For years, the department has lacked manpower in emergency situations, making response times longer when timing is crucial.
Lives could be in danger in Georgetown County, where firehouses face chronic manpower shortages.
In some cases, fire engines continually go out with only one firefighter on the truck, while national standards call for a minimum of four. - PUB DATE: 7/17/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Myrtle Beach Online
The city of Oakland, California, will pay more than $32 million to settle lawsuits brought on behalf of victims of the deadly 2016 "Ghost Ship" fire in which 36 people died, officials announced.
"This was a horrific tragedy that deeply impacted every corner of our community," a statement from the city attorney's office said. - PUB DATE: 7/17/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC News
The Magic City will host the World Police and Fire Games (WPFG), an event featuring more than 10,000 first responders competing in 1,600 medal events, from June 27 to July 6, 2025.
The city’s successful bid for the event was announced in May by local officials and The World Police and Fire Games Federation. - PUB DATE: 7/17/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Village Living Online
Police, firefighter and correction officers unions have asked a judge to block the release of officers’ disciplinary records in cases where claims against them are unsubstantiated following Albany’s repeal 50-A law, according to new court papers.
The some 60,000 officers who are represented in the lawsuit, claim that when the records concerning officers disciplinary matters are released beginning as early as Wednesday, they will also include non-final and unsubstantiated allegations. - PUB DATE: 7/16/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Post
EMS agencies and officials are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the nation's first paramedic act, signed in California on July 15, 1970.
The Wedworth-Townsend Act, signed by then-Gov. Ronald Reagan 50 years ago on Wednesday, legally recognized the practice of paramedicine and protected paramedics administering intensive prehospital care in the state, the California Ambulance Association and National EMS Museum recounted in a news release marking the anniversary. - PUB DATE: 7/16/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: EMS1
A new tool developed by Georgia Tech allows people to look up their risk of encountering COVID-19 at event, based on the county they live in.
The interactive map allows users to choose a county anywhere in the United States, choose the event size (anywhere from 10 people to 10,000), and then calculate the risk that at least one COVID-19 positive person will be present. - PUB DATE: 7/16/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTHR-TV NBC 13 Indianapolis
VIDEO: More than 50 children in the U.S. died from heatstroke after being left in hot cars last year.
Rising temperatures during the summer are one reason why parents must be more alert than ever when driving with children in the back seat.
“It doesn’t take as long as you think it will to build up to a dangerous situation inside a car,” said Gulfport Fire Chief Mike Beyerstedt. - PUB DATE: 7/16/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WLOX-TV ABC/CBS 13 Biloxi
Today, First Lady Melania Trump made an unannounced visit to Engine Company 9 fire station in Washington, D.C. to deliver a donation of boxed lunches prepared by the White House chefs, Be Best tote bags, reusable face masks and hand sanitizer. The First Lady met with firefighters and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel from Engine Company 9 and policemen and women from the neighboring DC Metropolitan Police Department Third District. - PUB DATE: 7/16/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Whitehouse.gov
The fire that broke out on the USS Bonhomme Richard on Sunday was still burning at the time of writing. The blaze has caused at least 20 casualties, and the fate of the ship is unclear, with Navy officials stating it was too soon to say if the vessel will be salvageable. But new firefighting technology might have stopped the fire before it ran out of control. - PUB DATE: 7/15/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Forbes
A Daytona Beach man positive with HIV was accused of passing on the virus by spitting on a South Daytona firefighter-paramedic, police said.
Julio Rivera, 41, who was being investigated in a domestic violence case on Tuesday, was charged with criminal transmission of HIV, battery on a firefighter by way of spitting, domestic violence battery, resisting arrest without violence, fleeing and attempting to elude police, giving a false name, unlawful possession of molly/ecstasy, possession of drug paraphernalia, and grand theft. - PUB DATE: 7/15/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Daytona Beach News-Journal
Evansville Fire officials are forging ahead with a diversity and inclusion training program from the firefighters' union.
The move comes months after a fire inspector's use of a racist slur on the job pushed issues of race in the department into the headlines.
A diversity sub-committee set up by the Evansville Fire Department Merit Commission will undergo a five-hour virtual training next week with the International Association of Fire Fighters, Fire Chief Mike Connelly announced at a commission meeting Tuesday afternoon. - PUB DATE: 7/15/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Courier & Press
The Austin EMS Association is worried there aren’t enough ambulances in the city to quickly respond to emergencies. Leadership representing the medics of Austin/Travis County EMS said they were disappointed they didn’t see any new vehicles in the budget released on Monday.
“We are seeing at least 50 calls per day that are related to COVID-19,” said Austin EMS Association President Selena Xie. - PUB DATE: 7/15/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KXAN-TV NBC 36 Austin
VIDEO: A Raleigh firefighter is an unofficial Guinness World Record holder, pending paperwork.
5,297. That's how many burpees Nick Christopoulos said he did on Sunday in an un-air-conditioned gym.
"It was as it sounds, awful...yeah."
His venture to hold the title started simply enough- for every call at his firehouse, he'd do 100 burpees. - PUB DATE: 7/15/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTVD ABC 11 Raleigh
VIDEO: Firefighters are trained to rescue people from burning buildings, and they do it without hesitation. It's much more personal when it's one of their own.
Dekalb County firefighter Viv Evans was battling a blaze in Stone Mountain when she got injured. Evans says even while flames were swirling around her, she knew without a doubt her fellow firefighters would get her out. - PUB DATE: 7/14/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WAGA-TV FOX 5 Atlanta
A fire suppression system was inoperable when a blaze erupted aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego, so sailors fought the blaze with water, a top Navy official said Monday.
Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck said the Halon gas system had been turned off because it was being worked on while the amphibious assault ship was undergoing maintenance work. - PUB DATE: 7/14/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KUSI-TV 51 San Diego
VIDEO: A tense rescue unfolded on Monday morning at a high-rise building in North Palm Beach.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Capt. Derek Wiley said rescuers were dispatched to a 23-story building in the 100 block of Lakeshore Drive about 10 a.m.
Wiley said a window washer was hanging from the 15th floor of the building, yelling for help. - PUB DATE: 7/14/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WPTV NBC 5 West Palm Beach
The UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health have launched the Heroes Health Initiative to help support the mental health of first responders and health care workers during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The app is available through the App Store/Google Play Store in the United States, free of charge to first responders, health care workers and their organizations. - PUB DATE: 7/14/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Knowing which mask is best to prevent person-to-person transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus is still an open question for most, but slow-motion video shared on YouTube early in July provides a visual basis to judge how best to keep safe amid the global pandemic.
Professor Joe Hanson of the YouTube channel "It's Okay To Be Smart" released a video earlier in July, reviewing the basics of why people should wear masks — in a visual review and primer and recent studies on the effectiveness of masks to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. - PUB DATE: 7/14/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Interesting Engineering
More than a dozen sailors and several civilians have been hospitalized following an explosion on a Navy ship in San Diego on Sunday, officials said.
A fire broke out aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard sometime around 8:30 a.m. local time, said officials with the Naval Surface Forces. The blaze escalated to a three-alarm fire, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, which assisted in battling the fire along with base and shipboard firefighting teams. - PUB DATE: 7/13/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: ABC News
A fight for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder coverage years in the making has ended with a win for Cleveland paramedics, EMTs and dispatchers.
A union contract for Cleveland EMS just passed, including about $3.7 million in back pay for employees and mental health language, addressing PTSD.
CARE has been negotiating their contract since March of 2016. - PUB DATE: 7/13/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WOIO-TV CBS 19 Cleveland