The state Supreme Court refused Wednesday to reinstate a San Francisco jury’s $3.7 million damage award to 15 firefighters who claimed age discrimination in the city’s scoring of a 2008 exam on promotions to lieutenant.
The Superior Court jury agreed with the firefighters in 2013 that the Fire Department’s exam unit had weighed some parts of the test more than others, and ranked the test-takers, in ways that were unrelated to fitness for the promotion, and that had an adverse effect on applicants older than 40. - PUB DATE: 1/18/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: SFGate.com
Break a leg on the job and workers compensation will pay the medical bills and cover lost wages. But suffer emotional or psychological trauma after a failed attempt to revive an infant or hours processing dead bodies in the wake of a mass shooting and you're out of luck.
Families of first responders and a bi-partisan group of lawmakers are behind a proposal to include post traumatic stress disorder in workers comp coverage. - PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Tallahassee Democrat & Tallahassee.com
A Houston Republican is starting to pay a hefty price as she runs for re-election for running afoul with police and firefighter unions in Texas.
In the last to Legislature sessions, State Sen. Joan Huffman has sponsored legislation to make it harder for many public worker unions to collect membership dues. - PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Houston Chronicle
The bitter contract dispute between the city and the firefighters’ union could last much longer than the year deadline that City Council members hope.
Syracuse attorney Nathaniel Lambright, who is representing the Watertown Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 191, warned on Tuesday that the labor dispute may not be resolved for another two to 2½ years while it continues through the lengthy appeal process. - PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Watertown Daily Times
Hillsborough County officials fired a Fire Rescue medic Tuesday after an internal investigation concluded he had "unwavering loyalty" to the Outlaws Motorcycle Club — the state’s dominant biker gang.
Clinton Neal Walker, 33, of Bradenton is the first Hillsborough County employee to be investigated for gang activity under a series of countywide ordinances sparked by Walker’s own arrest last September over starting a bar fight in Key West. - PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Tampa Bay Times and Tampa Bay.com
The Wichita Fire Department has completed an administrative investigation and concluded that no employee gave a rapper permission to use a fire truck in a music video posted to YouTube.
In the video, rappers Blue Scrilla and Pj can be seen rapping both inside of and in front of a Station 15 Wichita Fire Department truck. - PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Wichita Eagle & Kansas.com
Firefighters battling a house fire on the East Side Saturday night were forced to make a hasty retreat through the home's windows as the blaze got out of hand, almost trapping them inside, officials said.
According to the San Antonio Fire Department, at least 12 units responded to the 900 block of Virginia Blvd around 7:55 p. - PUB DATE: 1/16/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: My San Antonio.com
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Chief Jeff Collins attempted to pull back his resignation Monday just three days after it was announced.
Collins rescinded his resignation in a letter sent from his attorney to county officials, claiming he was coerced and intimidated into resigning his position during a meeting with County Administrator Verdenia Baker, Assistant County Administrator Nancy Bolton and Human Resources Director Wayne Condry. - PUB DATE: 1/16/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel & SouthFlorida.com
Taking a look at the 93 on-duty firefighter fatalities in 2017 reveals similar trends from previous years, with cardiac and health-related issues marking a bulk of the fire service's losses.
According to numbers provided by the U.S. Fire Administration, the overwhelming physical stress firefighting has on the body remains at the forefront of modern firefighter health and safety. - PUB DATE: 1/16/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Firehouse
It was the banging about 7:30 a.m. Sunday that caught the on-duty engineer’s attention and drew him to a rear window of the Hopland fire station on Feliz Creek Road.
Outside, a woman with an aluminum bat was whacking two vehicles in the parking lot, smashing windows, mirrors and lights, and puncturing all the tires. - PUB DATE: 1/16/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Press Democrat
Wiith the retirement of two familiar faces, Aurora Fire Rescue will lose more than 80 years of firefighting experience at the end of month.
And it’s not just the knowledge Capt. Mike Ackman and Capt. Clint Mitchell picked up during their decades spent on the line, training or managing fire crews that Aurora firefighters will say goodbye to this month. - PUB DATE: 1/16/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Aurora Sentinel
Thousands of Austin buildings -- including high-rises and retail stores -- are expected to receive security upgrades after a man somehow got his hands on a master key to their lock boxes and broke into at least two medical facilities.
The lock boxes are attached to the outside of buildings that have fire protection systems. - PUB DATE: 1/12/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KVUE-TV ABC Austin
Boston Firefighter Daniel MacAuley and four of his colleagues drove eight hours — some making the lengthy road trip after completing an overnight shift — to pay their respects to fallen Philadelphia Fire Lt. Matthew LeTourneau at a viewing Thursday evening at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. - PUB DATE: 1/12/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Philly.com
The city should have taken the toddler who started last month’s deadly Bronx inferno away from his inattentive mom long before the horrific blaze, several victims claim in court documents filed Thursday.
Eleven victims of the fire that killed 13 people, filed a notice of claim saying they intend to sue the city for a combined $110 million for failing to keep track of several problems inside the doomed apartment building. - PUB DATE: 1/12/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Daily News
While this may seem like an unusual request, many of the researchers involved in combating firefighter occupational cancer are leaving no aspect of this important issue uncovered.
In this case, researchers from the Center for Fire, Rescue & EMS Health Research and University of Arizona are looking for new Moms who are also active Firefighters, running/responding to calls. - PUB DATE: 1/12/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Firefighter Close Calls
In 1901, Dalton firefighters rode horse-drawn trucks to fires. They probably never imagined climbing ladders more than 100 feet tall to battle a blaze, and they'd probably marvel at the high-pressure hoses and other equipment their modern counterparts have.
But they'd share a common bond of professionalism and courage, and they'd probably be honored to know that a piece of their history has recently come home to Fire Station 1 on School Street, which contains the department's administrative offices. - PUB DATE: 1/12/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Daily Citizen-News
Miles Richard Bowers' first job as a firefighter in 1948 was to help tackle one of Jacksonville's worst fires at a paint factory.
One of his last jobs was in 2003 when he was named the city's fire chief for the second time. He had previously led the department from 1984 to 1988.
Bowers, who served longer than any other firefighter on the force, died Tuesday after a stroke. - PUB DATE: 1/11/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Jacksonville Times-Union & Jacksonville.com
The recent milestone of all 50 states and 5 of the 6 U.S. territories having opted in to the FirstNet NPSBN is significant and signals widespread support for nationwide public safety interoperability never before possible. It has always been FirstNet’s goal to convince all the states and territories to opt in to the FirstNet network. - PUB DATE: 1/11/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: AllThingsFirstNet.com
In Palmyra, Wisconsin, a town of about 1,800 people, a firefighter is a police officer is an EMT. They're hiring people to be public safety officers and do every job.
If you're sick or hurt and you call 9-1-1, you want someone there quickly. Across the country, budget cuts are making it more difficult to staff departments and keep up with demand. - PUB DATE: 1/11/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTMJ-TV 4 Milwaukee
VIDEO - Fire crews in DeKalb County are investigating what caused a massive fire at the Avondale Forest Apartments that displaced dozens of families.
The two alarm fire in Decatur damaged more than twenty units one week ago.
"We never know from shift to shift what we're going to end up with so it pays for us to be ready," said Eric Jackson with Dekalb County Fire. - PUB DATE: 1/11/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CBS 46 Atlanta
