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
Attorneys for the state and the city firefighters union will have two court-approved mediation sessions this month to try to resolve issues regarding salary cuts and a possible 10 to 12 more layoffs.
Both parties were back in court Wednesday, as Superior Court Judge Julio Mendez reviewed state-proposed staffing and salary cuts for the Fire Department in the ongoing case between International Association of Fire Fighters Local 198 and state. - PUB DATE: 1/11/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Press of Atlantic City
Constant innovation and improvement – these are just a couple of buzzwords that can be used to describe what’s trending in firefighting services and products.
I asked my contacts on LinkedIn what’s new in the fire service that has positively impacted service delivery capabilities, and what they would like to see in the way of new products, equipment or technologies to improve service delivery. - PUB DATE: 1/10/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FireRescue1
VIDEO - A 14-year-old girl was one of several people rescued by firefighters who fanned out across a flood-ravaged Santa Barbara County community after a night of powerful downpours and mudslides.
The girl was trapped for hours in the home, destroyed by mud and debris flows that were powerful enough to move boulders, fire officials said. - PUB DATE: 1/10/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KNSD-TV NBC San Diego
Unique. Dedicated. Old-school.
A straight-shooter. Quite a character.
Those are just some of the ways people describe Al Ewing Sr. Ewing joined the Fawn No. 2 volunteer fire company when he moved to the township from Arnold in 1966, and had been its chief since 1971.
At the end of 2017, Ewing stepped down and let a younger generation take over. - PUB DATE: 1/10/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Last week, a South Jersey firefighter arrived at a fire call to find his very own house consumed by flames.
Five days later, he and his family are trying to pick up the pieces, and fortunately, they are getting some much-needed help.
The donations have been pouring in so quickly that Stephanie Penwell doesn't even know where to start. - PUB DATE: 1/10/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WPVI-TV 6 ABC.com
The County of Kern will go into negotiations with its fire union in the next few weeks, if not the next few days, and the stakes will be high.
On Tuesday Kern County Supervisors received a report from the Center for Public Safety Management that called for major changes in funding, operations, contracts and administration at the Kern County Fire Department. - PUB DATE: 1/10/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Bakersfield.com
A rise in active shooter incidents and the escalating impact of hostile events has prompted the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to process NFPA 3000, Standard for Preparedness and Response to Active Shooter and/or Hostile Events as a provisional standard, which means it would be available for use as early as April, 2018. - PUB DATE: 1/10/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: National Fire Protection Association
Funeral arrangements have been made for the Philadelphia Fire Department lieutenant who died Saturday after being trapped under rubble and debris while battling a blaze that engulfed a two-story North Philadelphia rowhouse.
The department announced Monday that viewings for Lt. Matthew LeTourneau will be held from 4:30 to 9 p. - PUB DATE: 1/9/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Firehouse
CAL FIRE has released a “Green Sheet” preliminary report for the line of duty death of CAL FIRE Fire Apparatus Engineer Cory Iverson of the CAL FIRE San Diego/San Diego County Fire Authority. Engineer Iverson was overrun by fire and killed December 14, 2017 while battling the Thomas Fire in Ventura County north of Fillmore, California. - PUB DATE: 1/9/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WildfireToday.com
Firefighter Tom Williamson, whose complaints about Covington-area Fire Chief Steve Krentel triggered a probe of the chief, is now under investigation himself, and he's claiming it's in retaliation for his outspoken criticism.
Williamson has been put on paid administrative leave by the board that governs St. - PUB DATE: 1/9/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Advocate
A "flash over" sent flames over firefighters at a home on the West Side Monday, prompting an emergency mayday call to make sure everyone was accounted for, officials said.
One firefighter was missing for several minutes but finally walked out of the home in the 4800 block Van Buren Street and went to his truck, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt at the scene in Austin. - PUB DATE: 1/9/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Chicago Tribune
VIDEO - Steve Moore typically wears a different kind of uniform when he shows up for work at the Fairfield Hose Company Volunteer Fire Department in Harborcreek Township.
On New Year’s Day, though, the volunteer firefighter showed up on his ATV to plow out the on East Lake Road station’s parking lot wearing a T-Rex costume. - PUB DATE: 1/9/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Erie Times-News
Hollywood Fire Rescue crews were inside a hot nursing home to rescue dying people on the Monday after Hurricane Irma, then again Tuesday and twice Wednesday before forcing an evacuation. What they saw and how they responded inside the nursing home where 12 people died after 62 hours without air conditioning is the subject of a deposition examined by the South Florida Sun Sentinel. - PUB DATE: 1/9/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Sun Sentinel
Firefighters were dispatched early Saturday morning to a narrow street in North Philadelphia, where flames danced menacingly in the front windows of an old two-story rowhouse. Lt. Matthew LeTourneau was among the members of Engine 45/Platoon A, located on 26th Street near York, who scrambled when the call came in at 8:51 a. - PUB DATE: 1/8/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Philly.com
Seeking to crackdown on unnecessary emergency room visits, the Los Angeles Fire Department has launched a new program called the Sobriety Emergency Response — or SOBER — Unit that will transport publicly intoxicated people to a sober center located on skid row in downtown. The one-year pilot program, which has been in operation since November, includes an ambulance crew housed at Los Angeles Fire Station #4 on Temple Street, city officials said. - PUB DATE: 1/8/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
VIDEO - A Nashville fire chief has been demoted to captain for six months and assigned to a different shift after a complaint was filed that he had been hostile and discriminatory to fire recruits. The News 4 I-Team obtained the disciplinary actions taken against Captain Trey Nelms.
The action was taken following last year’s “Firefighter Survival Week” in which recruit Jennifer Lockhart fell during a training exercise at the department’s new training tower. - PUB DATE: 1/8/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSMV-TV News 4
