Janesville Deputy Fire Chief Jim Ponkauskas will serve as the department’s interim chief starting in January. The Janesville Police and Fire Commission selected Ponkauskas Oct. 3. Fire Chief Randy Banker will retire in January. Based on the existing shared administrative services agreement with the Janesville, Ponkauskas will, as Banker is doing, serve as interim chief of the Milton and Milton Township Fire Department. - PUB DATE: 10/10/2018 1:41:40 AM - SOURCE: Milton Courier
VIDEO: The Rhinelander Fire Department plans to wear bright pink shirts all month long to raise breast cancer awareness. The department has worn and sold pink shirts since 2009 for the month of October. Firefighter Adam Johnson said last year the department raised enough to help out four local families affected by breast cancer. - PUB DATE: 10/10/2018 12:05:48 AM - SOURCE: WJFW-TV NBC 12 Rhinelander-Wausau
Officials say an explosion at an ethanol plant in southern Wisconsin caused structural damage, but did not result in any injuries to employees or first responders. Green County Emergency Management Director Tanna McKeon says the explosion occurred in a silo at Badger State Ethanol in Monroe shortly before 6 a. - PUB DATE: 10/9/2018 9:11:00 AM - SOURCE: Chippewa Herald
In recognition of National Fire Prevention Week, the Oshkosh Fire Department will be canvassing a south-side neighborhood offering to check residences for working smoke detectors. The boundaries for this project are in the neighborhood bordered by South Park Avenue and 16th Avenue (North-South) and South Main Street and Ohio Street (East-West). - PUB DATE: 10/9/2018 5:12:36 AM - SOURCE: Oshkosh Northwestern
VIDEO: Two families were displaced by fire at a home near 12th and Center in Milwaukee Monday, Oct. 8, according to the American Red Cross. Red Cross officials said the duplex was heavily damaged. Seven people were displaced, and Milwaukee Fire Department officials said one firefighter was burned. He was taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released. - PUB DATE: 10/9/2018 3:50:53 AM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6
VIDEO: 147 years ago, two deadly fires in the Midwest destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. But no other fire compares to the Peshtigo fire which killed at least 1,200 people - and is the deadliest in U.S. history. The Great Chicago fire blazed it's way across the Windy City the same day a forest fire ignited in Peshtigo. - PUB DATE: 10/8/2018 10:30:13 PM - SOURCE: WFRV-TV and WJMN-TV Green Bay
Greenfield Police are looking for answers about a body found inside a burned-out pickup truck. Officers got a call from a neighbor about a vehicle on fire in the 5600-block of Parking Street about 4am Sunday. After firefighters put the fire out, they found a body inside the car. Greenfield Police are not saying who it is, or how they died. - PUB DATE: 10/8/2018 9:01:33 AM - SOURCE: WXER-FM 104.5 & 96.1 The Point
VIDEO: Sixteen fire departments and three police departments responded to a fire in Elm Grove on Saturday evening, Oct. 6 that resulted in injuries to six firefighters, who were taken to the hospital, where they were treated and released. The call came in shortly before 6:30 p.m. for the fire at a home on Fairhaven Boulevard near Watertown Plank Road. - PUB DATE: 10/8/2018 3:18:06 AM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6
Firefighters are known for their chili. But among fire stations and firefighters in Kenosha, they’re also known for their pizzas. Each of the six stations in town make their own pizza from scratch. So who has the best? On Sunday, a friendly battle ensued to settle that question. About 150 people sampled pizza at UAW Local 72 headquarters for the first Kenosha Firefighters Pizza Bake-Off, a benefit for the Kenosha Literacy Council and Kenosha Firefighters Community Awareness Relief Effort, the fundraising arm of the firefighters union Local 414 and the Kenosha Fire Department. - PUB DATE: 10/8/2018 1:45:40 AM - SOURCE: Kenosha News
A fire at Manitowoc Pattern & Manufacturing Co. Inc. Saturday afternoon resulted in smoke and water damage throughout most of the business. Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department was called to the business, 4315 Expo Drive, at around 1 p.m. Saturday for the report of smoke coming from the building, Manitowoc Fire Rescue said in a press release. - PUB DATE: 10/7/2018 11:37:30 AM - SOURCE: Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
Jeffery Vogt a Firefighter2/EMT with Roberts — Warren Fire & Rescue Department, was recently recognized by the Board of Directors of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) for achieving 30 consecutive years of National EMS Certification. This distinction is an honor held by few EMS professionals. - PUB DATE: 10/6/2018 3:51:27 PM - SOURCE: New Richmond News
PHOTO: Portage firefighters were called at about 7 p.m. Thursday to reports of visible flames in a vacant building at 2646 New Pinery Road. Traffic in that area of New Pinery was rerouted while firefighters put down the fire and ventilated smoke. Richard Lynn, who owns the building, said the structure had been used until recently for storage, and most of its contents had been emptied, except for some documents due to be shredded. - PUB DATE: 10/4/2018 10:57:25 PM - SOURCE: wisc news
While no one was injured in a car fire on Thursday, Oct. 4, at a residence in Waukesha, the vehicle, a home and garage were damaged.
According to a news release from the Waukesha Fire Department, firefighters received a report at 8:22 a.m. Oct. 4 of a possible structure fire at 464 N. Washington Ave. - PUB DATE: 10/4/2018 1:01:41 PM - SOURCE: WaukeshaNOW
VIDEO: Multiple units responded to a fire at Morningside Drive in Janesville on Wednesday night. A manager for a nearby apartment complex said that gas and electric was shut down in the area. According to officials, no one was injured and residents who live in the building said everyone is accounted for. - PUB DATE: 10/4/2018 8:45:03 AM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau
A deputy Jansville fire chief will be taking over until a permanent replacement can be found for retiring chief Randy Banker. The Police and Fire Commission Wednesday night chose Jim Ponkauskas to serve after Banker’s retirement date of January 11th. Banker had recommended Ponkauskas. The commission wants to minimize the time between Banker’s departure and the hiring of a permanent successor. - PUB DATE: 10/4/2018 7:44:35 AM - SOURCE: WCLO-AM 1230
VIDEO: Any other Wednesday, Doug Teitge would have hopped on a bus and taken the short ride to Yahara Elementary School in DeForest. He would have filed off the bus with his classmates and went about his usual day. Not this Wednesday though. This was an unusual school day. Wednesday morning, Doug's mom, Renee Teitge, woke him up and told him he'd be riding to school in a firetruck. - PUB DATE: 10/3/2018 5:30:12 PM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison
The Solon Springs Fire Department was awarded a $3,030 grant from the East Central Energy Operation Round Up Trust to help purchase portable radios for the department. The radios are used to communicate on emergency scenes. The addition of eight new firefighters in 2017 left the department short on the number of radios it needs to work efficiently and safely. - PUB DATE: 10/3/2018 4:27:56 AM - SOURCE: Daily Telegram-Superior
A Neenah resident is hoping to raise $15,000 for the Fire Department's Water Rescue Team. Taylor Olsen lives on Lake Winnebago and tells FOX 11 he's seen on multiple occasions how the lack of proper equipment has impacted the rescue and potentially put rescuers at risk. "It's surprising that the equipment that I have on my rather basic fishing boat is the same equipment they have on their water rescue boat. - PUB DATE: 10/3/2018 3:58:41 AM - SOURCE: WNFL SPORT REDIO
Marshfield's Finance, Budget, and Personnel Committee has approved the hiring of three additional firefighter/paramedic positions for the city. That's according to Fire Chief Scot Owen who told the committee Tuesday night that the extra staffing is sorely needed. "The staff has remained the same since 2009, while the city's boundaries have continued to grow, and call volume has continued to increase. - PUB DATE: 10/3/2018 2:38:31 AM - SOURCE: WRIG-AM Fox Sports 1390
The Beaver Dam Fire Department should have a “new” antique firetruck in its fleet soon. The city’s police and fire commission approved allowing the transfer of funds from the budget’s fire prevention funds to help pay for the antique firetruck, which would be used for things like the Father’s Day Car Show and children’s events. - PUB DATE: 10/2/2018 6:48:33 PM - SOURCE: wisc news
