Public Safety Chaplains Receive Mass Casualty Training in Charleston, SC
By Rev. J. Eric Skidmore, South Carolina State Police Chaplain
October 11-12, 2019 will be two days of training that public safety chaplain trainees at The College of Theology at Lenoir-Rhyne University will not soon forget. South Carolina is the home of this ELCA Seminary but it also witnessed two significant mass casualty events that rocked our nation to its core. On June 18, 2007 nine Charleston firefighters lost their lives fighting the Sofa Superstore Fire; eight years later, on June 17, 2015, nine members and ministers of Emmanuel AME Church were murdered in their fellowship hall during a Wednesday night Bible study.
The horror of these two events comes into even sharper focus when remembered through the eyes of the police officers, firefighters, government officials, victim advocates, mental health professionals and chaplains who were there that night and have lived through the aftermath. They continue to live through the impact even though over a decade has passed since those nine firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty. To better prepare chaplains to respond to such tragedies, Lenior-Rhyne offers mass casualty training in a two-day, intensive format.
The 18-month Public Safety Chaplaincy Training Program at Lenoir-Rhyne has worked diligently to help chaplains address these issues by reflecting on topics such as theodicy, compassion, and specific pastoral matters like addiction, suicide, and church/state separation questions. The program’s Mass Casualty Training reflects the deep dive, hands-on approach that Lenoir-Rhyne offers its students.
Day one of this year’s training began in the Session Room of Second Presbyterian Church, one block from the backdoor of Mother Emmanuel where the murderer entered the church to carry out his evil deeds. There the students heard from the Deputy Chief of the Charleston Police Department, the Chief Coroner of Charleston County, the first public safety chaplain on the scene at Mother Emmanuel, an FBI Victim Witness Specialist, and a South Carolina Department of Mental Health staff member tasked with aftercare. All were present on the night of the murders. After a brief lunch, the class walked over to Mother Emmanuel for a conversation with Rev. Eric Manning. This was followed by a trip to the federal courthouse where the trial took place. The class had the chance to meet with a prosecutor from the US Attorney’s Office and the Office’s Victim Advocate. The formal meetings ended with a walk to the chapel of St. Michael’s Church and a conversation with AME Pastor Rev. Dr. Kylon Middleton, Rev. Clementa Pinkney’s best friend. The day ended with supper and a time of reflection with Dr. Tony Everett, the lead professor of pastoral theology of the Public Safety Chaplaincy Training Program.
Day two began in the Fellowship Hall of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, one block from the site of the Sofa Superstore Fire. The students first heard from a Charleston firefighter who was part of the event. This presentation was followed by an overview and retelling of the event by the coroner present that night. The session ended with presentations by the first chaplain on the scene, the state Department of Mental Health staff member charged with aftercare, and a Captain with the Charleston Sheriff who knew all nine of the firefighters who died. Following lunch, the class walked to the site of the fire; for some of the trainers it was the first time they had returned since 2007. The class ended the day St. Andrew’s Church with reflection and prayer.
The students were of one mind on this training. Without going to Charleston and hearing from police officers, the coroner, firefighters, victim advocates, clinicians, attorneys, preachers, chaplains, and others, they never would have understood the impact of these tragedies. Without walking through the doors of Mother Emmanuel or on the ground where the nine firefighters died, they could never have begun knowing the suffering, the struggles or the resilience of the Charleston community. We all left Charleston with a deep appreciation for the long march ahead of any city that finds itself touched by mass casualty events such as Mother Emmanuel and The Charleston 9.
Rev. Skidmore is an Advisor to the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab.