People who had their lives ripped apart in mere moments by violent and unforgiving tornadoes over the weekend are now dealing with a new reality -- seeking the basic needs of food and shelter while surrounded by devastation and uncertainty over the fate of their neighbors. In the small town of Dawson Springs in western Kentucky, about 75% of the community was wiped out and replaced by "chaos," Mayor Chris Smiley said Sunday.
- PUB DATE: 12/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CNN

Six people were killed Friday when a portion of an Amazon building collapsed in downstate Edwardsville during a severe weather outbreak, state and local officials said Saturday, as the operation shifted to a recovery mission. Multiple workers were killed when a portion of an Amazon warehouse, located in the 3000 block of Gateway Commerce Center Drive South, collapsed during what the National Weather Service confirmed as an EF-3 tornado, according to local fire authorities.
- PUB DATE: 12/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WMAQ-TV NBC 5 Chicago

A Northern California state senator plans to introduce legislation that would add 356 permanent firefighters and 768 seasonal firefighters to the state’s force. Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, said Friday that the legislation would set new per-engine minimums at Cal Fire and would launch a staffing study to help prepare the department for fire conditions that are projected to keep getting worse in the years ahead.
- PUB DATE: 12/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee - Metered Site

In the feud between two famous New York institutions, Marvel has officially chosen a side, and the result is not surprising for anyone who's read up on current Marvel continuity regarding Spider-Man, Daredevil, and the greater Marvel Universe at large. It's no secret that plenty of Marvel's major heroes are based out of New York City (and plenty of villains appear in NYC as well), which means both the police and firefighters of the city regularly come into contact with the Avengers, the X-Men, etc.
- PUB DATE: 12/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Screen Rant

The Menomonee Falls Fire Department announced that a car drove off the road, and into a home near Main and Rock Pointe in Menomonee Falls on Sunday, Dec. 12 Authorities did not describe the circumstances behind how the car went off-road into a home but reported that the car struck a gas meter attached to the home.
- PUB DATE: 12/12/2021 2:39:23 PM - SOURCE: WDJT-TV CBS 58 Milwaukee

According to a post from the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Fire Department Battalion Chief Sean Slowey passed away Saturday, Dec. 11 from job-related brain cancer. Reports show that Slowey served as a firefighter for 40 years. No additional information is available at this time.
- PUB DATE: 12/12/2021 1:53:49 AM - SOURCE: WDJT-TV CBS 58 Milwaukee

The Merrill Fire Department newest high-tech toy gives them an edge few other departments in the state have access to. It's a new way to survey a scene and help fight fires, and serve as an eye in the sky, and all the fire department has to do is push a button. A tethered drone, called 'Fotokite', is built for first responders to enable quick set up and deployment, getting them the information they need, faster.
- PUB DATE: 12/10/2021 4:31:03 PM - SOURCE: WAOW-TV ABC 9 Wausau

Firefighters battled a fire Thursday night at a recycling business on the city's north side. Fire crews responding around 8:30 p.m. to Quincy Recycling, 701 Bay Beach Road, found heavy smoke coming from the back of the building, according to the Green Bay Metro Fire Department. Fire department officials said additional fire departments were called because of the building's large size and heavy smoke and fire.
- PUB DATE: 12/10/2021 8:04:34 AM - SOURCE: Green Bay Press-Gazette

Firefighters responded early Friday morning to reports of a fire in a residential part of Sun Prairie. According to 911 dispatchers, fire crews responded shortly before 6:30 a.m. to the 200 block of Kelvington Drive. Few details are available about the fire at this time. Authorities did not indicate if any injuries have been reported.
- PUB DATE: 12/10/2021 6:13:00 AM - SOURCE: WMTV-TV NBC 15 Madison

The former home of the Southside Senior Citizen Center the former La Crosse Fire Station No. 5 has joined the ranks of the National Register of Historic Places. The Wisconsin Historical Society announced Thursday that the building at 1220 Denton Street on La Crosse’s south side has been added to the registry.
- PUB DATE: 12/10/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WKBT-DT CBS 8 LaCrosse

A firefighter was rescued after falling through the floor as crews battled a massive house fire in Hudson, New Hampshire Thursday afternoon. SkyEye footage showed heavy smoke and flames engulfing the home on Greeley Street. The firefighter was brought to a hospital along with another firefighter who suffered smoke inhalation.
- PUB DATE: 12/10/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WBZ-TV CBS 4 Boston

PHOTOS: Birmingham Fire Chief Paul Wells has been boasting that most of the department’s firefighters have some of the latest and greatest thermal imaging cameras built into their masks. He signed up for the city’s firefighting duties about 25 years ago and was introduced to thermal-imaging cameras soon after.
- PUB DATE: 12/10/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Hometown Life

It was 100 years ago that the McLean Volunteer Fire Department was first incorporated. Many things have changed since then, from development and population growth to fire and rescue technology and the involvement of career firefighters. But what hasn't wavered is the volunteer fire department's commitment to serve McLean and surrounding areas.
- PUB DATE: 12/10/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: McLean Patch

VIDEO: On Thursday evening, large plumes of smoke could be seen around Tampa International Airport. Tampa Fire Rescue Airport Rescue Fire Fighting division (ARFF) hosted a training exercise so firefighters can respond to emergencies at the airport like a plane catching on fire. Emergencies do not happen often, but the training is necessary.
- PUB DATE: 12/10/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFTS-TV ABC 28 Tampa

It’s the holiday season, which means many people are in a giving mood. People give money, and people give gifts. What about someone who gave a part of their own body to someone they’ve never even met? Cicero firefighter Paul Coir and Perry Galloro are best friends and have been since they first met working as truck drivers back in 1999.
- PUB DATE: 12/10/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSTM-TV NBC/CW 3 Syracuse

The city has a lot of options to consider for the future of the West Bend Fire Department, including potential staff increases, personnel restructuring and what fire stations to continue running. The city’s Common Council received a presentation Monday on the Fire Department organizational study and operational review from McMahon Associates.
- PUB DATE: 12/9/2021 4:47:24 AM - SOURCE: Greater Milwaukee Today

A massive fire destroyed a vacant building in South Jackson. The fire was reported about 9 p.m. Wednesday at what was once the ANCOR Adult Daycare on Robinson Road. The flames were so intense that part of the building collapsed. Deputy Chief Cleotha Sanders said the business was not operating and there was no power to the building.
- PUB DATE: 12/9/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WAPT-TV ABC 16 Jackson

The pandemic has shown how critical emergency medical services are across the country. But in South Carolina and most other states, EMS is not classified as an “essential service,” as law enforcement and fire services are. While those services have been part of the US in some fashion since colonial times, EMS is much younger, established in many areas of the country in the 1970s, according to South Carolina EMS Association Advocacy and Legislative Chair Steven McDade.
- PUB DATE: 12/9/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WIS-TV NBC/CW 10 Columbia

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Jefferson County Public Schools is utilizing virtual reality to train future firefighters. The district is incorporating virtual reality into its academic programs and pathways, including in the Fire Science program at Fern Creek High School. Students use VR headsets to experience what it's like to enter a burning building.
- PUB DATE: 12/9/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WDRB-TV FOX 41 Louisville

Christopher Williams is still in disbelief that he’s going to be an astronaut. “It’s still almost a little bit surreal, something that you’ve dreamed about your whole life and now getting the opportunity to do, I feel so lucky and honored to have the chance to do this and to be part of the team,” he told MyMCM.
- PUB DATE: 12/9/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: My Montgomery County Media