VIDEO: In an effort to combat the high rates of cancer and chronic stress inherent to the profession, fire departments across the Phoenix metropolitan area are increasingly adopting “Recharge Rooms,” specialized wellness suites designed to accelerate physical and mental recovery for first responders.

What began as a pilot program in Gilbert has expanded rapidly. In just two and a half years, the concept has grown to reach 21 cities across six states, offering a 33-minute recovery circuit that includes red-light therapy, saunas, and cold plunges.

The initiative targets a grim reality for firefighters: members of the service are 9% more likely to develop occupational cancer and 15% more likely to die from the disease than the general population. For veterans like Capt. Joe Sperke, a 28-year veteran of the Gilbert Fire Department, the rooms have been life-altering.

Before the program, Sperke said he woke up in pain nearly every day and relied on medication to sleep. “I don’t wake up in pain. I don’t take sleep medication anymore,” Sperke said. “It was a huge benefit for me. I utilize it every day and we encourage people to use it as often as possible.”

The post ‘Recharge Rooms’ help Arizona first responders recover faster and live longer appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Authorities have confirmed the cause of the “significant fire” that erupted at Viva Energy’s Geelong refinery overnight. The fire broke out around 11p.m. on Wednesday at the crucial facility, which supplies 10 per cent of Australia’s fuel and 50 per cent of the fuel used in Victoria.

Fire Rescue Victoria said it will stay at the facility “until at least tomorrow due to safety concerns,” after firefighters worked quickly to contain the blaze and prevent it spreading. FRV crews were joined by Viva’s own emergency teams, with Incident Controller Anthony Pearce describing the early stages as “very, very dangerous” with explosions occurring.

Authorities later revealed the fire was caused by a gas leak from a mechanical component. “The gas has then appeared to have ignited,” Mr Pearce said, adding the exact ignition source is still under investigation. Despite the incident, much of the refinery remains operational. “The remainder of the plant still is functioning,” Mr Pearce said, though he noted ongoing activity could still affect the damaged area.

Viva Energy representative Bill Patterson said the plant is running at reduced capacity as a precaution, but continues to produce fuel. “We’re still making petrol, diesel and jet fuel at pretty decent rates… It hasn’t been a very large impact at this stage,” he said.

The post International News: Cause of Australia refinery blaze confirmed, refinery ‘still making fuel’ despite incident appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

PHOTOS: Jeremy Renner is sitting in his Lake Tahoe kitchen in a black baseball cap and a somehow even darker tee, somberly recounting the details of the now-famed incident that left him clinging to life. On New Year’s Day in 2023, Renner was nearly killed on his Nevada property when his 14,000-pound snowcat pinned him on an icy mountain.

The “tragic accident,” as the Reno sheriff would then call it at the time, left the two-time Oscar nominee with over 30 broken bones, a collapsed lung, and a pierced liver that left him in critical but stable condition in intensive care following surgery.

The 54-year-old, probably most famous for playing the Marvel superhero Hawkeye in eight different appearances, was frank when discussing the incident: If it weren’t for the people rushing to help him that fateful New Year’s Day morning, he may very well have succumbed to his blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries.

All paths to his home were blocked (he was initially trying to dig out a family member), and the cascade of emergency responders had to navigate the brutal terrain to keep him alive, from fire departments to paramedics to a Care Flight helicopter, 150 people in total, by Renner’s own count. He spent months recovering, asking a single question: What could he do for the people who saved him?

The post Actor Jeremy Renner bets on the tech that could have saved his life faster; ‘There’s 150 people that are responsible for me not dying’ appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

John J. Harvey has published an article marking the 95th year of the retired New York City fireboat and describing its continued public trips on New York Harbor.

René Allen Mack wrote that the vessel was built in 1931, was decommissioned by the New York City Fire Department in 1994 and was then bought out of the scrapyard by a group of private marine enthusiasts for ten dollars more bid.

The boat was restored with private funds and donations and began hosting free public trips on the river for donations. In June 2000, it was added to the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.

The fireboat still sails regularly and recently took passengers on a free 90 minute trip around the Battery, moving near the Staten Island Ferry, the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge.

The article also recounts the fireboat’s role in New York maritime history and in emergency response. It welcomed major ocean liners into New York, fought the 1942 Normandie fire and later took part in the September 11, 2001 response.

After the attacks, the U.S. Coast Guard authorized any boat to assist with evacuations from Manhattan and John J. Harvey joined that flotilla.

The post Fireboat John J. Harvey marks 95 years in New York Harbor appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Firefighters who rescued five people from a Sunday morning apartment fire described the moments they pulled a family to safety as flames destroyed the building.

Christopher Carter – a Chatham County firefighter – said he saw people hanging out a window when crews arrived around 4 a.m. “I literally just set up the ladder right here and prepared for rescue,” Carter said.

Body camera footage captured the family’s cries for help, met with calm but direct directions from Chatham County Police officers. The fire destroyed the entire building and left families without their belongings. Each family however, says they are thankful no person was majorly injured.

Joshua Anderson – Chatham County Fire’s Safety and Training Chief, said he watched Carter and captain John-William Farrell develop throughout their careers.

“Assigning them those tasks to do, I had the confidence in them to do it,” Anderson said. “That’s what we prepare for, for situations like this. The crew that actually made the rescue out the window were all back there, we were doing this same scenario at 2 o’clock that afternoon before.”

Two county police officers and two county firefighters worked together to make a complete rescue. Every neighbor affected by the fire has been offered a new room. Stephen Frazier, who saved his dog Dutchess, was moved to a one-bedroom unit in another building.

The post VIDEO: Georgia firefighters describe heroic rescue of 5 people from intense 3rd-floor apartment fire appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: Many volunteer fire departments rely on members who’ve grown up in their community. But for the Factoryville Fire Company in Wyoming County, some helping hands came from across the pond.

“We just said, ‘Oh, so how’s the fire service work here?’ Then, he said, ‘ Oh, it’s all volunteer.’ We were like, could we volunteer? And he was like, yeah. And so we did,” said Former Factoryville Volunteer Firefighter Alex Boirand.

While playing soccer and pursuing a degree at Keystone College in 2007, Alex Boirand and Jamie Ellis of England became volunteer firefighters.

“It was something I always wanted to do when I was younger is be a fireman before we came over here. So coming to college and then having seen it, we had an opportunity to do it here,” said Former Factoryville Volunteer Firefighter Jamie Ellis.

Nearly two decades later, the two men came back for an alumni soccer game at their alma mater and to take a quick tour of a newer Factoryville fire station.

The post An overseas education in Pennsylvania turns two men from the UK into volunteer firefighters appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: A morning fire in an electrical room at Boston Medical Center in Brighton prompted hospital officials to evacuate dozens of patients to other hospitals on Wednesday, officials said.

Fire officials say the fire was first reported in an electrical room around 1:30 a.m. but has since been brought under control. There were no reported injuries.

Because the fire knocked out power to some parts of the hospital, 26 patients were being transferred to other hospitals, including Boston Medical Center’s main campus. Twenty-four of those patients were in the Intensive Care Unit, two were transferred from the emergency room.

Family members of those who were transferred to other hospitals have been notified. The hospital is currently being powered by a generator while repairs are being made and it is operating under a Code Black, which means no ambulances are bringing patients in but people can walk in if they need help.

As a result of the incident, some planned elective procedures and outpatient appointments are being rescheduled. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The post Fire prompts evacuation of some patients from Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Dozens of cars burned Saturday afternoon in Cahokia Heights at a tow lot fire, creating a large smoke plume visible from St. Louis. ‘We had the whole back lot of a tow company on fire,” Cahokia Fire Department Deputy Chief Jordan Simmons said.

“They were moving vehicles around with heavy equipment and struck the battery on a hybrid vehicle which caused the fire.” “A lot of smoke. You can actually see it from in the far distance, so I came down to see what was going on and just a lot of flames,” witness and former Kinloch fire deputy Se’an Whiteside said.

According to the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency, the cars were on fire at Patterson Towing LLC at 499 N. 73rd St. At least 10 fire departments responded to the scene, including Midway, Camp Jackson, Cahokia, East St. Louis, Prairie Du Pont, Church Road, Alorton, Hollywood Heights, Millstadt and Villa Hills.

Deputy Chief Simmons said it took crews at least 8 hours to extinguish the flames. “The hydrant wasn’t enough to supply the amount of water that we needed at the time. We had to call in tankers, and in doing so, we’ve flown 60,000 gallons of water. About 20 trips, tankers in total,” Simmons said.

The owner of the tow lot said an electrical issue sparked the fire and damaged at least 100 cars. The owner told 5 On Your Side that the tow lot mainly contained junk cars being scrapped. Despite the fire, he plans on reopening the business soon.

The post At least 100 cars damaged by fire at Illinois tow lot appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Two Lexington firefighters have made and continue to make world history in the Firefighter Challenge League. Both Sarah McGill and Andrew Cook received awards in the 2025 Firefighter Challenge Championship Series.

The Firefighter Challenge League is an official sporting league designed for firefighters across the nation, regardless of their experience or status, to receive recognition for their emergency services.

Each year, the league hosts the Firefighter Challenge Championship Series, a set of competitions allowing firefighters across the nation to compete with each other in different obstacle courses. Participants in each challenge are timed based on how fast they can complete the criteria for each specific obstacle course.

According to the Firefighter Challenge League, both firefighters are members of the Firefighter Challenge League Lion’s Den, an award and honor for athletes who can meet a certain amount of criteria.

In 2021, McGill received the award for a female to have a run-time less than or equal to three minutes. In 2022, Cook received the award for having a run-time less than or equal to 100 seconds.

The post Kentucky firefighters make history in Firefighter Challenge Championship Series appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: A massive fire happened at an historic building in Cullman. Crews got the initial call to the Stiefelmeyer Building before dawn. The building houses multiple businesses.

Cullman Fire Chief Darren Peeples said they arrived at the scene at about 4 a.m. and would most likely be there till midnight or later. While the blaze is contained, there were still flames in pockets and voids in the roof and attic area of the 134-year-old building.

It took crews and equipment from Cullman and several other jurisdictions to get the massive blaze under control. Dozens of residents camped nearby to watch the 134-year-old structure go up in flames.

The post Owner, tenants react after fire destroys historic Stiefelmeyer Building in Alabama appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Firefighters battled a massive fire that erupted at an apartment building in Manhattan on Sunday morning. The fire broke out around 6 a.m. at a six-story building on 7th Avenue between West 22nd and 23rd streets in Chelsea.

According to the FDNY, the building where the fire started is vacant. Heavy fire was reported on the first, fifth and sixth floors of the building.

Video captures heavy flames engulfing and thick, black smoke billowing from the structure. Eyewitness News was on scene as firefighters tried to get the fire under control and extinguish hotspots.

Officials say the building was unsafe for firefighters to walk in to, so the FDNY conducted searches from the tower ladders looking into the building.

“They were able to do a search from the ladders. Right now, the way that the construction is after the fire, it’s unsafe for us to do a full search,” said an FDNY Deputy Chief during a Sunday morning press conference.

The post VIDEOS: Massive fire erupts at vacant apartment building in New York; 2 firefighters hurt appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: Wooden ladders and a three-person bench seat wouldn’t cut it for a fire engine in modern-day departments. “It was our first fire truck that we purchased as a department.”

But for members of Factoryville Fire Company back in the 1930’s, this Ward La France pumper, bought for $750 dollars at the time, was the top of the line. “After reorganizing in 1930 and we chartered, uh, we bought this new, we ordered in 1932, it was delivered in 1933,” said Chief Brian Gow.

Fire Chief Brian Gow says the piece of firefighting history was taken out of service in 1971 and bought back by Ward Le France. “They used it as a promotional piece, a safety color that was being introduced for visibility purposes…they outfitted it with beer taps and an 8-track player, and it toured around the East Coast,” said Gow.

It did make the occasional trip back, seen in Factoryville’s centennial parade in 1983. But as it passed from one owner to another, it became lost.

The post A ‘new’ fire truck brings back old memories for first responders in one Pennsylvania county appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

PHOTOS: Over 20 fire crews spent Saturday night battling flames at a lumber yard in Wayne County, according to the Apple Creek Fire Department. Just before 8 p.m., the Apple Creek Volunteer Fire Department responded to East Lincoln Way after receiving calls about a massive blaze at Southwood Lumber Pallet, the department said.

The department requested mutual aid after someone with the business reported seeing smoke on the building’s camera system, and numerous 911 calls came in reporting visible smoke and flames. Upon arrival, crews were met with heavy smoke coming out of the large commercial building, and more assistance from surrounding departments was requested, Apple Creek Fire said.

In total, 24 departments responded with more than 30 apparatus and over 75 personnel, Apple Creek Fire said. Crews delivered more than 500,000 gallons of water while fighting the fire, the department said. According to the Orrville Fire Department, which was among the responding departments, crews remained on the scene until about 1 a.m. No injuries have been reported.

The post VIDEOS: Over 20 crews battle massive fire at Ohio lumber yard appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

A family was able to escape as a fire tore through a home in Bridgewater Friday morning. The fire is on Crescent Street, just behind the police department. According to officials, three people were inside the home when the fire broke out, but a quick-thinking bystander spotted the flames, called 911, and a police officer rushed in to get everyone out safely.

Thick smoke could be seen billowing from blocks away as firefighters from multiple departments worked to contain the blaze. The roof has completely collapsed, debris is scattered across the property, and crews are using a tractor to clear the wreckage.

At least two ladder trucks remain raised over the home as firefighters continue to knock down hot spots. When crews first arrived, the roof and several cars in the front yard were already engulfed in flames. The chief also confirmed that gas tanks inside the garage exploded during the fire, which explains the loud boom heard by nearby residents. There are no injuries to report, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The post VIDEOS: Family escapes home after massive fire in Massachusetts appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: Technology aimed at keeping fans from across the globe safe is being deployed ahead of the FIFA World Cup. As Atlanta prepares to host one of the biggest events in the world, no matter if you’re on an iPhone, an Android, or any other phone, Atlanta’s 911 center can use your device to not only track you but to get to you faster.

“This is really going to be a game changer,” E-911 Executive Director Desiree Arnold said. With a surge of visitors expected for the World Cup, Atlanta’s E-911 center is launching new technology to speed up emergency response. The system called Rapid SOS also breaks language barriers.

“It’s detecting the language in Uzbeck, and it’s translating in English, and then we’ll type back in English, and it will detect we’re speaking in English,” Arnold told Channel 2’s Brittany Kleinpeter as she showed her how the program works.

And it does more than translate. It pinpoints exact locations. Right now, 911 operators get approximate locations. But the new system shows exact coordinates, helping first responders get to you faster.

The post Atlanta upgrades E-911 systems to help people across the globe stay safe for World Cup appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: An attack on four EMTs inside a Bronx apartment building has left the first responders injured and a suspect in custody Friday morning.

The assault happened just after 10 p.m. Thursday on the seventh floor of an apartment building along Sedgwick Avenue in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx.

The EMTs were responding to a call involving a resident of the building when they were attacked in the hallway. Cleanup crews were seen inside the building overnight, clearing shards of broken glass scattered across the floor.

Police say there was also blood on the hallway floor and walls. According to authorities, the EMTs were assaulted by a 22-year-old resident when they arrived on the seventh floor. The reason for the attack is still under investigation.

A 32-year-old EMT suffered a laceration to the head, while a 20-year-old EMT was treated for injuries to the face. Both were taken to the hospital in stable condition. Two other EMTs also sustained minor injuries.

The post 4 EMS workers attacked while responding to call for help in New York; suspect in custody appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEOS: Investigators are examining a video posted to social media as part of their investigation into a massive warehouse fire that broke out early Tuesday morning in Ontario.

Arson investigators say the video appears to show cases of toilet paper being set on fire inside a warehouse while a person repeatedly says he is not paid enough to live on.

“If you’re not going to pay us enough to (expletive) live or afford to live, at least pay us enough not to do this,” the person in the video says. Police have arrested 29-year-old Chamel Abdul-Karim on suspicion of felony arson.

Authorities say he was working at the Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center through a third-party company at the time. Investigators say they are reviewing the video but have not confirmed whether the person shown in the footage is Abdul-Karim.

A co-worker of the suspect told reporters he had just met Abdul-Karim moments before the fire broke out and said there was initially no suspicion that he was involved.

“There was no suspicion that it was him, actually he was missing. So everyone was trying to find him. Everyone was blaming the robots at first. We were almost 100% sure it was the robots until the action in the video of course,” said Alex Montero of San Bernardino.

The post Update: New video appears to show start of California warehouse fire, may reveal motive appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: A bill passed in this year’s West Virginia Legislative Session aimed at protecting first responders while they’re helping people in need will soon become law after receiving Gov. Morrisey’s signature earlier this month.

Senate Bill 4 was drafted by Senator Mike Oliverio (R-Monongalia) last spring after he found similar legislation passed in Florida. This bill states that the public, upon receiving a verbal warning, must stay 30 feet away from first responders to ensure their safety and to keep patients and bystanders safe, as well.

12 News spoke to Senator Oliverio on the importance of prioritizing first responders’ safety.

“Whether it’s a law enforcement officer, a firefighter or EMS, we understand that the public wants to see what’s going on, and if the public wants to record with their phone or take photographs, that’s fine, but we just need to make sure that they’re out of the way of the first responders.

And this just makes it very clear that if a first responder thinks the person is in their way, they can instruct them to move back 30 feet, or simply 10 yards,” Senator Oliverio said. Failure to move after being warned by a first responder could result in a misdemeanor charge, leading to a fine of up to $500 and/or a year of jail time.

The post New West Virginia law will require public to stay 30 feet away from first responders appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEOS/PHOTOS: Thirteen people were injured after an explosion was reported at a manufacturing building in East Providence on Wednesday night.

Police said they responded to Aspen Aerogels on Dexter Road at 8:14 p.m. for a report of an explosion and fire inside the facility.

Officers said they located multiple people with minor injuries inside and outside of the building. There are no reports of major injuries. Fire officials said the back of the building suffered significant damage.

“There is a process they do in the building, they do super insulation, as part of that process, the insulation is dried in basically an oven. And during that process is when the explosion happened,” said Chief Michael Carey.

It is unclear what caused the explosion. The Office of the State Fire Marshal is investigating.

The post 13 injured after explosion inside manufacturing plant in Rhode Island appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

PHOTOS: Crews battled a massive fire in a 24,000 square foot mansion in the elite Los Angeles neighborhood of Beverly Crest Tuesday. L.A. City Fire started battling the blaze in the 300 block of Delfern Drive, north of Sunset Boulevard, at approximately 1:45 p.m. About 150 personnel were on scene, LAFD said. By 5:30 p.m., firefighters appeared to be getting the upper hand on the fire.

Sky5’s Gil Leyvas was over the fire at 5:30 p.m., where white smoke could be seen rising from the roof of the massive home, which was under construction. One chimney reportedly partially collapsed. Firefighters were ordered off the roof around 4:30 p.m. and operations had continued from the exterior of the structure due to safety concerns, according to LAFD.

Access to the home was slowed due to the home’s heavy construction, officials said. Firefighters worked to salvage items like artwork and other valuables from the water, smoke and flames. The fire didn’t appear to spread to any of the brush in the area or any neighboring homes. No injuries have been reported to any occupants or workers in the home, officials say. Everyone on the property is accounted for.

The post VIDEOS: Firefighters battle blaze at 24,000 square foot mansion in Los Angeles appeared first on Daily Dispatch.