The Cleveland Fire Fighter's Association said it has safety concerns when it comes to the city's aging fleet of fire trucks. Fire union President Francis Lally pointed to Cleveland's latest annual report on the fire department, which indicated 13 of the city's 42 fire trucks are listed in "poor condition," with eight of the trucks having more than 120,000 miles on them.
- PUB DATE: 4/16/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WEWS-TV ABC 5 Cleveland

VIDEO: Pasco County rescue crews got a unique training experience Wednesday aboard the historic American Victory Ship docked in Tampa. Pasco County Fire Rescue Special Operations Division bought all three shifts of crews to do some advanced confined-space training 60 feet down in the ship’s hull – training they might not otherwise be able to get at home.
- PUB DATE: 4/15/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTVT-TV Fox 13 Tampa

VIDEO: A fire caused heavy damage Wednesday morning to an apartment complex on the city’s North Side. When firefighters arrived at the complex in the 3200 block of Nacogdoches Road, they found heavy flames and called in a second alarm. San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said between 60 to 100 occupants will need to find another place to live.
- PUB DATE: 4/15/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KSAT-TV ABC 12 San Antonio

Some associate post traumatic stress disorder with members of the military, but those on the frontlines at home also deal with it. “I’m a retired firefighter myself, and after 20 years on the job I’ve seen two of my brothers lost to suicide and two other suicide attempts,” Robert Coleman said. After several years, one bill finally passed through the West Virginia Legislature that lawmakers believe will save lives.
- PUB DATE: 4/15/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WCHS-TV ABC/FOX 8 Charleston

Seven volunteer fire companies in Niagara County are signed up to take part in the 12th annual Recruit NY Weekend organized by the Firemen's Association of the State of New York. Recruit NY Weekend is April 24-25. Participating companies include Rapids, Middleport, Terry's Corners, Shawnee, Adams, Active Hose and Wendelville.
- PUB DATE: 4/15/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Lockport Union-Sun Journal

VIDEO: Two years ago, the Orange County Fire Rescue Division created an Apparatus Committee with the expectation of taking a look at its current apparatus, and specifically its fire engines, in order to find ways to become more efficient. The results were recently revealed in impressive fashion. “Efficiency and safety were our two main goals when we went to redesign the engine,” said Battalion Chief Brian Beechner.
- PUB DATE: 4/14/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Orange County Government

VIDEO: Electric cars are better for the environment but can pose a hazard for firefighters. El Paso Fire Department Captain Manuel Maldonado said electric cars are not necessarily more dangerous, but require a different approach when trying to put out fires caused by a crash or any accident. He said that the initial extinguishing of the fire is the same: the firefighters wear the same protective equipment to extinguish the flames, but they take one additional step after.
- PUB DATE: 4/14/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTSM-TV NBC 9 El Paso

A federal appellate court said Tuesday that prosecutors can retry a man whose conviction in the 1995 deaths of three firefighters in the East Hills was overturned. In a 19-page opinion, the three judge-panel from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the federal retrial of Gregory Brown Jr.
- PUB DATE: 4/14/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: TribLive.com/Tribune-Review

PHOTOS: When firefighters arranged to conduct search and rescue training on a vacant house in memory of Dominic “Bama” Hunt, who died in a Sylvania Township house fire in February, Mr. Hunt’s fiancée Teresa Laney wanted to be there. “We had to be here as part of the healing process,” Ms. Laney said.
- PUB DATE: 4/14/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Blade

The 19-year-old man accused of stealing a Dallas Fire-Rescue ambulance earlier this month visited the fire station the day before and inquired about becoming a firefighter, police say. Felix Lopez is currently facing a second-degree felony charge of theft of property after being accused of stealing a $230,000 ambulance from Dallas Fire Station 53 on April 5 and leading multiple police agencies on an hourslong chase that only ended when the emergency vehicle got stuck off-road with flat tires.
- PUB DATE: 4/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTVT CBS 11 Fort Worth

PHOTO: A Vietnam veteran in Stafford County received an unexpected gift from the same first responders who came to his aid when his house caught fire nearly two months ago. On Friday, Robert Mihalak was presented a traditional military shadowbox that contained all of the personal military decorations he earned in the 1960s, but then lost in the Feb.
- PUB DATE: 4/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Free Lance-Star

VIDEO: One year ago, 145 mph winds tore through Chattanooga. First responders jumped into action to help thousands and are now telling their stories of what they saw on that Easter Sunday. "There were trees on top of cars on top of houses through houses, trees on top of trees," recalled Chattanooga Fire Department Battalion Chief David Thompson.
- PUB DATE: 4/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WRCB-TV NBC 3 Chattanooga

A bill to remove oversight on school construction projects could impact student safety in the future, according to some fire chiefs in the state. Proponents of HB 220 say the measure will remove a level of bureaucracy and allow districts to complete projects quicker and cheaper, but opponents, including some fire officials, don’t want corners to be cut when it comes to safety.
- PUB DATE: 4/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WIAT-TV CBS 42 Birmingham

As U.S. COVID cases rise, the country is also administering the vaccine shots aimed at preventing the spread of the virus at the swiftest pace ever. Cases are on the rise in 27 states, with Michigan continuing to lead the nation in daily new cases per capita. Following more than 70,000 coronavirus cases reported on Monday, the seven-day average of daily new cases in the U.
- PUB DATE: 4/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CNBC

VIDEO: According to Police on Saturday around 9:41 pm near Dexter and Oakman, the Detroit Fire Department received a call and was heading out. Authorities say as they were trying to exit the driveway, a dark-colored Chevy Sedan was blocking their path. After using the fire engine's air horn, the car moved out of the way.
- PUB DATE: 4/12/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WJBK-TV Fox 2 Detroit

PHOTOS: A 136-page report on the tragic Porterville Library Fire found that staffing shortages, a lack of training and communication problems may have contributed to the deaths of two firefighters in February 2020. "Unfortunately, these issues continue to be far too common across the country to simply focus on one organization," the report concluded in part.
- PUB DATE: 4/12/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Visalia Times Delta - Metered Site

PHOTO: It’s not uncommon for someone to have to choose between making a living and pursuing something they are passionate about. Dan Ravenhorst of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has found a way to do both, driving his 2019 Mack Anthem 64T and volunteering at the city’s Township Fire and Rescue Station 1. “I bought (the truck) in March 2020, so I’ve had it a year now,” Ravenhorst said in an interview with The Trucker.
- PUB DATE: 4/12/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Trucker

VIDEO: Helena College is revamping its more than 20-year-old fire and emergency services program to meet the changing demands of employers. The program first opened in the fall of 1998 and focused on hands-on, functional fire training. The updated program aims to continue providing this kind of practical fire training, while also meeting the emerging needs and demand for professional certifications and general education.
- PUB DATE: 4/12/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Helena Independent Record

For the rest of the week, towns, cities, and counties around southwest and central Virginia are celebrating the men and women who serve as 911 dispatchers, the unseen heroes of public safety. According to the City of Roanoke, Congress proclaimed the second week of April as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in 1991.
- PUB DATE: 4/12/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFXR-TV Fox 27 Roanoke

One person was killed and eight people were hurt in an explosion and second-alarm fire at an Ohio paint plant early Thursday. About 40 employees were working just after midnight when the blast occurred in one of five buildings on Yenkin-Majestic Paint's campus in Columbus, officials said. While most of the employees came out of the building as firefighters arrived on the scene, authorities learned two were trapped, according to Columbus Division of Fire Battalion Chief Steve Martin.
- PUB DATE: 4/9/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC News