Middleton first responders paraded through the city Thursday evening, for a COVID-friendly National Night Out. Officer Tom Wilson said his department, along with all other Dane County agencies, had to cancel its “biggest event of the year” due to coronavirus concerns. Last year, he said, the event drew a crowd of about 1,500 to a park.
- PUB DATE: 8/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WMTV-TV NBC 15 Madison

Statesville City Council approved this week a $15 per hour minimum wage for all city employees. However, some Statesville firefighters have been voicing their displeasure this week because they are not included in the wage increase. Statesville City Manager Ron Smith told FOX 46 Thursday that firefighters work different hours, 24 on and 48 off, so their pay structure is different.
- PUB DATE: 8/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WJZY-TV Fox 46 Charlotte

If Fire Chief Jeff Rowe were headed to Bangor, or somewhere out of state for a conference, he would likely know the most efficient way to get there. He might not know where the charging stations were though, should he need one, for the new Tesla 3 command vehicle. He could soon find out, by using the car’s GPS, which not only plots the course, but also marks the charging stations — and how long he would have to be there for the charge to complete.
- PUB DATE: 8/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Portland Press Herald - Metered Site

Ammonium nitrate (AN) became infamous when convicted bomber Timothy McVeigh used it in the Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995. Ammonium nitrate is back in our collective consciousness with the horrific Beirut, Lebanon, blast, and its reminders of the explosion at a West, Texas, fertilizer plant that claimed at least 15 lives, caused 200 injuries and destroyed more than 50 homes.
- PUB DATE: 8/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Fire Rescue 1

As health experts gather more data and continue to learn about COVID-19, certain protocols and regulations are changing. According to the CDC and local health experts, it’s now okay to go back to work just 10 days after testing positive for the virus. That’s not the only change — Requiring a negative test result to return to work is no longer encouraged.
- PUB DATE: 8/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KRON -TV 4 San Francisco

PHOTOS: It was just after 9 AM and already the temperatures were in the 90s. A work crew was pin-welding insulation onto a gigantic 5-million-gallon fuel storage tank in the tank farm next to the Canal Electric Plant. But the crew had not properly grounded the tank before they began work. That mistake would cause one of the largest fires the Sandwich Fire Department has ever battled.
- PUB DATE: 8/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Sandwich Enterprise - Metered Site

August 13th marks a somber anniversary for the Green Bay Metro Fire Department. Fourteen years ago, Lieutenant Arnie Wolff died fighting a house fire on Edgewood Drive. As the anniversary of his death approaches, one of the few remaining firefighters who responded that day is talking about the importance of honoring his legacy.
- PUB DATE: 8/6/2020 4:39:56 PM - SOURCE: WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

Firefighters on Thursday morning, Aug. 6 responded to the scene of a porch fire on Everett Street near Division Street in Fond du Lac. The call came in around 4:20 a.m. Upon arrival, crews found a small fire burning through part of the newly-constructed wood stairs leading up to the front porch. The fire caused moderate damage to the staircase.
- PUB DATE: 8/6/2020 5:41:35 AM - SOURCE: WITI-TV Fox 6 Milwaukee

Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation Wednesday aimed at protecting police and other first responders from bias-motivated crimes in Georgia, capping a series of controversial moves by state Republican leaders that nearly derailed passage of a separate bill outlawing hate crimes. The bill Kemp signed into law sets out punishments for those who commit crimes against police officers, firefighters and medics because of their “actual or perceived employment as a first responder.
- PUB DATE: 8/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Jackson Progress

Four firefighters were overcome by fumes after stumbling onto a drug mill operating in the basement of a Paterson home. The firefighters were responding to a small fire in the basement of the Illinois Avenue home when they were overcome just before 1:30 a.m. Thursday. They evacuated the structure and collapsed on the driveway.
- PUB DATE: 8/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WABC-TV ABC 7 New York

PHOTOS: On Tuesday, Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut was rocked by a massive explosion at the city’s port. Thousands were injured and at least 100 people are known to have died so far. While citizens and government officials there are still evaluating the extent of the damage, others are pointing out similarities between this disaster and one that happened in a small Texas town in the 1940s.
- PUB DATE: 8/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Spectrum News

Public safety should retain control of its 50 MHz of 4.9 GHz spectrum—airwaves that the FCC is considering for at least some commercial use—through an allocation to the FirstNet Authority, according to the newly formed Public Safety Spectrum Alliance (PSSA). “We’re concerned that public safety is going to lose spectrum that we might need,” Jeff Johnson, CEO of the Western Fire Chiefs Association and former vice chairman of the FirstNet Authority, said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications.
- PUB DATE: 8/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: IWCE's Urgent Communications

Using anonymous cell phone data, University of South Florida researchers are pinpointing how and where people in the Bay area move to try to predict how the coronavirus will spread and impact our hospitals. The data is collected by a third-party vendor from devices on which users have enabled location services.
- PUB DATE: 8/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTSP-TV CBS 10 Tampa

As the city and town of Milton weigh how to transition from a volunteer fire department to a department staffed by full-time employees, cost has always been a consideration. “The whole causation of the problem is staffing. Our volunteer pool has decreased significantly—and that is a problem across the United States,” Janesville Fire Chief Ernie Rhodes said in an interview Thursday with Adams Publishing Group.
- PUB DATE: 8/5/2020 9:03:36 AM - SOURCE: Janesville Gazette

A fire that displaced five people and three pets on the south side of Madison on Aug. 3 was determined to be started accidentally by a candle, the Madison Fire Department said on Wednesday. On Aug. 3, the Madison Fire Department responded to the 900 block of Magnolia Lane to find smoke coming out of the building.
- PUB DATE: 8/5/2020 7:40:03 AM - SOURCE: WMTV-TV NBC 15 Madison

Dustin Chacon is the Racine County Eye Hometown Hero of the Week. The Firefighter was born and raised in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. He grew up watching his grandfather and uncle serve the community as firefighters. Heroism runs in their blood. Now, his Uncle is one of the owners of Bell Ambulance. In 2001, Dustin became a member of the US Army.
- PUB DATE: 8/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Racine County Eye

This summer’s pandemic-altered traffic configuration in downtown Hyannis has led the village Fire Department to adapt, too. And for now, at least, two wheels could be better than eight to ensure rapid emergency response in the downtown area. Last week, the department initiated bicycle patrols on Main, North and South streets and on Ocean Street near the harbor.
- PUB DATE: 8/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Cape Cod Times

The first fallen Columbus Firefighter is finally receiving a headstone at his gravesite after 150 years. Mark B. Newman was a Columbus firefighter in the 1800s, he also worked as a police officer. Newman was recognized as the first Columbus firefighter to die in the line of duty more than a century ago.
- PUB DATE: 8/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSYX-TV ABC 6 Columbus

VIDEO: The Midland Fire Department responded to a tank battery fire southeast the city at S. County Road 1173 and E. County Road 113. The fire department says that the department is making significant progress in controlling the fire and no injuries have been reported. The Midland Fire Department and other volunteer crews on the scene are focusing on ensuring that the fire doesn't spread to any other tanks, they plan to let the fire burn off overnight.
- PUB DATE: 8/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KWES-TV NBC 9 Odessa

The Elba Fire Department is now home to a $65,000 airboat. In December 2015, flood waters breached the dam and sent water rushing through the Pea River. Now, five years later, the river struggles to stay at 2.5 feet. This has led to people getting stuck and sometimes stranded while trying to enjoy a day on the water.
- PUB DATE: 8/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WDHN-TV ABC 18 Dothan