A firm, fair and compassionate leader with a great workplace demeanor — that’s how colleagues were remembering former Kenosha fire chief Richard Thomas on Tuesday.
Thomas, a member of the Kenosha Fire Department for 35 years and chief from 1991 to 1999, died Sunday. He was 75.
“We had a tremendous working relationship,” said Richard Bosanko, retired assistant fire chief. - PUB DATE: 3/29/2017 1:41:11 AM - SOURCE: Kenosha News
VIDEO: It's been more than one month since a fire broke out at Encore Bar and Grill in Altoona. On Tuesday, crews were able to get inside the building, for the first time, to try and find out how the fire started. The Altoona Police Department is being joined by insurance companies, contractors who worked on the building in the past and previous owners to dig through the debris. - PUB DATE: 3/28/2017 1:46:04 PM - SOURCE: WQOW-TV ABC 18 Eau Claire
A fire that did $30,000 in damage to a home in Beaver Dam also killed a cat living in the home, according to a release from the Beaver Dam Fire Department. Firefighters were called at 3:34 a.m. Tuesday to N5942 S. Center Road in the town of Beaver Dam on a report of a fire in the basement and possibly the kitchen. - PUB DATE: 3/28/2017 5:42:47 AM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison
As the NCAA basketball tournament draws to a close, the Waukesha police and fire departments are gearing up for their own championship of sorts. But they're not playing for a trophy – they're playing for charity. Members from both departments will clash in the seventh annual Waukesha Police and Firefighter Basketball Challenge at 7 p. - PUB DATE: 3/28/2017 1:41:27 AM - SOURCE: WaukeshaNOW
Crews battled a house fire in northern Manitowoc County Monday afternoon. The blaze hit a home on Highway K, between Kellnersville and I-43. Kellnersville's fire chief says the house was vacant and is typically used for storage. Officials do not believe the fire was suspicious. No word has been given on the extent of the damage. - PUB DATE: 3/27/2017 8:05:57 PM - SOURCE: WNFL SPORT REDIO
VIDEO: Cudahy Police now say a fire at a former tannery is a case of arson and suspects are under arrest. The fire broke out around 5 p.m. Sunday night in a vacant building near Packard and Edgerton. Detectives say they've arrested juveniles they believe to have started the fire. The evidence collected will be passed along to the District Attorney's Office for charges. - PUB DATE: 3/27/2017 5:14:05 PM - SOURCE: WDJT-TV CBS 58 Milwaukee
Cudahy Police report that arrests have been made in connection with a fire in a vacant tannery. No details about the arrests are available, but a news release is expected to be issued later today.
Firefighters in Cudahy arrived to smoke pouring out of a vacant building at E Edgerton Avenue and S Packard Avenue around 5 o'clock Sunday afternoon. - PUB DATE: 3/26/2017 9:47:46 PM - SOURCE: WDJT-TV CBS 58 Milwaukee
PHOTO - Milwaukee Police is investigating an accident on 8th and Hadley. Fire crews got called out reports of a car that flipped on a seemingly quiet neighborhood street.
When crews arrived, they found one man inside the car.
“I was scared, I was hoping no one was hurt in the vehicle. That was the first thing," said Calvin Moore, a witness. - PUB DATE: 3/26/2017 1:50:52 PM - SOURCE: WDJT-TV CBS 58 Milwaukee
Fond du Lac Fire/Rescue, the Fond du Lac County Public Health Department and Agnesian HealthCare are once again joining forces to launch a new program with help from the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation.
The one-year pilot, being called Innovative Mobile Services Program, was implemented March 21 and engages Fond du Lac Fire/Rescue paramedics with people in the community who have requested to be in the program or have been referred by a doctor, pharmacist or other person in the medical field. - PUB DATE: 3/26/2017 9:48:11 AM - SOURCE: Fond du Lac Reporter
Firefighters on Friday morning, March 24th responded to the scene of a house fire on Watertown Road near Pewaukee Road in the City Pewaukee. The call came in around 4:30 a.m. The fire was first reported by the homeowner to the Waukesha County Communications Center. When crews arrived on scene, additional assistance was requested from the Village of Sussex, Town of Delafield, and City of Waukesha Fire Departments. - PUB DATE: 3/24/2017 5:21:30 AM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6
They’ve been talking since 2015 about a three-way merger. Now the Deer-Grove, Cambridge and Marshall EMS departments are taking a significant step toward that possibility. In coming weeks, they expect to jointly put out a request for proposal (RFP) seeking a consultant to study the idea. A consultant could be on board this spring. - PUB DATE: 3/24/2017 3:15:51 AM - SOURCE: Monona / Cottage Grove Herald Independent
The West Salem Volunteer Fire Departments are seeking volunteers to bolster their daytime coverage. Fire department spokesperson Scott Johnson said The fire department is close to capacity during the evening hours but lacks the necessary volunteers for adequate daytime coverage. “Unfortunately, our daytime coverage is slim as most members work outside of West Salem,” he said. - PUB DATE: 3/24/2017 3:14:06 AM - SOURCE: Coulee News
One Sun Prairie firefighter received minor injuries and a television journalist was shot with a pellet gun while fire department crews were responding to a duplex fire in the 5500 block of Larry Lane in the Town of Burke. The firefighter was treated and released at the scene. Four residents of the duplex escaped the badly damaged building. - PUB DATE: 3/24/2017 2:13:31 AM - SOURCE: DeForest Times
VIDEO: It takes a lot of training to become a wildland firefighter, but 26 people in Lac du Flambeau are well on their way. The Bureau of Indian Affairs- Great Lakes Agency offered a five-day course on Wildland Fire Training this week. Many of the participants hope to make a career out of it. "I really would like to make a career out of it throughout my life. - PUB DATE: 3/23/2017 4:47:24 PM - SOURCE: WJFW-TV NBC 12 Rhinelander-Wausau
As a devoted runner, cyclist, firefighter and father, Saukville resident Erik Kopp is no stranger to challenges, but the health issues that surfaced late last year have been giving him the fight of his life. Last November, Kopp, 36, learned he has a rare, difficult-to-treat form of cancer — hilar cholangiocarcinoma — and will ultimately need a liver transplant. - PUB DATE: 3/23/2017 2:08:31 AM - SOURCE: Ozaukee Press
A cow died and a portion Highway 151 was closed for several hours Wednesday after a cattle trailer pulled by a semi tractor started on fire. According to Beaver Dam Fire Capt. Russ Johnson, the fire department responded at 12:21 p.m. to a report of a trailer on fire on Highway 151 in the northbound lanes one-quarter mile south of Highway C. - PUB DATE: 3/22/2017 9:08:05 PM - SOURCE: wisc news
In some ways Wednesday night’s Fond du Lac City Council meeting looked like a Fire Department mutual aid call. The Council honored Assistant Chief Steve Beer for his 27 years and 2 months with the fire department. He’s leaving to become the Fire Chief in Hutchinson, Kansas. Fellow firefighters from throughout the County attended the meeting for the proclamation. - PUB DATE: 3/22/2017 9:02:56 PM - SOURCE: KFIZ
There is a national shortage of volunteer firefighters, but local fire departments are having a hard time keeping paid-on-call and part time workers on their teams as well. The Holmen Area Fire Department's (HAFD) has started a campaign to hire part-time workers, and full-time workers later on this year. - PUB DATE: 3/22/2017 4:37:27 PM - SOURCE: WKBT-TV CBS 8 La Crosse
PHOTO: A deer is freed from the icy water of a Jackson Co. lake thanks to the work of the Black River Falls Fire Department. Firefighters were called to Lake Lee in Millston Monday night for a report of a deer trapped on the ice. Rescue crews located the whitetail deer about 300 yards from the boat landing, partially submerged and unable to get to land. - PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 10:36:02 PM - SOURCE: WKBT-TV CBS 8 La Crosse
The Altoona Police and Fire Commission met Tuesday night to discuss the next steps for hiring the community's first full-time fire chief. The position was originally offered to Chad Peterson in February, but he turned it down citing family obligations. According to Police and Fire Chief Jesse James, all or some of the nine candidates will be asked to complete an essay portion of the application process. - PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 8:01:52 PM - SOURCE: WEAU-TV 13 News
