Mayor Steve Benjamin released the following statement in regards to our fallen fire fighters.
“The City of Columbia is saddened by the loss of two dedicated firefighters, CRFD Fire Chaplain Billie Lee Bright and Battalion Chief Joseph Casey Desso, who left us within a span of just 48 hours, and had a combined total of more than 35 years in the service of preserving the safety and health of our citizens. We know the grief felt by their families, and their brothers and sisters in arms.
These men represent the courage and conviction of our City’s public safety personnel, who continue to unselfishly and heroically place themselves in harm’s way, even when their service allows them proximity to the threat of the current pandemic.”
Columbia Richland Fire Chaplain Bright
Battalion Chief Desso