Columbia-Richland Fire Department Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins has filed suit against the Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina (PFFSC) and PFFSC President Roger Odachowski, alleging that statements published by the organization following a firefighter line-of-duty death defamed him and caused significant emotional distress.

According to the complaint, Chief Jenkins was the Fire Chief of the Columbia-Richland Fire Department when PFFSC issued a press release on June 19, 2023, titled: “Professional Fire Fighters of South Carolina suffer the loss of a brother; A fatal fire exposes years of a chief’s neglect and deficiencies.”

The complaint alleges that the press release was distributed through social media, including Facebook, and was disseminated to the public and media outlets. The suit claims the release specifically identified Chief Jenkins and linked him to alleged operational and leadership failures within the department.

According to the complaint, the release stated that a fatal fire “exposes years of a chief’s neglect and deficiencies” and further alleged that Chief Jenkins’ leadership had resulted in “severe staffing issues, nonfunctioning apparatus, delayed response times, NFPA safety violations,” and that he “continues to put residents, businesses, and firefighters at extreme risk.”

The complaint further alleges that PFFSC and President Odachowski published statements questioning Chief Jenkins’ honesty, competence, and integrity, while implying that he was responsible for conditions that contributed to firefighter injuries and a firefighter death.

Chief Jenkins contends the statements were false and that the defendants either knew they were false or acted with reckless disregard for their truth. The complaint alleges that the defendants failed to conduct a reasonable investigation before publishing the statements.

The suit claims the statements damaged Chief Jenkins’ professional reputation and exposed him to public ridicule and disgrace. According to the complaint, the publications caused severe emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety, and mental anguish, and resulted in his seeking professional counseling and treatment.

The first count of the lawsuit is directed against PFFSC and alleges negligent supervision. Chief Jenkins contends the organization failed to properly supervise, train, monitor, and control its officers, agents, employees, and representatives before the statements were published.

The second count alleges defamation against President Odachowski. The complaint asserts that the defendants falsely stated or implied that Chief Jenkins:

• Engaged in years of neglect and deficient leadership;
• Was responsible for severe staffing deficiencies;
• Allowed nonfunctioning firefighting apparatus and equipment;
• Caused delayed emergency response times;
• Violated NFPA safety standards;
• Endangered firefighters, residents, and businesses;
• Misled the public regarding the cause of a fatal fire;
• Failed to properly investigate and manage a firefighter line-of-duty death; and
• Was negligent, incompetent, and fully responsible for the death of a firefighter.

The complaint further alleges that the defendants falsely claimed inadequate staffing and insufficient manpower contributed to the firefighter fatality despite the response of mutual-aid resources from the Irmo Fire District and other surrounding departments.

According to the complaint, the defendants published statements asserting that Chief Jenkins was responsible for the firefighter’s death even though the firefighter died as a result of conditions encountered during the fire, including a structural collapse.

The lawsuit also alleges that the statements were made during an active campaign by PFFSC to recruit and organize firefighters within the Columbia-Richland Fire Department. Chief Jenkins contends the statements were published in an effort to undermine confidence in his leadership, portray him as unfit for his position, and advance the organization’s recruitment and membership objectives.

The complaint alleges the statements constituted defamation per se because they accused Chief Jenkins of professional incompetence, neglect of duty, misconduct in his profession, and responsibility for a firefighter’s death.

The third count alleges intentional infliction of emotional distress against President Odachowski. Chief Jenkins claims the public dissemination of accusations concerning neglect, dishonesty, incompetence, safety failures, and responsibility for a firefighter’s death constituted extreme and outrageous conduct that foreseeably caused severe emotional distress.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, special damages, punitive damages, costs, interest, an order requiring retraction of the statements, and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.