For years, most of the Santa Fe Fire Department’s work has not been fighting fires but delivering emergency medical services. It’s finally working on a long-awaited reorganization to better reflect that.
When Fire Chief Paul Babcock took over the department in the fall, he made it a priority to create a new EMS division alongside the operations and support services divisions. - PUB DATE: 4/23/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Santa Fe New Mexican
The sky was turning orange and the embers were flying from the Camp Fire when Oney and Donna Carrell and Donna’s father sped away from their Paradise home.
“I thought, ‘Oh, well, the house is done,’ ” Oney Carrell said.
A few days later, they learned otherwise. The Carrells’ home survived the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history with a couple of warped window frames, a partially charred down spout and a stubborn smoky smell inside. - PUB DATE: 4/23/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee - Metered Site
If the state of Alabama doesn’t update state law regarding the public employees retirement system, it may end up having a negative impact years down the road for the Vestavia Hills Police and Fire departments, leaders from both departments said.
In the 2012 legislative session, the Alabama Legislature changed the way employees were classified, with employees starting their jobs on or after Jan. - PUB DATE: 4/23/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Vestavia Voice
Lower Burrell Council is exploring a local tax incentive for city firefighters to boost their thinning ranks and properly reward their community work.
Councilman Joe Grillo is looking at city firefighters forgoing the city’s earned income tax or other possibilities. A course for young firefighters is also under consideration. - PUB DATE: 4/23/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: TribLIVE
David R. Short II was remembered as having a larger-than-life personality. According to friends, he was easy to talk to and well-liked in his community.
The 26-year-old Indianapolis Fire Department recruit firefighter was killed Friday evening in a four-vehicle crash near the Indianapolis Regional Airport in Hancock County. - PUB DATE: 4/22/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Indy Star
VIDEO: Eight west Valley firefighters are recovering following an explosion at an APS substation in Surprise on Friday night.
Four Peoria firefighters who were injured are "doing good," according to a department's spokesperson.
In a post on the Peoria Fire-Medical Department's Twitter page, officials say Engineer Justin Lopez, who was in critical condition and taken into surgery following the explosion, "is awake and doing as well as can be expected. - PUB DATE: 4/22/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: ABC15 Arizona
Volunteer firefighting companies are calling on the state legislature to pass a law that would allow them to charge for the ambulance services that they provide.
Last week, the Firemen's Association of the State of New York and its members held a legislative outreach event at the Cambria Volunteer Fire Hall to vouch for such a bill. - PUB DATE: 4/22/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Niagara Gazette
The city’s fire department has proposed a budget that would allow it to devote more money to replenish the department’s Narcan stock, train incoming firefighters and cover costs for computer services.
In a budget meeting Tuesday night, the city’s Emergency Operations Center and police and fire departments laid out their budget requests and fielded questions by the budget committee. - PUB DATE: 4/22/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Connecticut Post
VIDEO: A crew of Shreveport firefighters is working together to bring the mysteries of the firehouses to light and to network television.
"Cooking with Fire," an original series created by Shreveport Fire Department's Captain Allen Dantes, is a documentary-reality style food and travel show.
SFD fireman, chef and host Mark Myers Jr. - PUB DATE: 4/22/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Shreveport Times
A firefighter responding to the High Plains fire south of Jewel Cave on Wednesday died of an apparent heart attack. Custer County Sheriff Marty Mechaley reported that Dwayne Hudson of the Argyle Fire Department was a passenger in a fire response vehicle and suffered a medical emergency while en route. - PUB DATE: 4/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Custer County Chronicle
The state House Judiciary committee tabled Wednesday a bill opening a three-year window for workers’ compensation benefits to be provided for all Montana volunteer firefighters.
Senate Bill 29 cleared the Senate Jan. 29 but was not referred to a House committee until last week. The bill calls for all volunteer fire departments in Montana to provide workers’ compensation coverage by October 2022. - PUB DATE: 4/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Independent Record
The drinking water in Paradise, California, where 85 people died last year in the nation’s worst wildfire in a century, is contaminated with the cancer-causing chemical benzene, officials said.
Officials said they believe the contamination happened after the November firestorm created a toxic combination of gases in burning homes that got sucked into the water pipes as residents and firefighters drew water heavily, the Sacramento Bee newspaper reported Thursday. - PUB DATE: 4/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTLA-TV WB 5 Los Angeles
VIDEO: The families of two San Antonio firefighters have filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of a device that might have saved one of the men and prevented injuries to another, according to a law firm.
The lawsuit also names the owner of Spartan Box Gym for allegedly setting the fatal fire at his business. - PUB DATE: 4/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KSAT-TV 12 News
After four years in legislative purgatory, a bill that would grant firefighters cancer coverage — in a stunning reversal brought about by sustained public pressure and allegations of political vendettas — is being fast-tracked to clear the Legislature this year.
The bill cleared a key hurdle Thursday morning when the House State Affairs committee agreed unanimously to advance the proposal, after more than an hour of discussion marked by teary testimony and lawmakers’ vocal support. - PUB DATE: 4/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Miami Herald - Metered Site
A Senate panel Tuesday approved a proposal that would set death benefits that would be paid if law-enforcement officers, firefighters, other first responders and military members are killed while on duty.
The proposal (SB 7098), sponsored by Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, would carry out a constitutional amendment, known as Amendment 7, passed by voters in November. - PUB DATE: 4/18/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WINK News
VIDEO: Smokey Bear — a pop culture icon better known by some baby boomers as Smokey the Bear — is going digital in a big way for his 75th birthday in an effort to reach younger Americans with messages that go beyond "only you can prevent forest fires."
Now, in addition to being a burly, shirtless upright bear in a ranger hat, Smokey is an animated emoji that celebrities — including Stephen Colbert, Jeff Foxworthy and Al Roker — are speaking through. - PUB DATE: 4/18/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Detroit Free Press
Eddy County Fire Services could take over management and operations of the Loving Volunteer Fire Department.
The process could take up to two years, according to Eddy County Fire Services coordinator Joshua Mack.
"They have to clear up all their financials. We have to go through the State Fire Marshal's office. - PUB DATE: 4/18/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Carlsbad Current Argus Newspaper
A judge on Wednesday turned down a request from the city's fire union to halt a policy that directs firefighters to clean up blood and bodily fluids at accident and medical scenes.
The Detroit Fire Fighter Association filed suit last month asking for an injunction until an unfair labor practices complaint over the newly inked rules could be resolved. - PUB DATE: 4/18/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Detroit News
Whether it’s first responders fighting a wildfire or hikers getting lost in the wilderness, the loss of communication can be the difference between life and death.
“This will boost the signal on your cellphone. If you are backpacking or hiking out in the wilderness, normally there would be no signal. - PUB DATE: 4/18/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Pueblo Chieftain
The Florida House will reverse course and now hear a bill that would give firefighters cancer coverage, its leader said Tuesday, caving to days of public pressure and recent allegations that the bill had been deliberately held as payback after an ally’s contentious midterm election last year.
House Speaker José Oliva, who had previously said he objected to hearing the bill, said in a statement that the “environment has become too toxic to debate the true original disagreement. - PUB DATE: 4/17/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Miami Herald
