After 34 years in fire service, Chief Randy Banker will retire on Jan. 11, 2019. Banker is both chief of the Milton and Milton Township Fire Department and the Janesville Fire Department. He became chief in Janesville in January 2016 and through a shared administrative services agreement, became chief of the Milton and Milton Township Fire Department in October 2017. - PUB DATE: 9/26/2018 1:41:55 AM - SOURCE: Milton Courier
A lightning strike exploded the chimney of a home and launched debris into neighboring yards in Wauwatosa. It happened near 72nd Street and Hillcrest Drive late Tuesday afternoon. Debris shattered car windows in the driveway, and bricks ended up inside a neighbor's home. Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames before the fire spread, and no one was hurt. - PUB DATE: 9/25/2018 10:14:37 PM - SOURCE: WISN-TV ABC 12 Milwaukee
Today, the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation gave back to the firefighter community with the help of donating life-saving equipment and gear. The Town of Fond du Lac Fire Department received five sets of personal protective gear valued at $12,616. The gear includes coats and pants and will give volunteer firefighters will get the necessary protection in the line of duty. - PUB DATE: 9/25/2018 4:45:14 PM - SOURCE: WFRV-TV and WJMN-TV Green Bay
Jacob Glasow knew something was wrong. He was having a hard time speaking without slurring his words. His wife, Sheena, hadn’t noticed, but after Jacob brought it up in December, she could hear it too. Still, they didn’t think much of it. A few months later, though, Jacob noticed twitching in his upper arms. - PUB DATE: 9/25/2018 7:02:03 AM - SOURCE: Oshkosh Northwestern
VIDEO: Milwaukee police are investigating a fatal house fire that happened Monday night, Sept. 24 in the area of 5th and Wright. The call came in around 10 p.m. When crews arrived on scene, flames were coming from the second floor of the home -- where the 12-year-old boy was trapped. Officials say the boy died at the scene. - PUB DATE: 9/25/2018 3:37:47 AM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6
The union for the Janesville Fire Department has filed a complaint against the city of Janesville with the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission over a contract dispute. Janesville Fire Fighters Local 580 posted about the complaint in a Facebook post Friday, saying the city has threatened to increase firefighters' health insurance by 400 percent after a dispute over parking. - PUB DATE: 9/24/2018 9:19:22 PM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison
The Village Board on Monday approved a contract to build a new emergency medical service station for the South Shore Fire Department for $1.09 million, more than double the original estimate of $500,000. The station is to be constructed in the northeast portion of the village near the intersection of Emmertsen Road and Spring Street. - PUB DATE: 9/24/2018 8:44:19 PM - SOURCE: Racine Journal Times
The Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded the Oregon Area Fire/EMS District a grant to retrofit the fire station's apparatus bay. According to a release, $116,100 was awarded as part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program for fiscal year 2017. The release said the money will retrofit the fire station's apparatus bay with an emissions disposal system that will catch diesel emissions and send them outside. - PUB DATE: 9/24/2018 8:43:26 AM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison
Acting on a recommendation from the Committee of the Whole, the Sun Prairie City Council on Sept. 18 approved the early purchase of a Rapid Attack Vehicle by the Sun Prairie Fire Department so it can guarantee 2018 pricing and be ready for next fall. The Rapid Attack Vehicle (RAV) will be one of three vehicles that will replace the department’s Squad 5, a heavy rescue vehicle. - PUB DATE: 9/24/2018 1:42:11 AM - SOURCE: Sun Prairie Star
VIDEO: In emergency situations, we count on paramedics and EMTs, and fire departments in Wisconsin and across the country are in dire need of volunteers. "It's a problem all over metro Milwaukee, all over the state and all over the country," said Grafton Fire Chief William Rice. Rice said his fire department is dealing with a major issue. - PUB DATE: 9/23/2018 8:18:35 PM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6
No one was hurt in a fire at the McDonald’s restaurant near 124th and Capitol in Wauwatosa early Sunday morning, Sept. 23. Fire officials responded around 5:30 a.m., and found smoke showing from the roof, with a “light haze” inside. The restaurant was closed at the time, but an employee opening the business noticed the fire and called 911. - PUB DATE: 9/23/2018 6:03:17 PM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6
The Marshfield Police and Fire Commission has approved three additional full-time positions for the city's Fire Department. WDLB Radio in Marshfield reports the commision unanimously passed the proposal on to the city's Finance, Budget, and Personnel committee last week. The proposal comes at a time when the Fire Department has been stretched very thin, according to Mayor Bob McManus. - PUB DATE: 9/23/2018 5:38:26 PM - SOURCE: WRIG-AM Fox Sports 1390
Wisconsin Public Service has restored power to thousands of households early Friday morning following a round of storms that knocked out power across central Wisconsin Thursday night. As of 7:45 a.m. Friday, more than 3,900 people were without power. Just under 1,300 people remain without electricity. - PUB DATE: 9/21/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau
In order to help small businesses, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation unveiled a $2 million Disaster Recovery Microloan Program last week. The program will provide an immediate source of funds for necessary restoration work and related expenses, a release said. According to the release, the loan program is available in all 72 counties, but WEDC is going to start working with areas of the state that were most impacted by flooding. - PUB DATE: 9/21/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison
VIDEO: In a community reeling from not only historic flooding but a workplace shooting Wednesday, the Middleton Fire Department is reflecting on its response while looking toward the future. Officers shot and killed the shooter, identified as 43-year-old Anthony Y. Tong, of Madison, who attacked people at a Middleton software company, injuring several, officials said. - PUB DATE: 9/20/2018 9:27:21 PM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison
An Uptown Brass neighborhood fire that started in a camper trailer behind a vacant commercial building in the 6300 block of 13th Avenue Wednesday evening is under investigation. Battalion chief Matthew Haerter said the fire started around 8 p.m. He said a fire that started in the camper spread to the roof of a nearby white concrete building, causing heavy damage to its first and second floors. - PUB DATE: 9/20/2018 1:48:23 AM - SOURCE: Kenosha News
In the small town of Evansville, many local businesses are making it easier for volunteer firefighters to respond to calls during the work day. The Evansville Community Fire District receives about 150 calls a year. When the station gets a call, all 35 volunteer firefighters receive a page. “Being able to have a job, a place of employment, that allows you to leave when the pagers go off is super important,” said Bill Castonguay, who has been an Evansville firefighter for 18 years and an EMT for nine. - PUB DATE: 9/20/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison
The Pine River Fire Department will hold its 14th annual pig roast fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 22, at the fire station on Range Line Road. The event features food served from 1-7 p.m. and live music by Bernie Thompson from 1-4:30 p.m. and The Influence from 7-11 p.m. Activities also include fire and EMS demonstrations, fireworks at dusk by Fireworks Depot, and raffles throughout the day. - PUB DATE: 9/19/2018 11:14:12 PM - SOURCE: Merrill Foto News
The Coulee Region offers a lot of original geography. "You have the cliffs, the hills, the terrain," said Jeff Strasser, communications specialist for the Wisconsin Task Force-1 Urban Search and Rescue team. The breathtaking beauty of a scenic overlook can present challenges for emergency responders when someone needs to be rescued. - PUB DATE: 9/19/2018 7:53:17 PM - SOURCE: WKBT-TV CBS 8 La Crosse
Police and fire crews are investigating the cause of a fire that damaged a home in the 500 block of Waupaca Street Monday night. The Fremont Fire Department responded to the scene shortly after 9 p.m., according to a statement from the Fremont Police Department. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire shortly after arrival, according to police. - PUB DATE: 9/19/2018 1:02:52 PM - SOURCE: Appleton Post-Gazette & Post Crescent.com
