State legislators Thursday heard testimony that preparation for California’s new era of catastrophic and deadly wildland fires will require costly changes to land management, building safety and firefighting services, amounting to a wholesale upgrade of the state’s firefighting force.
“We have to increase our pace and scale of everything we’re doing,” Mark Ghilarducci, director of the state Office of Emergency Services, told the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. - PUB DATE: 3/2/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Press Democrat
Brandon Anderson and Mike Laughlin took similar journeys into their firefighting careers.
Both wanted to serve their communities and help others, and both enjoyed the everyday challenges of the fire service.
These similarities between driven personalities form lasting bonds among firefighters across the country and around the world, but the connection between Anderson and Laughlin runs far deeper. - PUB DATE: 3/2/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Firehouse.com
Margate, N.J., Firefighter Michael Sher pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to a $7 million role in an unraveling state health benefits scheme that has snared 16 people and, according to prosecutors, involved many more Shore-area firefighters, teachers, and public employees.
Sher, 40, of Northfield, submitted his retirement papers to the Margate Fire Department last week, according to his attorney, William J. - PUB DATE: 3/2/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Philly.com
Aerial drones soon could become the latest tool in the Duluth Fire Department's arsenal of resources.
On Monday, firefighter Nick Fleming briefed Duluth City Council members on an initiative he called the SUAS project — short for Small Unmanned Aircraft System. "For about the past 1½ years, we've been working on developing a small unmanned aircraft system for the Duluth Fire Department, primarily for our hazmat program. - PUB DATE: 3/2/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Duluth News Tribune
The Justice Department has sued the city of Houston over sex discrimination claims launched by two female firefighters who say their male coworkers tormented them by urinating on the women's bathroom walls and sinks and scrawling vulgar slurs on their belongings.
Male firefighters allegedly turned off the cold water in showers to scald their female coworkers and disconnected speakers to prevent women from responding to calls in a string of bad behavior that eventually escalated to death threats, according to the lawsuit. - PUB DATE: 3/1/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Houston Chronicle
The Portland Firefighters’ Association Local 43 has launched an effort to seek more help from the city in coping with their most traumatic emergency calls.
“We're trained to raise ladders and pull lines but we're not trained to deal with the stress,” said Isaac McLennan, Vice President of Local 43. McLennan said he's pushing to end a stigma some firefighters believe. - PUB DATE: 3/1/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KGW-TV 8 Portland
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Esri and the Intermedix Preparedness Division, soon to be Juvare, announced today that beta testing of the new National Mutual Aid System (NMAS) will begin in four states.
In October 2017, the IAFC, leader in emergency response worldwide, entered into an agreement with Esri and the Intermedix Preparedness Division to build the next generation of NMAS software, which was originally developed by the IAFC in 2008. - PUB DATE: 3/1/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: International Association of Fire Chiefs
Criminal charges against a firefighter who allegedly threatened to "kill" colleagues he claimed had mistreated him over his religious faith will be dropped in six months if he stays out of trouble and continues mental-health treatment.
Raheem Hassan's case was adjourned in contemplation of dismissal during his appearance Wednesday in Criminal Court. - PUB DATE: 3/1/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Staten Island Advance
VIDEO - There’s an unexpected update to a story from last week about a Burnsville firefighter. Bill D’Agostino retired Wednesday afternoon after 36 years on the job.
As we told you last week, he got a very special retirement gift from a longtime friend — Noah Hamm. It was a heartfelt thank you book, filled with photos of Noah visiting the Burnsville fire station since he was 6 years old in 2004. - PUB DATE: 3/1/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WCCO-TV CBS 4
California may be in the thick of winter, but state fire crews are on the front lines of a new battle.
Fire officials met at the state Capitol Tuesday, planning for another destructive year and to prevent one like 2017. From Napa to Ventura County, 2017 may have been a record year for destructive fires in the state. - PUB DATE: 2/28/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOVR-TV CBS Sacramento
The psychologist who conducts psychological exams for men and women who want to become Buffalo police officers and firefighters may be on his way out, after complaints of racial bias and inappropriate questions probing applicants' sexual histories.
And the entire system for how candidates are hired for the departments will be evaluated and likely overhauled. - PUB DATE: 2/28/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Buffalo News
A recent NIOSH report found that a volunteer firefighter was killed when a tanker backing out of the fire station fatally struck him.
According to the report, the volunteer fire department had participated in a motorcycle benefit for a children’s cancer organization and were using their apparatus to control traffic for the event. - PUB DATE: 2/28/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FireRescue1
A firefighting empowerment camp for girls was abruptly canceled after a discrimination complaint to the city.
That complaint came from a boy's father who called it a "girls only" empowerment camp that deterred his son from taking part.
Organizers with the Girls Empowerment Camp told us registration for the March 3 and 4 camp filled up with 100 participants in just three days. - PUB DATE: 2/28/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC San Diego
A longtime fire chief in West Hazleton will lead the department on an interim basis until council permanently fills the position, borough officials said.
Council appointed Robert Ward as borough fire department chief after Shawn Evans resigned as chief of both the fire department and fire company, according to several borough officials. - PUB DATE: 2/28/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Standard Speaker
As Madeleine Wilford bled out from multiple gunshot wounds outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the first responder struggling to keep her alive was faced with a choice.
Coral Springs Fire Department Lt. Laz Ojeda could follow guidance to rush the high school student to a hospital 30 miles away, where policy dictates most child patients should go. - PUB DATE: 2/27/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Tampa Bay Times and Tampa Bay.com
RAW VIDEO - Firefighters rescued one mother and three children Monday morning in a Willowbrook-area apartment fire that destroyed 16 units.
First responders arrived at 14131 Cornerstone Village Dr. just before 2 a.m. to see flames raging in the North Bend Apartments.
One building was destroyed in the blaze, which went through the roof, causing it to collapse, a fire department spokeswoman said. - PUB DATE: 2/27/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Houston Chronicle
The nation's high court agreed Monday to decide whether the tiny Mount Lemmon Fire District -- and any other small government employer -- is exempt from age-discrimination laws.
In a brief order, the U.S. Supreme Court said it wants to hear arguments by the district that it cannot be sued by two fire fighters who were let go by the district in 2009. - PUB DATE: 2/27/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Arizona Daily Sun
Sometimes cuddly teddy bears just don’t work in calming a child or young adult being transported by ambulance to the hospital.
Bill Carey, a firefighter/EMT with Newington Fire Department, was recently watching a TV program about autism that talked about stimulation devices.
An idea was born, and with a few inexpensive items purchased at Walmart, Carey invented a gadget that he hopes will work with patients who have autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or anxiety. - PUB DATE: 2/27/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Seacoast Online
Boone County Fire Protection District 2 Trustee Kevin Stark has resigned his appointed position amid controversy over a profane sign he planted in front of his Marengo trucking and concrete business earlier this month.
The District 2 Board of Trustees accepted Stark’s resignation during a board meeting Monday. - PUB DATE: 2/27/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Rockford Register Star
Allentown’s firefighter union issued a letter threatening to pursue legal action against Mayor Ed Pawlowski as a result of his testimony Thursday. Pawlowski, who testified in his own defense during his federal corruption trial, said while under oath that he had his City Hall office swept for listening devices due to actions by the fire union. - PUB DATE: 2/26/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Allentown Morning Call
