A fiery car crash ended Saturday with the driver of this car in the hospital---and the contents inside strewn all over the ground. Now, four first responders are without a job, two on unpaid leave, after investigators say five of them stole some of those items and another lied about it. Lieutenant David Heaton with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office says there are protocols in place to protect you and your stuff when a crash happens.
- PUB DATE: 2/24/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: wrdw.com

The Canton woman who died Monday running into rush hour traffic on Ohio 8 after arguing with her husband was identified as an off-duty Canton firefighter. Tonya Johnson, 43, of Canton, died about 4 p.m. Monday after being hit by a pickup on the busy highway. The Summit County Medical Examiner is performing an autopsy Tuesday.
- PUB DATE: 2/24/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Cleveland.com

Bramwell Volunteer Fire Department added the phrase “In God We Trust” to their fire trucks Saturday afternoon during a fundraising event. Bramwell Volunteer Fire Department 3rd Lt. Steve Mitchell attended the fundraiser and ATV washing event. “We decided we were going to put it on our trucks and hope to be the first one in the area to (put it on the fire trucks),” Mitchell said.
- PUB DATE: 2/24/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Bluefield Daily Telegraph

On February 22, 2 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On February 20, 10 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On February 19, 10 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On February 18, 11 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On February 16, 8 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

Families of five firefighters who died or were critically injured in the infamous 2005 Black Sunday blaze in The Bronx were awarded a whopping $183 million in damages Monday. The jury found the city of New York and the landlord were responsible for the injuries — and assigned 80% of the blame to the city.
- PUB DATE: 2/23/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Daily News

The website for East County Fire & Rescue was hacked over the weekend, Interim Chief Al Gillespie said. An employee logged onto the website on Saturday morning and noticed that users clicking on a portion of the page were redirected to content he described as “inappropriate,” Gillespie said. The fire chief was in the office for a seminar at the time and was informed of the incident right away.
- PUB DATE: 2/23/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Columbian

Despite trying for a year to increase the number of volunteer firefighters on its roster, the Elkin Fire Department is seeing little reward to its recruiting efforts. If the department falls below 20 members on its roster, it could mean an increase in property owners’ fire insurance rates, and as of just more than a week ago, the roster had 21 members.
- PUB DATE: 2/23/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Elkin Tribune

After EMS response times for life-threatening emergencies jumped by more than 20 seconds last year, the FDNY plans to spend $5 million on two pilot programs to handle what it calls a record number of emergency calls. Starting this summer, the FDNY plans to use 10 “fly cars” — fire supervisor SUVs carrying a paramedic — to emergencies in the Bronx ahead of ambulances, fire officials told the Daily News on Monday.
- PUB DATE: 2/23/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Daily News

Bad guys, beware. Woody Williams is not playing around when it comes to his neighborhood fire station. He will be there to protect the men and women who work there. A photo of Williams in his plaid jacket and pajama pants has gone viral after he went out to his local fire station to keep an eye on the place while firefighters were out on a call.
- PUB DATE: 2/23/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WMBF

On February 21, 4 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On February 20, 6 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On February 19, 9 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

California's new corrections chief is backing off a plan to lower standards for inmate firefighters, focusing instead on persuading county sheriffs to send more jail prisoners to the state program. Scott Kernan, who took over last month as secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said in an interview with The Associated Press that he expects California will have enough inmate firefighters for this year's fire season despite a dwindling pool of candidates from state prisons.
- PUB DATE: 2/22/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee

More than 40 fire departments from seven counties battled a fire Friday at a warehouse owned by FutureX Industry in the small town of Marshall in Parke County. Fire departments from Parke, Montgomery, Fountain, Vermillion, Putnam, Clay and Vigo counties answered the call at 226 E. Guion St. with tanker trucks, aerial trucks and manpower.
- PUB DATE: 2/22/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Journal Review

The application for SAFER grant applications is now open. Fire and EMS agencies have until 5 p.m. March 25 to submit grant applications. Information on the program can be obtained here. The SAFER grant was established to: Assist local fire departments improve and restore staffing and deployment capabilities so they may more effectively and safely respond to emergencies.
- PUB DATE: 2/22/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Firehouse.com

A Marble volunteer firefighter was injured Friday afternoon when the fire engine he was driving was hit from the side by a Walmart semi-truck on Highway 412 in Marble. According to Marble Fire Department Chief Ron Pfeiffer, who was at the scene, the engine was leaving the Marble Fire Station on Madison 2405 to respond to a field fire that had been reported on Highway 21.
- PUB DATE: 2/22/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Madison County Record