As we approach the anniversary of the Sofa Super Store fire, we’re revisiting our conversation with Dr. David Griffin, assistant chief of administration in Charleston, S.C., who shared powerful lessons learned from the tragic fire in which nine of his fellow firefighters died. Griffin explains his initial resistance to change following the fire; discusses why so many members retired after the incident; opens up about the various coping mechanisms he tried following the deadly incident, including MMA; and shares his subsequent realization about not knowing what he didn’t know – and diving head-first into absorbing training and operations resources.

Resources we mentioned on the show

• "15 years later: ‘We are home-growing our leaders’ in Charleston”

• "In Honor of The Charleston 9: A Study of Change Following Tragedy"

• “The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team”