DI's 52 Weeks of Thanks supports local firefighters

Throughout the Station 18 and Ladder One fire house on Daniel Island are reminders of the community’s appreciation. Comfortable new leather furniture. A big screen TV. A new Wii console with plenty of accompanying games. A special video made by students at the Daniel Island School honoring the firefighters’ contributions. Pictures, letters and other mementos expressing thanks. Countless breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks - consumed but not forgotten.

All are gifts from various island residents, families, groups and clubs in commemoration of 52 Weeks of Thanks, a program initiated by the Daniel Island Property Owners Association (POA) one year ago. The idea to have folks "adopt" firefighters, police and emergency medical workers for a week at a time came about after the devastating Sofa Super Store fire in June of 2007 that claimed the lives of nine Charleston firefighters

The men and women of Daniel Island’s Station 18 and Ladder One pose for a photo with members of the Daniel Island School PTA, one of 51 groups that “adopted” the station as part of the island’s 52 Weeks of Thanks program.

A fire ripped through the 1417 Hooper Street home of Pete and Summar Phillips last Thursday evening causing extensive damage from fire, smoke and water. Approximately 30 firefighters, eight emergency vehicles (not including police) and two departments (Charleston and N. Charleston) battled the blaze for over four hours, according to City of Charleston Public

A fire severely damaged 1417 Hooper Street last Thursday evening. Firefighters battled the blaze for over four hours.

The first crew arrived on the scene at 6:51 p.m. and the last crew cleared out at 11:28 p.m. Ruppel said the fire was under control within 50 minutes of the first crew arriving at the scene.

No one was injured but several firefighters were treated on the scene for heat exhaustion.

It’s 7:45 a.m. last Friday morning, less than nine hours after seven fire engines, four police vehicles, and hundreds of neighbors and onlookers have left the scene. Homeowner Pete Phillips, head in hand, is assessing the emotional, physical and financial damage of the fire that ravaged his home the night before, where he, his wife Summar and two children live. He says, in a way, that it feels like a funeral, and it’s hard to disagree. The sense of loss is powerful, overwhelming at times, but mitigated by the fact that, because there’s so much to do, you don’t have that much time to think about it.

Daniel Island offices roughly 80 percent full

Nearly 80 percent of available office space on Daniel Island is currently occupied, according to a June 2009 report prepared by Anchor Commercial on the commercial real estate market. On balance, Daniel Island’s occupancy rate for commercial property – office, retail and warehouse/industrial – is on par with the Charleston region at large (please see accompanying chart). Specifically:

·

Office space– occupancy rates range from downtown Charleston’s high mark of 93% to North Charleston’s 75%.