richland Fire Department have been engaged in ongoing communications regarding the circumstances surrounding Muller’s death and the fire response.