PHOTOS: No two calls are ever the same for the crew of MedForce Aeromedical Transport.
But when the sleek, blue-and-yellow medical helicopter transport is called to the scene of a crash, fire or near-drowning, the crew – and the public – knows it’s serious.
“There's a lot of calls. All the calls are bad,” said Justin Hicks, a six-year flight nurse for MedForce. - PUB DATE: 3/26/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Quad-City Times
VIDEO: The march of time is bringing us the electric car. It's no longer a science experiment, as there are electric cars, particularly Teslas, all over town.
But any car can have an accident, and electric vehicles are a new challenge for firefighters and it can be dangerous, as well.
Electric cars run on lithium batteries, roughly the same batteries as cellphones, but they are hundreds of times larger and come with enormous challenges for everyone involved in an accident. - PUB DATE: 3/26/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WDIV-TV NBC 4 Detroit
A bill introduced by state Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa, would allow firefighter academy graduates to receive a brief history of the labor movement for firefighters passed out of the House Labor and Commerce Committee.
House Bill 2215 allows for candidates to receive a brief presentation that provides them with a historical perspective on the labor movement in the fire service. - PUB DATE: 3/26/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: MyWebTimes-The Times
On a mild spring day, Cory Pippen suits up in firefighter’s gear outside Therrell High School as he prepares to climb Atlanta fire Truck 25.
No, he’s not putting out a fire or saving someone from a burning building, but with the help of the Atlanta Fire Department, he is one step closer to a dream he’s had since he was a child: being a firefighter. - PUB DATE: 3/26/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When slurred speech, facial droop and other telltale symptoms of a stroke develop in Columbus residents, they soon will be able to receive specialized care before they ever see the inside of a hospital.
The Columbus Division of Fire and the city’s three major hospital networks are working together on a new ambulance equipped with specialized equipment and personnel to respond faster to patients having a stroke, when minutes saved can translate into days of healthy living. - PUB DATE: 3/26/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Columbus Dispatch
A new federal law aims to protect wildland firefighters by requiring agencies to outfit crews with GPS locators and deploy drones to scout out and map blazes.
The Wildfire Management Technology Advancement Act, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., was signed by President Donald Trump last week after sailing through both chambers of Congress with large majorities. - PUB DATE: 3/25/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Spokesman-Review
A recent study revealed Frederick County firefighters are paid less and receive less benefits than those in nearby counties.
The study, completed in November and released publicly last week, is an analysis of pay scales, benefit comparisons and how large each county’s fire services division is
Multiple county officials this week said that although Frederick County pays its firefighters less, other jurisdictions — like Montgomery County and Baltimore County, both used in the more-than-100-page study — have both larger populations and tax bases to pull money from. - PUB DATE: 3/25/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Frederick News-Post
On a mild spring day, Cory Pippen suits up in firefighter’s gear outside Therrell High School as he prepares to climb Atlanta fire Truck 25.
No, he’s not putting out a fire or saving someone from a burning building, but with the help of the Atlanta Fire Department, he is one step closer to a dream he’s had since he was a child: being a firefighter. - PUB DATE: 3/25/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Atlanta Journal Constitution
While a couple of cities over the past year have threatened to drop out of the Orange County Fire Authority, Garden Grove is veering the opposite direction – toward membership.
If the final steps unfold as expected, OCFA may absorb the 93-year-old Garden Grove Fire Department as early as August. All full-time current employees would stay put. - PUB DATE: 3/25/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Orange County Register - Metered Site
Attracting and retaining volunteers to fill the ranks of Maine’s many volunteer fire departments has gotten increasingly difficult, but lawmakers hope a bill to fund a pension program for volunteers could change that.
The Legislature approved a bill in 2017 setting up the pension program but did not fund it. - PUB DATE: 3/25/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Portland Press Herald
VIDEO: In a field traditionally seen as one for men, a crew of female firefighters is hosing down the stereotypes.
The West Carter County Fire Department has the first all-female duty in the region.
The four women that make up the shift are Ashley Perdue and her mother Carol Jones, Amber Hubbard and Krysten Kelch. - PUB DATE: 3/22/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WJHL.com
PHOTOS: Kara Rathbone’s story may sound familiar to many firefighters who marched with her Tuesday along Bagby Street in downtown Houston.
Rathbone’s husband, Austin, drives to work from their home in Bellville, about 70 miles away. A seven-year Houston firefighter, he has received scant raises since joining the department, and makes ends meet by installing irrigation systems on the side and working for a small fire department near Bellville, where about 4,300 people live. - PUB DATE: 3/22/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Houston Chronicle
The city of Bloomington has been incorrectly billing businesses for fire protection for nearly 10 years, resulting perhaps in the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.
The current monthly rate, based on the diameter of the water line that serves a business's internal fire suppression system, is $27. - PUB DATE: 3/22/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Pantagraph
The city’s fire department is testing out a new device that could help drivers using navigational apps steer clear of firetrucks responding to an emergency, helping improve safety for both drivers and firefighters.
The device, a small black box about four inches tall and wide, sends out alerts to drivers about the locations of the trucks to drivers using a navigation app called Waze. - PUB DATE: 3/22/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Patriot Ledger
The city of Lincoln is asking a judge to throw out the jury’s $1.2 million verdict in favor of a Lincoln firefighter, in part because of how jurors arrived at the amount.
Last month, at the end of a two-week trial, a federal jury in Omaha awarded Troy Hurd, a Lincoln fire captain, $1,177,815.43 for retaliation after he reported discrimination against a female firefighter trainee born in Iraq. - PUB DATE: 3/22/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Journal Star
A veteran Philadelphia firefighter has died after suffering a medical emergency while on duty with the engine company assigned to Philadelphia International Airport.
Firefighter Michael Bernstein died at the hospital around 1:50 Wednesday morning after being found unresponsive while on duty at Engine 78, "C" Platoon at PHL, the fire department and fire union said. - PUB DATE: 3/21/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC 10 Philadelphia
State Reps. Ryan Berman, Brandt Iden and Jeff Yaroch have introduced a plan to stiffen penalties for criminals who threaten or carry out targeted attacks on first responders and corrections officers in Michigan.
Berman, who serves as a reserve police officer, said attacks on law enforcement officers and other first responders have increased over the past few years, creating a need for stronger protections. - PUB DATE: 3/21/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Fox 47 News
VIDEO: First responders are on the front line of New Hampshire's drug epidemic every day, and the trauma they experience dealing with the victims often follows them home.
Manchester police, firefighters and EMTs described the consequences of compassion fatigue Tuesday to U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan.
"Certainly in my 35 years on the job, I've never seen this much death," Manchester Fire Chief Dan Goonan said. - PUB DATE: 3/21/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WMUR-TV ABC 9
A first responders' advocacy group is pushing for a new benefit for retired firefighters and rescue squad workers — one currently enjoyed by retired police officers — but municipal officials across the state, including in Elizabeth City, warn it will be hard to pay for.
The Parity For First Responders legislation, House Bill 278, and its companion bill in the Senate, Senate Bill 179, would grant a separation allowance to firefighters and emergency medical services personnel who retire with 30 years of service. - PUB DATE: 3/21/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: DailyAdvance.com
In a move described as “generational change,” Sonoma County supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved a $4.6 million plan to reorganize volunteer fire departments and boost staffing at four tax-supported fire districts.
The approval followed positive comments from a dozen fire agency representatives in the audience, a sharp contrast from an earlier proposal that generated animosity within the fire services network. - PUB DATE: 3/21/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Petaluma360 & Petaluma Argus Courier
