Callers to 911 in Houston will no longer be asked if they are experiencing COVID-like symptoms, changing a months-long practice to pass on the information to first responders. Firefighters are now told to treat every call as if the patient or home is COVID-positive. Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena said the change is an admission of the widespread nature of the virus in the city and out of concern that callers were not always offering true information.
- PUB DATE: 7/30/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTRK-TV ABC 14 Houston

Scientists at Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine have launched one of the first tracking tools that provides a daily snapshot into COVID-19 cases in rural communities across the country. Using data from The New York Times and other sources, the COVID Urban Rural Explorer (CURE) focuses specifically on highlighting rural urban inequities in COVID trends by county and provides a daily report on rural areas experiencing spikes in COVID-19 cases.
- PUB DATE: 7/30/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSU.edu

PHOTOS: Four firefighters were injured after a fire broke out at a mobile home park in Quincy Wednesday afternoon. According to the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office, the fire started just before 1 p.m. in the 600 block of Main Street. The fire spread to three mobile homes and caught other buildings on fire, firefighters said.
- PUB DATE: 7/30/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOVR-TV CBS 13 Sacramento

Police and fire officials are following leads in a string of fires believed to be arson, including one at the home of the Shelby Fire and Rescue chief. Investigators believe at least six fires were set deliberately in multiple locations in west Shelby this month. On Thursday, Shelby firefighters responded to two fires believed to be connected to this string of recent arsons.
- PUB DATE: 7/30/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Shelby Star

As the COVID-19 pandemic affects communities across the United States, it has also wreaked havoc on fundraising for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters. For 66 years, IAFF members have been standing on sidewalks asking passers-by to fill a firefighter’s boot with dimes, quarters, dollar bills, and more.
- PUB DATE: 7/30/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFMJ-TV NBC/CW 21 Youngstown

Two people were reported injured after a pontoon boat and fishing boat reportedly crashed Wednesday night on Browns Lake. Town of Burlington firefighters and City of Burlington rescue crews were dispatched at 7:30 p.m. to the Fischer Park boat launch, 30526 Durand Ave. (Highway E), to aid a man with an arm injury and a woman with a nose injury, emergency radio reports indicated.
- PUB DATE: 7/29/2020 6:45:12 PM - SOURCE: Racine Journal Times

A federal grand jury indicted a Milwaukee man Tuesday on arson charges stemming from a home that was set on fire during unrest last month. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin said Joshua Lusk, 32, was indicted Tuesday on charges of arson and attempted arson, injuring a Milwaukee firefighter.
- PUB DATE: 7/29/2020 5:37:34 AM - SOURCE: Greater Milwaukee Today

VIDEO: A bridge over Tempe Town Lake has caught on fire and partially collapsed after a train derailed. Tempe Fire Department officials say the derailment happened around 6 a.m. on July 29 and involved a Union Pacific train. At least 90 firefighters are on the scene. One person is being treated of smoke inhalation, officials say.
- PUB DATE: 7/29/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KSAZ-TV FOX 10 Phoenix

World Trade Center (WTC) first responders are at risk for developing dementia, according to two studies led by Stony Brook University researchers and presented virtually at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on July 28, 2020. The studies included individuals with signs of cognitive impairment (CI) who show neuroradiological abnormalities and changes in their blood similar to that seen in Alzheimer’s disease patients and those with related dementias.
- PUB DATE: 7/29/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Technology Networks

Easy access to fire hydrants is a requirement of every city's building codes, but Reno Fire Department says depending on the location and type of fire, getting to fire hydrants can be extremely difficult. Last week a south Reno apartment complex was engulfed in flames, destroying 14 of 21 buildings.
- PUB DATE: 7/29/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KRNV-DT NBC 4 Reno

Local fire department leaders are speaking out about the calls to increase mental health screenings for first responders following the overdose death of a Winter Park EMS captain. Winter Park fire Capt. A.J. Isaacs overdosed on painkillers, which were stolen from his own department. “I know, without a doubt, there’s definitely PTSD within the fire service,” his widow, Heather Isaacs, said.
- PUB DATE: 7/29/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFTV ABC 9 News Orlando

Florida on Tuesday hit a new statewide record high for number of coronavirus deaths reported in a single day since the pandemic began — 186 residents. And while there are signs hospitalizations may be leveling off, the virus continues to upend life there and across the country. Nearly half of all states are now part of the government's so-called "red zone" due to rising cases, including Missouri, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
- PUB DATE: 7/29/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CBS News

Beloit first responders and Beloit Health System Emergency Department staff are some of the first medical personnel in contact with sick patients. In a pandemic, both groups work tirelessly to uphold the highest standards of patient care and professionalism. Since the onset of COVID-19 cases in the Beloit area, the Beloit Fire Department shifted protocols to keep first responders safe and to limit contact with potential virus cases.
- PUB DATE: 7/28/2020 8:30:30 PM - SOURCE: Beloit Daily News

Some Green Bay Metro firefighters earned bragging rights at work this July after an urgent call for help turned their fire engine and ambulance into a labor and delivery ward. The rare call gave the department an idea to start a new program to honor their work on such a special delivery. From the moment a 911 call comes in, firefighters are used to jumping into action.
- PUB DATE: 7/28/2020 4:38:23 PM - SOURCE: WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

Any tool that helps firefighters do their jobs faster and with improved safety is definitely a welcome addition. On Tuesday, July 28, the St. Francis Fire Department demonstrated a new tool called the Fire TKO. It's essentially a small, portable block that can be thrown into a burning room and effectively extinguish a fire.
- PUB DATE: 7/28/2020 1:51:17 PM - SOURCE: WDJT-TV CBS 58 Milwaukee

The Appleton Fire Department battled a kitchen fire on the southeast side of the city. It happened at a home at around 11 a.m. Monday on the 2100 block of East Lourdes Drive. When crews arrived on scene they found light smoke coming from vents in the roof. Inside the home crews found dark smoke and fire on the kitchen counter, cabinets and stove top.
- PUB DATE: 7/28/2020 4:57:14 AM - SOURCE: WGBA-TV NBC 26 Green Bay

There are no reports of injuries after an apartment fire in Fond du Lac Tuesday morning. The scene is located at the James Grace Apartment Homes at 130 Forest Ave. Fond du Lac Fire/Rescue posted video and photos on social media. Images and video show heavy smoke coming from a third-floor apartment. A ladder truck is outside the window.
- PUB DATE: 7/28/2020 4:47:43 AM - SOURCE: WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

Several firefighters were overcome while battling a fire in New Jersey that spread to several homes. Four homes were burned and two were destroyed when a fire started in a basement on Passaic Street around 2 p.m. At least nine firefighters were hospitalized and needed assistance after suffering from heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation.
- PUB DATE: 7/28/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WABC-TV ABC 7 New York

Firefighters in Hingham said they won’t comply with an order from the police and fire chiefs to take “thin blue line” flags off firetrucks, and have asked them to reconsider the decision. Fire Chief Steve Murphy and Police Chief Glenn Olsson explained in a letter to personnel that the blue and black flags, which are black-and-white versions of the American flag with a single blue line in the center, will have to be removed from where they’ve flown atop Hingham fire trucks after a citizen complaint.
- PUB DATE: 7/28/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Patriot Ledger

When a large battery used to power a neighborhood in Surprise failed and began smoking last year, firefighters didn't have a response plan for how to deal with the problem, which contributed to an explosion that injured several first responders. That is one of the conclusions of a report released on Monday about the April 2019 explosion at the McMicken Energy Storage facility near Grand Avenue and Deer Valley Road, owned by Arizona Public Service Co.
- PUB DATE: 7/28/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: AZ Central - Metered Site