According to the International Association of Fire Fighters, firefighters across the country are battling on the front lines of COVID-19 and fire departments are feeling the strain of this massive public health emergency. The IAFF has released the following numbers as of Friday, April 24, 2020: 1,653 firefighters have tested positive for COVID-19; 4,304 isolated; 66 hospitalized; Six deaths.
- PUB DATE: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WEYI-TV NBC 25 Saginaw

Parma Heights (International Association of Fire Fighters) IAFF Local 1690 recently filed an unfair labor practice charge with the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) related to the city’s attempt to unify pay periods across all departments. Representing Parma Heights IAFF Local 1690 is Susannah Muskovitz and Arish S.
- PUB DATE: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Cleveland.com

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) today said it will take heroism in Congress to save fire and EMS in communities across the country. Legal and regulatory minutiae prevent CARES Act money from immediately helping firefighters protect their communities and themselves during the current COVID-19 crisis.
- PUB DATE: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: IAFC.org

The new coronavirus doesn't care about a blue uniform or a shiny badge. Police, firefighters, paramedics and corrections officers are just a 911 call away from contracting COVID-19 and spreading it. With N95 masks hanging off their duty belts and disposable blue gloves stuffed in their back pockets, they respond to radio calls, make arrests and manage prisoners.
- PUB DATE: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Stamford Advocate

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released additional symptoms related to novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Health officials recommend those experiencing any of these symptoms contact their physician or the local health department. Previously, guidance from state and federal health officials cautioned people not to call unless experiencing the three traditional symptoms of COVID-19.
- PUB DATE: 4/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Clarksville Now

Firefighters were called to a blaze today on Lakeshore Drive for a house that was engulfed in flames and has been declared a total loss. The fire was reported about 10 a.m. in the single-family residence at W3219 S. Lakeshore Drive. Deputy Linn Fire Chief Jason Smith said at least one person was in the home at the time, but he escaped from the blaze.
- PUB DATE: 4/25/2020 3:11:01 PM - SOURCE: Lake Geneva News

A fire broke out in a one-story residential home on Friday afternoon. The Suamico Fire Department says around 5 p.m., firefighters responded to a report of a fire located on the 4000 blocks Sandburr Trail. Upon arrival, law enforcement says they found a one-story home with visible smoke and flames transpiring.
- PUB DATE: 4/25/2020 7:42:15 AM - SOURCE: WFRV-TV and WJMN-TV Green Bay

VIDEO: Durham Fire-Rescue Hazardous Materials Team is leading the way in using new and existing equipment to decontaminate surfaces that may have been exposed to COVID-19. Firefighters suit up in Tyvek hazmat gear to spray all surfaces with chlorine dioxide. "Chlorine dioxide has been shown in multiple studies and by multiple federal agencies to kill the COVID-19 virus," said Ryan Campbell with the Durham Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 4/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTVD ABC 11 Durham

VIDEO: The Rolling Stones have unveiled a new song the band thinks is perfect for these coronavirus times. The legendary band released the four-minute slow-burning bluesy and harmonica-driven “Living in a Ghost Town” on Thursday. “I’m a ghost/ Living in a ghost town/ You can look for me/ But I can’t be found,” sings frontman Mick Jagger, who wrote it with guitarist Keith Richards.
- PUB DATE: 4/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: HuffPost

VIDEO: Over the last few weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, we've seen so many people expressing gratitude for first responders on the front lines - and rightfully so. On Thursday, DC Fire and EMS said it was the department's turn to say thank you. "What this whole experience has taught me is that you have to look to your neighbors and you have to rely on your community," said Dr.
- PUB DATE: 4/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WJLA-TV ABC 7 Washington DC

A dozen employees are working through the pandemic on the assembly floor of First Line Tech in Fredericksburg, Virginia. They're seeing nursing homes around the country overwhelmed by COVID-19 infections, and racing to provide a way for fire departments to evacuate the elderly safely and quickly. "We took an old school bus and designed a kit that can go right inside of it to convert it over and handle six, 12, 18 patients," First Line Tech CEO Amit Kapoor said.
- PUB DATE: 4/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WVEC-TV ABC 13 Hampton

The U.S. military has long played a key role helping American communities respond to natural disasters and other public health emergencies. But the work it is doing during the coronavirus crisis is unique and may lead to a new blueprint for the way soldiers provide civilian assistance during a pandemic.
- PUB DATE: 4/24/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NJ Spotlight

VIDEO: As protests to reopen states grow across the country, there is also the perspective of frontline workers who have taken the brunt of this pandemic. We talked to one Wisconsin first responder who is asking people to find a balance between their constitutional rights and social responsibility.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 6:06:01 PM - SOURCE: Spectrum News 1

If you drive past the Wausau Fire Department on 6th Street you may have noticed a change. There's a new sign. It was put up this week, replacing the old hand-painted sign board. Firefighters say the hand-painted signs were great, but they struggled to keep the program going with increased calls and training hours.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 5:51:23 PM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau

The Green Bay Fire Department has kept its stations largely locked down during the COVID-19 Pandemic. It's actually been about ten weeks now since the Green Bay Fire Department first started taking steps to protect themselves against COVID-19. "We immediately kind of locked down the fire station once we first got wind of this thing," Green Bay Fire Chief Dave Litton told WTAQ.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 3:19:13 PM - SOURCE: WNFL 1440 AM - 101.9 FM

VIDEO: "The citizen who stopped and alerted the first-floor resident of the fire is a hero," Fond du Lac Fire Chief Peter O'Leary said after a fire on 7th Street Thursday afternoon. The fire department reports the citizen was a passing motorist who saw the fire, stopped, and banged on the door of the home, waking the person inside.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 12:48:55 PM - SOURCE: WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

A house fire reported early Thursday morning at 1305 Bluff Ave. is believed to have been intentionally started, Racine fire officials said Thursday. The building had been vacant and no injuries were reported, but the estimated damage was $50,400, fire investigators said. Fire crews responding at about 1:30 a.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 12:43:35 PM - SOURCE: Racine Journal Times

Crivitz Pharmacist, Ezra Gruszyniski, presented a check for $1,200 to Denise Busse, EMS Coordinator for Crivitz Rescue Squad. In keeping with CDC guidelines to not shake hands, the two share an elbow bump of gratitude. This donation will greatly help offset the increased cost of supplies and extra equipment needed to keep the members of the rescue squad safe while responding to calls during the COVID 19 pandemic.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 1:42:11 AM - SOURCE: Peshtigo Times

As they deal with a pandemic, the city’s fire rescue crews are trying out a new technique. From the scene of the rescue call, the Providence firefighters make contact with a doctor, via Zoom, on an iPad. The doctor’s input, based in part on vital signs and other information that firefighters provide electronically, can head off an unnecessary emergency visit to the hospital.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Providence Journal

The IAFC needs your help in measuring the effects of state and local government social distancing orders on local fire and EMS department budgets, including the long-term implications on resources and staffing. IAFC President and Chairman of the Board, Chief Gary Ludwig, created an Economic Crisis Task Force to help fire and EMS chiefs plan and prepare for the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- PUB DATE: 4/23/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: IAFC.org