BRAVERY AND HEROISM RECOGNIZED BY FIRST RESPONDERS

WADE HAMPTON (SC) FIRE DEPARTMENT HONORED BY STATE FIREMEN'S ASSOCIATION

(MYRTLE BEACH, SC / JULY 18, 2004) At last night's "South Carolina's Bravest Awards Celebration" presented by the South Carolina State Firemen's Association, Greenville County’s Wade Hampton Fire Department received the award for "Meritorious Action" for its response to the tragic January Comfort Inn fire in which six people lost their lives and twelve were injured.

The award, jointly presented by Wade Hampton's Commission Chairman Vernon Wade and association president and Mauldin Fire Department Chief James Moore, recognized the department’s firefighters who battled the flames during the January 25, 2004 storm that covered much of Upstate South Carolina with ice.

Following an emotional video presentation, Mark Vaughn, Wade Hampton's acting Battalion Chief on duty the night of the fire, accepted the award on the department’s behalf.

The video, which included television footage of the fire and interviews from the firefighters involved, brought tears to the eyes of the firefighters and families who crowded the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

Wade Hampton's Chief Gary Downey praised his department saying that Vaughn and the other firefighters displayed ultimate professionalism and followed their training exactly.

"Firefighters don't do this job for fame or glory, but it's nice for our guys to be recognized for their efforts. They deserve it," Downey added.

The fire erupted shortly after 4:00 a.m. on the hotel's third floor, and several of Wade Hampton’s engines and a platform truck quickly responded to find victims who had either jumped or were preparing to leap and escape the smoke and heat.

Though some families broke glass to escape through windows by jumping or using knotted bed sheets to scale down the building, Wade Hampton's firefighters divided their resources to rescue the hotel’s remaining guests and control the fire.

Several hotel guests were rescued using the department's platform truck and others by fire department ladders.

"This was the worst fire fatality I've seen in Greenville County in decades. It was very tough," Chief Downey said.

"Residents and businesses in the Wade Hampton District are fortunate to have professionals as dedicated and well-trained as our firefighters," Downey added.

ABOUT THE WADE HAMPTON FIRE DEPARTMENT
Established in 1958 with boundaries that encompass much of Greenville (SC) County's Eastside, the Wade Hampton Fire Department provides an array of programs to protect the lives and property of residents and businesses the throughout the special purpose district.

For further information about the Wade Hampton Fire Department, visit [link].

For media inquiries regarding this release, please contact Taft Matney by e-mail (taft@taftmatney.com).

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This news release contains or may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or facts to differ materially from such statements for a variety of reasons. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. The Wade Hampton Fire Department undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements.