Charleston, SC Chief Tom Carr to step down March 1.

Charleston Fire Chief Tom Carr told his firefighters yesterday that illness will force him to step down from his post on March 1 of next year. Chief Carr took over the department in November, 2008 after retiring as chief of Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service in Maryland. He has helped the Charleston Fire Department recover after the staggering loss of nine firefighters at the Sofa Super Store fire of June 18, 2007.

Andy Paras and Glenn Smith, writing in The Post and Courier, say that Carr "transformed a struggling department into a modern firefighting force."

But Chief Carr has had his own struggles after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. In April, 2010, Carr went public with the news about the illness and said that he was determined to stay on as chief.

A visit early this year found Chief Carr with his usual sharp mind and a strong determination to continue to lead despite the toll the disease was taking on his body. Equally impressive was the amazing support the chief continued to receive from Charleston firefighters who have stood by him in this battle.

Here's more from Paras and Smith:

Carr, 57, briefed city firefighters on his decision during a morning assembly at the Charleston Maritime Center. He then released a statement explaining that his medical problems had taken a turn for the worse.

Carr said his neurologist recently found that he has a more serious condition known as multiple systems atrophy, which is among the more severe syndromes of Parkinson's. The condition progresses more rapidly and doesn't respond well to medication, he said.

Mayor Joe Riley has announced he will conduct a nationwide search for a new chief.

Click here for Mayor Riley's full statement.

Statement from Chief Carr:

My most recent visit to the neurologist brought good and bad news that I need to share with you. Physically, my doctor said I looked better than I did 6 months earlier but he had life changing news.

As we've discussed previously, Parkinson's is difficult to diagnose and as it has been in my case. My initial diagnosis was tennis elbow and it wasn't until later that I was diagnosed with slow developing Parkinson's.

Parkinsonism is a group of neurological disorders or syndromes. Parkinson's is the most common and slowest developing. Unfortunately, my doctor now believes I have one of the more severe syndromes of Parkinsonism. The syndrome is known as Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). MSA is a rapidly developing, debilitating condition that doesn't respond well to medication.

As a result of this change in my diagnosis and prognosis, I will be retiring on March 1, 2012. For the next six months we will continue to focus on moving the Department forward as a search for my replacement is conducted.