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National Fire News

Family of fallen FDNY captain fights to have his name added to memorial wall

The family of an FDNY captain, who died decades ago after fighting a major fire in Queens, is demanding his name be added to a memorial wall honoring those who died in the line of duty. Richard Meister says he never knew his grandfather, FDNY Captain Hans Meister, but he’s heard plenty of stories about the impact he had on other members of his family.
- PUB DATE: 12/3/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WCBS-AM 880

Firefighters frustrated to be left out of CDC advisory panel's first round of COVID vaccine recipients

The CDC's immunization advisory panel voted Tuesday to first give the COVID-19 vaccine to health care personnel and long-term care facility residents. Some firefighters feel they should have been included in that list. “I think it’s not the correct decision," Prince George's County firefighter and paramedic Theresa Alexander said.
- PUB DATE: 12/2/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WUSA-TV CBS 9 Washington DC

Former Long Island firefighter develops firehose fitness tool, wins big on 'Shark Tank'

VIDEO: A former volunteer firefighter from Long Island just won big on ABC's "Shark Tank" for her new fitness device, which was inspired by her time as a firefighter. Sarah Apgar, of Port Washington, is the creator of Fitfighter and the Steel Hose. When Apgar joined the Halesite Volunteer Fire Department in 2012, she noticed the firehouse didn't have a structured strength training program.
- PUB DATE: 12/2/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WABC-TV ABC 7 New York

New floating fire station to arrive in San Francisco Thursday

A huge floating fire station will make its permanent home in San Francisco early Thursday morning. A new Fireboat Station 35 will house the San Francisco Fire Department’s three fireboats and rescue watercraft, replacing the existing 105-year-old fire station on the Embarcadero, according to the city’s Public Works department.
- PUB DATE: 12/2/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle - Metered Site

Starbucks Is Giving Away Free Coffee to First Responders Throughout December

Starbucks is giving thanks to first responders and health care workers on the front lines of the fight against the spread of COVID-19 with a free cup of coffee. As cases continue to rise across much of the country, Starbucks is offering a free tall brewed coffee (hot or iced) to front-line workers at participating U.
- PUB DATE: 12/2/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WNBC-TV NBC 4 New York

Classic engine returns to Florida town

PHOTOS: How many cities do you know of that showcase a caboose, fire truck and tractors in their downtown sector? There is at least one — the city of Winter Garden, which recently saw the return of an iconic piece of its fire department history. The 1954 American La France fire engine No. 1 is back in the space it shares with a 1907 citrus sprayer, 1948 railroad caboose, a Case grove tractor and a Fordson tractor — all surrounding the Winter Garden Heritage Museum.
- PUB DATE: 12/2/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Orange Observer

'One of the toughest fires I've ever fought': Massachusetts firefighters battle wind-fueled house blaze

VIDEO: Fire Chief Michael Williams has seen and fought his fair share of fires in his 34-year career in Brockton. But when it comes to 2 1/2-story homes, few fires rival the difficulty of the one battled late Monday night in the city. "This is one of the toughest fires I've ever fought in a 2 1/2-story home," Williams said at the scene.
- PUB DATE: 12/1/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Enterprise News

Chicago mass honors victims, survivors and heroes of Our Lady of Angels fire 62 years later

An oversized, multicolored quilt, deemed the “Quilt of the Angels,” was draped over the altar at the Church of the Holy Family in Little Italy for Sunday’s 5 p.m. Mass. The names and ages of all 95 victims from the Our Lady of Angels School fire in 1958 are stitched on each patch. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” said Larry Furio, a survivor of the tragic blaze that resulted in stricter fire safety codes nationwide.
- PUB DATE: 12/1/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Chicago Sun Times - Metered Site

USS Bonhomme Richard warship fire hero shares his story

In an exclusive interview with ABC10 News, a firefighter shared his heroic story of helping battle the massive fire that erupted aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard this past July. “It was a crazy situation,” said Deputy Fire Chief Robert Sepulveda with Navy Region Southwest Fire Emergency Services. “We [had] about 400-plus firefighters on-scene at the time,” he stated and added, “I was on the front lines with the firefighters and was directing the fire attack on the forward side of the ship at that time.
- PUB DATE: 12/1/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KGTV ABC 10 San Diego

First responders? Long-term care patients? CDC committee considering who's in group '1a' for COVID-19 vaccine

The committee that decides who gets the coronavirus vaccine first meets virtually Tuesday as officials prepare for distribution that could potentially come within two weeks. Look for discussion of two questions: Where should people in long-term care facilities be in the vaccine line and the power of states and governors to shift priorities for who gets immunized first.
- PUB DATE: 12/1/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: USA Today

Defense Department Project Detects Change, Assesses Damage With Artificial Intelligence

In a project for the Defense Department’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), computer scientists have turned to artificial intelligence and aerial imagery to construct a detailed damage assessment solution. The tool can be used remotely and automatically to determine the amount of damage to buildings and structures from a natural disaster or catastrophe.
- PUB DATE: 12/1/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: AFCEA Signal

'Never forgotten': Missouri remembers 6 fallen firefighters that died in an explosion 32 years ago

Sunday marked 32 years since six Kansas City Missouri firefighters died in an explosion. The explosion happened at a construction site on Nov. 29, 1988. The crews were fighting a trailer fire. They were unaware the trailer had thousands of pounds of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil inside, and the firefighters were killed instantly.
- PUB DATE: 11/30/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KMBC-TV ABC 9 Kansas City

Mustached brotherhood at Oklahoma City Fire Department rooted in history, is a source of pride

No-Shave November is almost over, and emergency responders across the state will soon go back to a clean-shaven face. But for some Oklahoma firefighters, the mustache will be long-lived. The handlebar. The toothbrush. The pencil. The walrus. The horseshoe. Firefighters with mustaches is an iconic image spanning back decades.
- PUB DATE: 11/30/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOCO-TV ABC 5 Oklahoma City

Retired New York firefighter on mission to honor fallen on West Coast

VIDEO: A retired New York firefighter who served on the frontlines during September 11, 2001 is on a mission to honor fallen firefighters. Frank Pizarro calls Las Vegas home, but served 22 years on the New York Fire Department. He is on mission to retrofit a fire engine to carry caskets of fallen firefighters on the West Coast.
- PUB DATE: 11/30/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KVVU-TV FOX 5 Las Vegas

More than 4 million Americans contracted COVID-19 during the month of November

The U.S. will finish the month of November with more than 4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, by far the most it has recorded in any month since the beginning of the pandemic. According to a database kept by Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. recorded 4.3 million new cases of COVID-19 throughout the month of November.
- PUB DATE: 11/30/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KMGH-TV ABC 7 Denver

Retired firefighter reunites with stranger who saved him from fiery crash in Florida

A grateful retired firefighter reunited with a stranger he says saved his life by getting him to safety after a fiery car crash in Florida. Retired fire lieutenant Richard Broccolo recalled the moment Aug. 23 he thought he was going to die after his car went off the roadway on Florida State Road 429.
- PUB DATE: 11/30/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WKMG-TV CBS 6 Orlando

4 firefighters burned attempting rescue from Florida house fire

VIDEO: Four firefighters suffered burns Tuesday while trying to rescue someone they thought was inside a burning home in the New Town neighborhood of Northwest Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department was called just after 1 p.m. and saw flames and heavy smoke coming from the house on Acorn Street near West 2nd Street.
- PUB DATE: 11/25/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WJXT-TV News 4 Jacksonville

Texas city unveils firefighter-themed playground honoring first responders, namesake of park

The city held a socially-distanced ceremony showcasing Carrollton’s newly renovated Harold K. Bessire Park Playground (1117 Dentonshire Drive) on Nov. 21. The City Council approved funding in February for renovations, including a synthetic turf surface as well as new playground equipment with a firefighter theme, honoring Carrollton’s first responders and the namesake of the park, former Carrollton Fire Chief and Fire Marshal Harold K.
- PUB DATE: 11/25/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Carrolton Leader

Los Angeles Firefighter Severely Injured While Fighting Downtown Blaze Talks About His Miraculous Recovery

On May 16, 2020, eleven firefighters were seriously injured during one of the most intense and dangerous fires in the history of the Los Angeles Fire Department. One of those firefighters was Fire Capt. Víctor Aguirre, who suffered serious burns. He spoke with our sister station Telemundo 52 about his miraculous recovery and the voracious fire that almost took his life away.
- PUB DATE: 11/25/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KNBC-TV NBC 4 Los Angeles

Mechanical CPR device helps first responders in Oregon stay safe during pandemic

At a fire house in King City Tuesday, crews gave KGW an up-close look at one of their newest tools, the Lucas Mechanical CPR Device. "It's highly efficient," said Capt. Tim Nokes of Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVF&R). "It's highly effective." Capt. Nokes says the device is one of three in service in the TVF&R district.
- PUB DATE: 11/25/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KGW-TV NBC 8 Portland

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