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National Fire News

Alabama fire department puts beach safety tips on kids menus for restaurants

Livy and Abby are two sisters visiting the Gulf Coast from Tennessee. When they went for lunch with their parents at DeSoto’s, they got kids menus unlike any other. The menus included beach safety tips and information. Their mom, Michelle King, says it’s a great reminder as they kick their family vacation off.
- PUB DATE: 3/16/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WKRG-TV CBS 5 Mobile

Here are the most and least disaster-prone states

Wildfires and drought in California, hurricanes and flooding in Florida and power outages in Texas have rendered all three states distinctly less livable in recent years. People still flock to Florida and Texas, drawn by low taxes and warmth. (California, not so much.) But climate change is on everyone’s minds, and dire dispatches about fires and floods dominate the daily news cycle.
- PUB DATE: 3/16/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Hill

VIDEO: Michigan police officer pulls driver from fiery SUV after deadly high-speed crash

A Michigan police officer along with bystanders are being praised for rescuing an unconscious driver from a fiery crash. "At the end of the day, it’s just me doing my job like any other officer would," Southfield Police Officer Patrick McCormick said. In a press conference, Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren said that a driver of a red Ford Edge was speeding when they ran a red light around 11:30 p.
- PUB DATE: 3/15/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FOX News

New station alert system for Kansas fire department provides a gentler wake up call

VIDEO: The City of Shawnee approved a station alert system for its fire department and now, it’s up and running. It’s designed to not only keep firefighters healthier, but also the public a little safer. For sleeping firefighters, it’s now a red light instead of a bright one and the alarm starts softer before increasingly getting louder.
- PUB DATE: 3/15/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KMBC-TV ABC 9 Kansas City

At least 8 dead following 4 recent fires in one Ohio county

Multiple fires are under investigation in Dayton and Trotwood after a recent surge in serious fires after which multiple people were found dead. At least eight people were found dead following four fires in Montgomery County over the last eight days — including a fire in Dayton that officials said was one of the most tragic fires in the city’s history after five people were found dead.
- PUB DATE: 3/15/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Dayton Daily News - Metered Site

The FDNY Drone Program: Pilots Talk Training, Challenges, and Changes

Michael Wall, Michael Leo, and Kevin O’Malley are members of one of the best known public safety departments in the world: FDNY. Despite the challenges of operating in an urban environment, FDNY supports their responders from the air. In a presentation at the National Public Safety UAS Conference, the team discussed the lessons they’ve learned from building a drone program and flying in NYC.
- PUB DATE: 3/15/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Drone Life

A look back at the tornado that ripped through downtown Atlanta 15 years ago

VIDEO: Many will remember the tornadoes that wreaked havoc in downtown Atlanta and across Georgia on March 14 and 15, 2008 – leaving many iconic Atlanta buildings damaged. There were at least a dozen tornadoes reported in Georgia that weekend, including one formed in the middle of the downtown’s tourism district that Friday night, a first in the city’s recorded history.
- PUB DATE: 3/15/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSB-TV ABC 2 Atlanta

VIDEO: Fire destroys New Hampshire business

Fire officials in Littleton are investigating the cause of a fire that impacted two businesses. Fire Chief Chad Miller told News 9 the fire started shortly before 10:30 p.m. Monday on Cottage Street. He said when crews arrived, they saw flames coming from the roof and some small explosions. There are no reports of any injuries.
- PUB DATE: 3/14/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WMUR-TV ABC 9 Manchester

Virginia fire department remembers 2014 CSX train derailment amid nationwide derailments

Rail safety has been a big topic of discussion with the recent train derailments in Ohio and one as recently as last week in West Virginia. Our region is no stranger to derailments, like the 17 rail cars that fell into the James River in Lynchburg back in 2014. Next month will mark nine years since a CSX train derailed in Lynchburg, dumping thousands of gallons of fuel into the James River.
- PUB DATE: 3/14/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSLS-TV NBC 10 Roanoke

Women's History Month: One-on-one with fire & rescue chief in Ohio

As we continue to celebrate Women's History Month, WTOL 11 is featuring a different female leader in the community each week. This week, WTOL 11 sat down with Toledo Fire & Rescue Chief Allison Armstrong to talk about what women have inspired her and what it's like being a woman in a predominantly male field.
- PUB DATE: 3/14/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTOL-TV CBS 11 Toledo

Treacherous flooding is about to get worse in California as another atmospheric river closes in on storm-battered residents

Californians pummeled by an onslaught of dangerous storms will get deluged again as another atmospheric river threatens more deadly flooding. More than 30 million people in California were under flood watches Monday that cover much of the state, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Fresno and Sacramento.
- PUB DATE: 3/14/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CNN

VIDEO: First responders battle vacant building fire in Ohio

First responders battled a 2-2-2 alarm fire early Monday morning at a vacant building in Cleveland. Officials with the Cleveland Fire Department said the fire started at 12:26 a.m. in the area of Miles Avenue and East 135th Street. Officials said 9 trucks and 40 firefighters responded to the blaze. Officials said nobody was hurt in the blaze.
- PUB DATE: 3/13/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WOIO-TV CBS 19 Shaker Heights

Over 330 fire departments and 8 countries meet in Seattle for LLS Firefighters Stairclimb

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Thousands of people came together on March 12 at the world’s largest on-air stair climb competition for one mission: cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Held at the Columbia Center in Seattle, the LLS Firefighter Stairclimb hosted more than 2,000 volunteer and professional firefighters from more than 330 departments and 8 countries.
- PUB DATE: 3/13/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle

Car hits fire engine on I-85 in South Carolina

VIDEO: Fighting fires is an already dangerous job but the Duncan Fire Department said something that can be just as dangerous is drivers. “This is becoming a more frequent thing for us so we would like to get that message out there to slow down, pay attention, get off the cellphone,” said Captain Josh Hannigan, Duncan Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 3/13/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSPA-TV CBS 7 Spartanburg

New York has long led the nation in fire deaths, firefighters say

New York is leading the nation for residential fire deaths with 45 fatalities in the first three months of this year — a staggering statistic that highlights the need for legislative action, according to the Firefighters Association of the State of New York. John D’Alessandro, the association's secretary and a volunteer firefighter, said the fatalities have underscored the urgency of legislation that the organization has been pushing for years, including a measure to provide funding to local building departments to conduct routine inspections and ensure multi-family residential and commercial buildings are meeting fire safety codes.
- PUB DATE: 3/13/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Times-Union - Metered Site

Black women firefighters in Colorado discuss unbreakable bond

It's a bond that has truly been tested by fire. "No words can describe the bond," Lt. Kathleen Hancock said. "I'm super thankful for them." Hancock, Danielle Allen and Brooke Simms are the only Black women working at Aurora Fire Rescue. Their journey together came through different routes. Hancock, a native of Pueblo, lived in Tuscon, Arizona, where she was a physical therapist and athletic trainer.
- PUB DATE: 3/13/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KCNC-TV CBS 4 Denver

GoPro video shows Virginia house fire through the eyes of a firefighter

VIDEO/PHOTOS: We have some new video from a house fire in Bedford County on Tuesday night. This GoPro footage shows the fire that happened on Twilight Drive through the eyes of one of the firefighters at the Forest Fire Department. One man was inside the home at the time but got out safely. The home is a total loss and the fire damaged some nearby cars on the property too.
- PUB DATE: 3/10/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSET-TV ABC 13 Lynchburg

California firefighters rescue residents trapped in San Bernardino mountain snow

VIDEO: The death toll in the San Bernardino County mountains after the recent snow storms has climbed to 13 as residents prepare for another storm on the way. Cal Fire San Diego sent 56 personnel to the San Bernardino County mountains to rescue folks trapped inside their homes, and they are especially worried for another round of rain expected Friday night.
- PUB DATE: 3/10/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KSWB-TV FOX 5 San Diego

'Suck it up, buttercup': Ohio first responders push back against mental health stigma

VIDEO: An average person can see two or three traumatic incidents in their life, while first responders can see more than 180, according to First H.E.L.P., a national organization that works to reduce mental health stigma among first responders. "When it's something that you can personally relate to, it's a lot harder to get over," Jessica Vargas, a dispatcher with the Wood County Sheriff's Office, said.
- PUB DATE: 3/10/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTOL-TV CBS 11 Toledo

Veteran Journalist's New Career After 60: Volunteer New York Firefighter? Really?

After more than 40 years as a broadcaster and journalist, I've found a new career. It doesn't pay very well (OK, nothing) but it's one of the most gratifying things I've done with my life. I'm a volunteer firefighter. I ply my new trade in a tiny, very historic hamlet in the northern Catskill Mountains of upstate New York.
- PUB DATE: 3/10/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Next Avenue

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