City public safety officials and Mayor Bill Peduto on Wednesday showed off a new “silent” alarm system that alerts only the fire and EMS stations that are being dispatched to the call, rather than blasting the call on a radio for every station and first responder on duty to hear. The $2.8 million, decade-in-the-making alarm system will cut down first responders’ stress levels and streamline services, officials said.
- PUB DATE: 6/25/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Pittsburgh Post Gazette

VIDEO: A man working atop the iconic Fresno State water tower had to be rushed to the hospital today after being overcome with heat, eventually going into cardiac arrest. "The extended work period up on top there, the strenuous work that they were doing with the heat and the high humidity today, it just overcame him," said Battalion Chief Mike Gibson of the Fresno Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 6/25/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KFSN-TV ABC 30 Fresno

There are continued calls to keep two Baltimore City fire units from closing, the closures are proposed as part of city budget cuts. Firefighters and their families held rallies on Wednesday to voice those calls in public. Firefighters, both active and retired, held rallies outside two fire houses in the city, protesting the proposal to take two engine units out of service permanently, due to city budget cuts.
- PUB DATE: 6/25/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WBAL-TV NBC 11 Baltimore

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its latest forecast of expected U.S. coronavirus deaths, predicting that between 130,000 and 150,000 Americans would die of the novel virus by July 18. The updated forecast put out by the CDC Wednesday consists of a combination of data from over 20 national models, which also predict an increase in fatalities in several states over the next four weeks, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah, which the CDC says will exceed the number of reported deaths of the last month.
- PUB DATE: 6/25/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WITI-TV FOX 6 Milwaukee

The state Natural Resources Board has unanimously approved allowing the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to begin drafting regulations to enforce restrictions on firefighting foam that contains chemicals known as PFAS. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, are chemicals that are found in products ranging from firefighting foam to nonstick cookware.
- PUB DATE: 6/25/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Wisconsin Public Radio

Three Houston Fire Department firefighters were taken to the hospital to be treated for the injuries they received while battling a house fire early Wednesday. The fire was reported around 2 a.m. at a home in the 8900 block of Wynmeadow, not far from Monroe and I-45. When firefighters arrived, the one-story home was already engulfed in flames.
- PUB DATE: 6/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KHOU-TV CBS 11 Houston

For the first time in the history of the Pasadena Fire Department, the entire engine crew rolling out of Station 34 was female. On Tuesday, the all-female crew were under the command of Capt. Tricia Rodriguez. "FIRST all-female crew in history of Pasadena Fire Department riding together on Engine 34," a social media post picturing the four of them said.
- PUB DATE: 6/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KABC-TV ABC 7 Los Angeles

COVID-19 has "brought this nation to its knees," Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Tuesday. The country is probably going to spend about $7 trillion "because of one little virus," Redfield said during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing.
- PUB DATE: 6/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CNN

With the 4th of July right around the corner, many people are gearing up to celebrate. In Roswell, however, the holiday is a painful reminder of the loss of one of their own. Last year, a huge explosion injured 12 firefighters and left one dead as they were preparing for the city’s annual fireworks display.
- PUB DATE: 6/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOB-TV NBC 4 Albuquerque

VIDEO: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) announced a task force Tuesday aimed at cracking down on illegal fireworks after city residents have registered thousands of complaints. “We have concerns about this from all over the city, this is a real problem. It is not just a quality of life problem and noise problem, and it is certainly that … but it can also be dangerous,” the mayor said Tuesday at a press conference.
- PUB DATE: 6/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Hill

VIDEO: Nearly one hundred firefighters from 10 companies and two counties rolled into Specialty Tire in Indiana Monday morning. Indiana Fire Association First Assistant Chief Ron Moreau described the scene: “Lots of heavy black smoke.” The picture from Indiana Fire Association shows the issue from the outside.
- PUB DATE: 6/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KDKA-TV CBS 2 Pittsburgh

With half of US states reporting a rise in new cases, one expert warns of ‘danger signs’ in some parts of the US. After weeks of many Americans failing to heed face mask and social distancing guidelines, health officials in some states are reporting an increase in younger populations testing positive — saying those individuals are often asymptomatic but could be infecting others.
- PUB DATE: 6/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTLA-TV 5 CW Los Angeles

Firefighters face occupational hazards on a daily basis. Now, new research shows they face additional risk just by gearing up. Fabric used for firefighter turnout gear tested positive for the presence of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), according to the study published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, led by Graham Peaslee, professor of physics at the University of Notre Dame.
- PUB DATE: 6/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: University of Notre Dame News

Chicago Fire showcases the intense and dangerous situations which firefighters deal with every day, and the crew wants it to be as realistic as possible. They use some fantastic special effects and pyrotechnics, which as amazing as they look, still isn’t real enough. In addition, this drama goes above and beyond by using real life firefighters in the show.
- PUB DATE: 6/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Showbiz CheatSheet

There has been quite a bit of discussion about how telehealth could be utilized during a public health emergency or more commonly during medical care. But only 1% of rural communities in the U.S. routinely use telemedicine and it is rarely utilized outside of emergency situations, such as natural disasters.
- PUB DATE: 6/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: EMS1

VIDEO: Drone footage shows the aftermath of the massive fire that ravaged the former Strathmore Paper complex and destroyed Mill Number Two. The footage was taken Saturday by Samuel Mazzaferro, the owner and operator of West Branch Aerial Photography located in Chester. Mazzaferro made sure to follow all rules and regulations and avoided any interference as firefighters continued to work the scene.
- PUB DATE: 6/22/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Mass Live

A national nonprofit that's been monitoring the spread of COVID-19 says Michigan is one of three states "on track to contain" the novel coronavirus, but officials still warn the fight here is far from over. COVID Act Now, a group of technologists, epidemiologists, health experts and public policy leaders, tweeted Tuesday that Michigan had moved to its lowest risk category on its warning dashboard for states.
- PUB DATE: 6/22/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Detroit News

Four Rapid City Fire Department firefighters retired Friday as a result of budget concerns and to help prevent possible layoffs in the department. Capt. Joe Tjaden, Training Section Chief Matt Culberson, Battalion Chief Tim Daly and Fire Chief Rod Seals have a combined 111 years of experience under their belts, according to a RCFD press release.
- PUB DATE: 6/22/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Rapid City Journal

About 60 firefighters with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department cannot work right now. They either have COVID-19 or may have been exposed. That’s according to Randy Wyse the President of the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters. It comes after Action News Jax confirmed a firefighter at station 21 tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday.
- PUB DATE: 6/22/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WJAX-TV CBS 47 Jacksonville

VIDEO: Firefighters battled a massive house fire in Billerica Thursday evening that left the home a total loss. Crews responding to the scene on Riveredge Road found smoke and flames pouring out of the house. “I was sleeping on the farmer’s porch and the smoke just came out right around me,” homeowner Rob Rawson said.
- PUB DATE: 6/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WHDH-TV 7 Boston