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National Fire News

Dallas one of 14 international cities with Lime's new COVID-19 scooter program

Lime, the scooter company, is rolling out a new scooter service designed to help health care workers and first responders in the coronavirus pandemic. Called Lime Aid, it provides free 30-minute rides for public-health personnel and law-enforcement officers, in select cities around the world. That includes Dallas and Austin, plus Baltimore, Nashville, Oklahoma City, and Salt Lake City, but also Paris, Cologne, and Tel Aviv.
- PUB DATE: 4/28/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Culture Map Dallas

Vermont releases town-by-town breakdown of coronavirus cases; New Hampshire notifying first responders of cases

The bulk of the diagnosed COVID-19 cases in Vermont are clustered in the Burlington area, home to some of the long-term care facilities that have seen outbreaks, but Hartford and Woodstock have also seen a notable number of cases. The Vermont Department of Health on Monday released a town-by-town breakdown that showed Hartford had 10 COVID-19 cases and Woodstock 7.
- PUB DATE: 4/28/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Valley News

IAFF: More than 1,600 firefighters nationwide have tested positive for COVID-19

According to the International Association of Fire Fighters, firefighters across the country are battling on the front lines of COVID-19 and fire departments are feeling the strain of this massive public health emergency. The IAFF has released the following numbers as of Friday, April 24, 2020: 1,653 firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19; 4,304 isolated; 66 hospitalized; Six deaths.
- PUB DATE: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WEYI-TV NBC 25 Saginaw

Ohio firefighters file unfair labor practice charge against city

Parma Heights (International Association of Fire Fighters) IAFF Local 1690 recently filed an unfair labor practice charge with the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) related to the city’s attempt to unify pay periods across all departments. Representing Parma Heights IAFF Local 1690 is Susannah Muskovitz and Arish S.
- PUB DATE: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Cleveland.com

IAFC: Police Get CARES Act Money – Firefighters Still Waiting

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) today said it will take heroism in Congress to save fire and EMS in communities across the country. Legal and regulatory minutiae prevent CARES Act money from immediately helping firefighters protect their communities and themselves during the current COVID-19 crisis.
- PUB DATE: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: IAFC.org

After COVID-19: Anxious, wary first responders back on job

The new coronavirus doesn't care about a blue uniform or a shiny badge. Police, firefighters, paramedics and corrections officers are just a 911 call away from contracting COVID-19 and spreading it. With N95 masks hanging off their duty belts and disposable blue gloves stuffed in their back pockets, they respond to radio calls, make arrests and manage prisoners.
- PUB DATE: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Stamford Advocate

CDC expands list of possible COVID-19 symptoms

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released additional symptoms related to novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Health officials recommend those experiencing any of these symptoms contact their physician or the local health department. Previously, guidance from state and federal health officials cautioned people not to call unless experiencing the three traditional symptoms of COVID-19.
- PUB DATE: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Clarksville Now

North Carolina Hazmat one of few crews in state using new techniques to decontaminate gear

VIDEO: Durham Fire-Rescue Hazardous Materials Team is leading the way in using new and existing equipment to decontaminate surfaces that may have been exposed to COVID-19. Firefighters suit up in Tyvek hazmat gear to spray all surfaces with chlorine dioxide. "Chlorine dioxide has been shown in multiple studies and by multiple federal agencies to kill the COVID-19 virus," said Ryan Campbell with the Durham Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 4/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTVD ABC 11 Durham

Rolling Stones Release Song That May Become Anthem Of Self-Isolation

VIDEO: The Rolling Stones have unveiled a new song the band thinks is perfect for these coronavirus times. The legendary band released the four-minute slow-burning bluesy and harmonica-driven “Living in a Ghost Town” on Thursday. “I’m a ghost/ Living in a ghost town/ You can look for me/ But I can’t be found,” sings frontman Mick Jagger, who wrote it with guitarist Keith Richards.
- PUB DATE: 4/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: HuffPost

The high-tech fix that's helping to better protect DC Fire & EMS members on COVID-19 calls

VIDEO: Over the last few weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, we've seen so many people expressing gratitude for first responders on the front lines - and rightfully so. On Thursday, DC Fire and EMS said it was the department's turn to say thank you. "What this whole experience has taught me is that you have to look to your neighbors and you have to rely on your community," said Dr.
- PUB DATE: 4/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WJLA-TV ABC 7 Washington DC

Old school buses converted into ambulances to evacuate Virginia nursing homes

A dozen employees are working through the pandemic on the assembly floor of First Line Tech in Fredericksburg, Virginia. They're seeing nursing homes around the country overwhelmed by COVID-19 infections, and racing to provide a way for fire departments to evacuate the elderly safely and quickly. "We took an old school bus and designed a kit that can go right inside of it to convert it over and handle six, 12, 18 patients," First Line Tech CEO Amit Kapoor said.
- PUB DATE: 4/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WVEC-TV ABC 13 Hampton

Rhode Island firefighters using Zoom to consult with doctors during rescue calls

As they deal with a pandemic, the city’s fire rescue crews are trying out a new technique. From the scene of the rescue call, the Providence firefighters make contact with a doctor, via Zoom, on an iPad. The doctor’s input, based in part on vital signs and other information that firefighters provide electronically, can head off an unnecessary emergency visit to the hospital.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Providence Journal

IAFC: Help Advocate for Additional Funding for Fire and EMS Departments

The IAFC needs your help in measuring the effects of state and local government social distancing orders on local fire and EMS department budgets, including the long-term implications on resources and staffing. IAFC President and Chairman of the Board, Chief Gary Ludwig, created an Economic Crisis Task Force to help fire and EMS chiefs plan and prepare for the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: IAFC.org

Fire Departments Join Neighbors App To Make Communities Safer

While people are staying apart, the Neighbors App by Ring is helping communities come together. This free app is a valuable resource for information from fellow neighbors as well as official sources, such as local law enforcement agencies and, now, fire departments. On April 21, Ring announced that fire departments across the country are joining Neighbors.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Batavia Patch

Created for Anthrax Attacks, Pennsylvania Researchers' Cold Plasma Air Filter Is Now Being Prepped to Face COVID-19

Researchers at Drexel University’s C. & J. Nyheim Plasma Institute are modifying an air sterilization system they created to combat the threat of anthrax attacks post-9-11 in hopes it can now help to ward off COVID-19. “As public health research reveals how the virus can persist and be transmitted through the air in indoor environments, it will become increasingly important for engineers to develop air sterilization technology that can neutralize or remove it,” said Alexander Fridman, PhD, director of the Nyheim Plasma Institute and a professor in Drexel’s College of Engineering, who is a leading National Science Foundation-supported effort to develop technology that can neutralize the novel coronavirus.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Drexel Now

Monster Monument in Delaware lit up in support of health care workers, first responders

One of Dover International Speedway’s most recognizable attractions stands in support of local and national health care workers and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Monster Monument at Victory Plaza, the symbol for Dover International Speedway throughout the sports and entertainment landscape, is bathed in blue light during the evening and overnight hours in support of those who are in the front lines of the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Delaware State News

New EMT communication cards will help West Virginia first responders better serve patients who have trouble hearing or speaking

St. Albans firefighters and EMTs carry a lot of heavy equipment around to help keep people safe. Now they have a much lighter tool to work with as well. “When we do a treatment ‘is your pain better or worse, the same?’ and I thought ‘that’s not good enough’ we have to have something that we can use to communicate more effectively,” says Lt.
- PUB DATE: 4/22/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WOWK-TV CBS 13 Huntington

Could a New Ultraviolet Technology Fight the Spread of Coronavirus?

A technique that zaps airborne viruses with a narrow-wavelength band of UV light shows promise for curtailing the person-to-person spread of COVID-19 in indoor public places. The technology, developed by Columbia University’s Center for Radiological Research, uses lamps that emit continuous, low doses of a particular wavelength of ultraviolent light, known as far-UVC, which can kill viruses and bacteria without harming human skin, eyes and other tissues, as is the problem with conventional UV light.
- PUB DATE: 4/22/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Columbia News

Georgia veterans answer 911 calls as first responders get stretched during coronavirus pandemic

For one Good Samaritan group in southern Georgia, good things come in threes. The coronavirus has sickened 19,398 people in Georgia and killed 774 people as of this writing, straining the resources of first responders. The Community Warriors, a volunteer group known for its benevolent deeds in and around Columbus, Ga.
- PUB DATE: 4/22/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Fox News

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