The Cedar Rapids firefighters who were seriously injured over the weekend when a hose line ruptured have been released from the hospital while fire officials investigate what happened. Both firefighters were treated for fractures and were released from the hospital Sunday, Cedar Rapids public safety spokesperson Greg Buelow told The Gazette on Wednesday.
- PUB DATE: 2/11/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Gazette

VIDEO: Lauderhill Fire Rescue crews used a drone equipped with infrared technology to help them fight a house fire Wednesday afternoon. “We were able to find the source of the fire in the drone. It was in the attic. It had not penetrated the roof yet,” said Captain Jerry Gonzalez. Gonzalez said it was the first time the department used the technology to locate what he called a “hidden fire.
- PUB DATE: 2/11/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WPLG-TV ABC 10 Miami

Michigan’s Lewis Cass building made headlines last summer when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer renamed it the Elliott-Larsen building. But this week 70 years ago, Michigan’s oldest standing state office building was in the news for something else entirely: a massive fire lit by a state employee who hoped it would help him avoid the Korean War.
- PUB DATE: 2/11/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Mlive.com

The state of Indiana is dedicating tens of thousands of federal dollars to making naloxone, the opioid-involved overdose reversal medication, publicly available every day and around the clock. On February 5, Governor Eric Holcomb announced that the state will be partnering with the harm reduction nonprofit Overdose Lifeline to bring NaloxBoxes—hard acrylic boxes that can be mounted to an exterior wall—to all 92 Indiana counties.
- PUB DATE: 2/11/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Filter Magazine

Gov. Tony Evers has ordered flags be flown at half-staff Friday in remembrance of a Columbia County fire inspector who died of COVID-19. David Jerald Tomlinson was a member of the Poynette-Dekorra Fire Department for over 30 years, according to a post from the department’s Facebook page. A news release said he died Dec.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2021 7:24:30 PM - SOURCE: WISC-TV CBS 3 Madison

A house fire in Marshall led to road closures Wednesday night on Highway 73. Dane County dispatch said it received a call at 6:21 p.m. for a report of a structure fire on Canal Road. Officials said firefighters called a box alarm, meaning agencies from several municipalities were sent to assist. The homeowner told our crew at the scene that everyone was able to evacuate the house safely, including the pets.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2021 6:08:37 PM - SOURCE: WISC-TV CBS 3 Madison

Fire Chief BJ DeMaa introduced a proposed “High School Fire Intern” program, along with a job description for participating students, at Tuesday night’s Waupun City Council meeting. According to a resolution summary, “As part of the fire department’s five-year strategic plan, we have identified a need to ensure our firefighter staffing model meets local needs.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2021 4:36:05 PM - SOURCE: Daily Citizen

The Merrill Fire Department is partnering with a local hospital to help COVID-19 patients and take the pressure off a strained emergency room. The department believes it may be one of just a few in the state, and country, taking on this role. Normally, you’d only get a visit from Merrill Paramedics in an emergency.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2021 2:38:31 PM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau

VIDEO: A familiar red glow encouraged Dwayne Ivey to make a beeline for the landmark Krispy Kreme on Ponce de Leon Avenue early Wednesday morning. When he neared the store, however, he realized the doughnuts weren’t the only things hot. Flames were shooting from the back of the building, an Atlanta institution for more than 60 years.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Spirit of Liberty Foundation, a local 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, recently unveiled the soft-launch of a national campaign “Operation Thumbs Up!” with the first “Thumbs Up” billboard installed in San Diego. The Spirit of Liberty Foundation’s Operation Thumbs Up campaign provides an opportunity for Americans to positively recognize and thank first responders, healthcare professionals, members of law enforcement, firefighters, Armed Forces and veterans whenever they see them by just giving them a big smile and an “enthusiastic Thumbs Up!” “These are very difficult times and now more than ever we need to bring America together for positive causes and one that almost every American can embrace when recognizing and thanking America’s real heroes — our first responders, healthcare professionals and military, the people who have kept us safe 24/7,” said Richard Rovsek, chairman of the Spirit of Liberty Foundation.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Rancho Sante Fe Review

“Brotherhood.” That’s one word that’s used a lot around a firehouse, or when talking about the fire service. But within these tightly-knit groups of brothers are sisters, too, scattered throughout the ranks of career and volunteer fire departments across the country. According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), women made up eight percent of the more than 1.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Times Herald

Lawmakers have reintroduced legislation which aims at protecting firefighters and the communities they serve from PFAS and other dangerous chemicals. The Protect Firefighters from Adverse Substances (PFAS) Act was introduced in the Senate Feb. 4 by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, and other lawmakers.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Holland Sentinel

Even though the pace of vaccination has picked up dramatically and the number of daily new COVID-19 cases continues to decline in all regions of the United States, the emergence of new strains of the disease remains cause for serious concern. The COVID Tracking Project has reported that seven-day average cases in the U.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Forbes

Firefighters in Buffalo County had two house fires to deal with in the frigid cold over the weekend. The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office says crews were called to a home in the town of Nelson around 2:30 pm Sunday afternoon. The house was fully engulfed when crews got there. The people who live there were not home at the time.
- PUB DATE: 2/9/2021 11:37:21 PM - SOURCE: WLAX-TV Fox 25 La Crosse

A 57-year-old Milwaukee man died Tuesday afternoon in a house fire on the south side, police said, the latest in a rash of deadly and destructive fires in the city. Milwaukee police responded to the fire about 3:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of South 21st Street, according to a news release. The fire started at one house and spread to another, police said.
- PUB DATE: 2/9/2021 6:39:52 PM - SOURCE: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Afirefighter with the “heart of a teacher” has been honored as the city of La Crosse Fire Department Firefighter of the Year. Engineer and EMT Bryon Stein was honored Feb. 2 during a virtual ceremony at the main fire station in La Crosse. “Anyone who is looking for an answer ... they seek Brian out for his leadership,” said assistant fire chief of operations Jeff Murphy.
- PUB DATE: 2/9/2021 12:57:24 PM - SOURCE: Lacrosse Tribune - Metered Site

First responders pleaded with lawmakers not to let bipartisan legislation allowing them to access workers' compensation for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder linger any longer. Last year, it received overwhelming support in both chambers but failed to get a final clerical vote in the Senate before the session ended.
- PUB DATE: 2/9/2021 11:37:08 AM - SOURCE: WTMJ-TV NBC 4 Milwaukee

On an overcast and cold February afternoon, Kim Robinson stepped inside Milwaukee Fire Station No. 2. The station, which also serves as the fire administration building, nearing its 60th anniversary next month since its dedication in 1961. The connections between present, and past, are not lost on Robinson as he walked through the large first-floor garage, climbed the steps and walked the third-floor halls with Chief Aaron Lipski.
- PUB DATE: 2/9/2021 11:10:37 AM - SOURCE: WITI Fox 6 Milwaukee

Crews battled a fire at a multi-unit apartment complex in Wisconsin Rapids overnight Monday into Tuesday. According to officials at the Wood County Dispatch Center, crews spent several hours dealing with a fire on 1st Street North. The buildings sustained 'significant,' damage and will likely be ruled a total loss.
- PUB DATE: 2/9/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WAOW-TV ABC 9 Wausau

Aworker was hospitalized with second-degree burns caused by a flash fire at an East Side oil change facility on Friday morning, the Madison Fire Department reported. Ladder Co. 1 and Medic 8 were dispatched at 9:04 a.m. to Woodman’s Gas & Lube Center, 3805 Milwaukee St., arrived at 9:09 a.m. and were directed to an injured worker, who reported removing the oil plug from a vehicle when the engine oil, which was pressurized, caught fire, Fire Department spokeswoman Cynthia Schuster said in a report.
- PUB DATE: 2/9/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Wisconsin State Journal