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National Fire News

Kansas City Wrestles with Huge Firefighter Overtime Costs

An accounting firm’s new report confirms what Kansas City officials already knew through the budgeting process — firefighter overtime is a huge expense, and a few individuals rake in an oversized share of those wages. But the report from BKD, released publicly on Wednesday, doesn’t offer a magic cure for the millions of dollars in overtime that Kansas City government shells out annually to the Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 7/13/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Kansas City Star

5 keys to a great fireground incident action plan

When writing about the management of emergency incidents, I find myself – as well as other writers – including this verbiage, “Develop an incident action plan.” Why? Because developing this plan, successful communicating their part to fire officers and monitoring progress towards its completion are three of the key responsibilities for the incident commander.
- PUB DATE: 7/12/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FireRescue1

Supervisors urge Los Angeles County Fire Department to hire more ‘wonder women’ to boost diversity

Four L.A County supervisors donned Wonder Woman headbands Tuesday in support of a motion that would upgrade a Marina del Rey fire station with bathrooms and sleeping quarters for female firefighters. The supervisors’ action also cast a spotlight on a broader issue of why so few women work as firefighters in the county fire department, and why fewer than half of all stations offer separate bathrooms and sleeping quarters for women.
- PUB DATE: 7/12/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Los Angeles Daily News

IAFC Applauds Virginia for Becoming First State to Opt-in for FirstNet

Dan Eggleston, IAFC director-at-large and fire chief of the Albemarle County (Va.) Fire and Rescue, Kevin McGee, chair of the IAFC Terrorism & Homeland Security Committee and chief of Prince William County (Va.) Fire Rescue, and Mark Light, IAFC CEO/executive director, today joined Gov. Terence R. McAuliffe at a ceremonial letter signing declaring that the Commonwealth of Virginia will allow the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) and AT&T to proceed with the deployment of the of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network in Virginia.
- PUB DATE: 7/12/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: International Association of Fire Chiefs

Woman Pays $400 Denny's Tab for Southern California Firefighters

The Southern California firefighters tab at Denny's: $400. Public generosity: Priceless. A team of firefighters from Colton got a pleasant surprise Saturday when someone paid their $405.22 food tab at a Denny's. The 25 hungry firefighters just got off the line battling the La Cadena Fire in La Loma Hills that burned 70 acres when they grabbed a meal at a nearby Denny's.
- PUB DATE: 7/12/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KNBC-TV NBC 4 Los Angeles

Judge: Pacemaker data can be used in Ohio arson trial

In what is believed to be the first case of its kind to use data from a beating heart as evidence, a Butler County judge ruled Tuesday that evidence from a pacemaker used to get a Middletown man indicted for arson can be presented at trial. Ross Compton, 59, was indicted in January on felony charges of aggravated arson and insurance fraud for allegedly starting a fire in September 2016 at his Court Donegal house.
- PUB DATE: 7/12/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Journal-News

Six 30-year vets retire from Massachusetts fire department

The formal retirement of Gloucester’s assistant fire chief on Sunday and the retirement of five other senior Fire Department members over the last 2 1/2 weeks have created a six-person void in the city’s firefighting force, Fire Chief Eric Smith said Monday. Aiello’s official departure on Sunday came just two weeks after the retirements of Deputy Chief Miles Schlichte and firefighter Joseph Misuraca, both of whom also served with the department for more than 30 years.
- PUB DATE: 7/12/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Gloucester Times

Virginia Will Become The First State To Opt-In To FirstNet’s National Public Safety Broadband Network

Governor McAuliffe today signed a letter of intent declaring that the Commonwealth of Virginia will allow the First Responder Network Authority and AT&T to proceed with the deployment of the of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network in Virginia. Following today’s letter signing, Governor McAuliffe will hold a ceremonial letter signing tomorrow at FirstNet Headquarters, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Reston, Va.
- PUB DATE: 7/11/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: AlexandriaNews.org

Minnesota fire department needs shift in resources toward EMS, study says

An overwhelming percentage of calls to St. Paul firefighters are for medical emergencies, and the fire department needs “a paradigm shift” to best handle the workload, according to an outside study of the fire department. Fires account for less than 5 percent of the emergency calls in St. Paul, and about half of 1 percent are structure fires.
- PUB DATE: 7/11/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Pioneer Press

Marine Corps KC-130 crashes in Mississippi, 16 dead

A US Marine Corps transport plane crashed in rural western Mississippi on Monday afternoon, killing all 16 service members who were on board, officials said. The KC-130, an aircraft that the Marines can use to refuel planes in the air as well as carry cargo, crashed in Leflore County at about 4 p.m.
- PUB DATE: 7/11/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CNN

Connecticut Chief Not Commenting on Status of 'Sideswipe' Firefighter

A Dayville firefighter appeared in Danielson Superior Court today as two of his cases moved forward, though fire officials are still declining to comment on Todd Wakefield’s status with the department. During his first appearance on evading and unsafe passage charges, Wakefield’s lawyer, Christian Sarantopoulos, said his client had “made restitution” to the owner of a vehicle which he said sustained damage to its mirror.
- PUB DATE: 7/11/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Norwich Bulletin

Florida firefighters rescue worker from scaffolding accident high above city

Firefighters rescued a man from the side of a downtown high-rise building Monday morning after he spent nearly an hour on a scaffolding platform that malfunctioned and tilted sideways. The 49-year-old employee of BCBE Construction became stuck on the scaffolding stage when one of the motors failed and swung one side of the platform far above the other.
- PUB DATE: 7/11/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Herald Tribune.com

Atlantic City Fire Chief to decide if new work schedule compromises public safety

The city’s fire chief will have the final determination on whether the department’s new state-ordered 56-hour workweek compromises public safety, according to a ruling by Superior Court Judge Julio Mendez. According to the Thursday ruling, the state’s creation of the new work schedule was not done in retaliation against the union.
- PUB DATE: 7/10/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Press of Atlantic City

Vermont responders first in U.S. to gain workers' compensation for mental health

State firefighter and police union leaders on Thursday hailed a new state law that provides first responders with workers’ compensation coverage for mental illnesses. Vermont is the first state to pass such a law, according to the International Association of Firefighters. Bradley Reed, president of Professional Firefighters of Vermont, thanked lawmakers for helping the bill reach the finish line.
- PUB DATE: 7/10/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: VTDigger.com

North Carolina Firetruck Overturns On Way To Fire, Two Injured

PHOTOS - Davidson Fire Department Engine 1 rolled over on June Washam Road on the way to a fire alarm call Saturday morning in Davidson, North Carolina according to Davidson officials, injuring two firefighters. The two firefighters were transported to the hospital by Medic with non life threatening injuries.
- PUB DATE: 7/10/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFMY-TV CBS 2 Greensboro

Connecticut Firefighter Shot During Suspected Drug Deal Fired

A Hartford firefighter, who was shot in April after a drug deal went bad, was terminated on Friday, according to a department spokesman. After an investigation by the department, Jimmy Ngo, who has no criminal record and was with the Hartford Fire Department for six years, was fired effective immediately, Captain Raul Ortiz said.
- PUB DATE: 7/10/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFSB-TV CBS Channel 3

Ohio firefighter who aided after 9/11 dies in hospice

Clarence Edward Wilburn II, a longtime firefighter and paramedic who traveled to Ground Zero and served as a first responder in the wake of 9/11, died Wednesday in Hospice of Northwest Ohio in South Tole- do. He was 58. He had pulminary fibrosis, thought to be a result of breathing the dust, smoke, and ash at Ground Zero, his younger brother, Jim, said.
- PUB DATE: 7/10/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Toledo Blade

San Diego getting special firefighting vehicle for oil tanker derailments

With California expecting a surge in oil transports by rail, San Diego firefighters will soon receive a new hazardous materials vehicle specially designed for oil tanker derailments, explosions, leaks and potential terrorist acts. San Diego is among 12 areas of California scheduled to receive one of the vehicles this fall from the state, which will also pay to train the city’s 17-member hazardous materials team to use the vehicle.
- PUB DATE: 7/7/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: San Diego Union-Tribune

As fire season, solar eclipse align, Oregon prepares for disaster

Local, state and federal agencies are preparing for the worst this August, as peak fire season coincides with one of the biggest tourism events Oregon has ever seen. The 2017 total solar eclipse - an event that won't return to Oregon until 2169 - is coming on Aug. 21, typically a dangerous time for wildfires.
- PUB DATE: 7/7/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Oregonian

Six months after fire, Massachusetts firefighters return to station

Jay Redmond said it was the longest minute and a half in his life. Redmond is a captain in the Concord Fire Department, and those 90 seconds happened while he was on duty in the early morning of Jan. 4. Redmond used the department's radio system that night to contact three firefighters in the West Concord Fire Station, and when there was no answer, he was concerned.
- PUB DATE: 7/7/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Concord.WickedLocal.com

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