The death of Cowlitz 2 battalion chief Mickel Zainfeld has prompted local agencies and grassroots groups to boost efforts to help firefighters, police and other first responders cope with the emotional trauma of their jobs. And one way may be for both them and the public to tone down the superhero image they bear.
- PUB DATE: 3/18/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Daily News

Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, Old Fourth Distillery has been distributing make-shift bottles of hand sanitizer. Starting today they are shifting their efforts and giving back to those on the front lines. Co-Owner of Old Fourth Distillery Jeff Moore has been making hand sanitizer with their own in-house alcohol.
- PUB DATE: 3/18/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WGCL-TV CBS 46 Atlanta

People in every industry are touched by this pandemic, including first responders. Madison police and fire departments have come up with plans and protocols for their officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians, or EMTs. “The objective, of course, is to keep our workforce healthy so we can continue to deliver the core public safety services for the community that we need to,” said acting Madison police Chief Victor Wahl.
- PUB DATE: 3/17/2020 5:36:31 PM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison

The Village Board approved a $800,000 proposal to upgrade an aging emergency police and fire radio system in an effort to enable better communication coverage. On Monday, the board voted unanimously approving a contract with Baycom Inc., which upgrade the system to simulcast very high frequency radio signals from four sites: Roger Prange Center, police headquarters, on Green Bay Road; the Sheridan Road tower; Doubletree Inn; and a water tower near Premium Outlets Currently, the system relies on a signal transmission from a singular site at the Prange Center.
- PUB DATE: 3/17/2020 1:47:47 AM - SOURCE: Kenosha News

VIDEO: “Three, two, one,” counted down a researcher with N.C. State University’s Wilson College of Textiles. With a click, flames ignited and scorched a firefighter’s helmet, protective hood and turn out gear. It’s how the state is fighting cancer with fire power. Data gathered from the mannequin, which is armed with sensors and better known at N.
- PUB DATE: 3/17/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WLOS-TV ABC 13 Asheville

Leaders of several Cleveland suburbs are making plans that could see them share police officers and firefighters in the event of a coronavirus outbreak in their departments. Officials from Lyndhurst, Richmond Heights, Highland Heights, Mayfield Heights and Mayfield Village met Friday in Lyndhurst for a preliminary discussion about sharing resources if a coronavirus outbreak impacts them.
- PUB DATE: 3/17/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Cleveland.com

After the first case of covid-19, the disease caused by the new strain of coronavirus, was announced in the United States, reports of further infections trickled in slowly. Two months later, that trickle has turned into a steady current. This so-called exponential curve has experts worried. If the number of cases were to continue to double every three days, there would be about a hundred million cases in the United States by May.
- PUB DATE: 3/17/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Washington Post - Metered Site

The quarantining of three firefighters who responded to Alaska’s first confirmed case of the coronavirus came out of caution, not because of a lapse, Anchorage’s fire chief said Monday. The firefighters, who responded to a 911 call about the case last week, took standard measures to protect against infectious disease, said Chief Jodie Hettrick.
- PUB DATE: 3/17/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Alaska Public Media News

Even in cities with big hospitals, the novel coronavirus is testing the limits of the modern health care system. But fighting the virus in rural Alaska presents additional challenges: Some of Alaska’s remote villages can be 100 miles from the nearest hospital, and many are disconnected from the road system and only reachable by plane.
- PUB DATE: 3/16/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Alaska Public Media News

A South Florida elected official is facing some backlash from emergency workers after he appeared to propose exposing firefighters to the new coronavirus as a way of ensuring there are more people with immunity to help fight the spread of the disease. Miami Beach Commissioner Ricky Arriola on Friday at an emergency city meeting asked if there were doctors in the audience.
- PUB DATE: 3/16/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: South Florida Sun Sentinel - Metered Site

The IAFC is continuing to monitor the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) inside the United States. As your agency likely is preparing to care for potential patients and protect firefighters and EMS personnel from exposures, please know that the IAFC stands with you and is ready to help. In addition to continuously updating the Coronavirus resources page, the IAFC Coronavirus Task Force held their first meeting last week.
- PUB DATE: 3/16/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: IAFC.org

When the call came across the pagers, there was something in the dispatcher’s voice that signaled it was serious. “Her voice sounded distressed.” “I knew I had to put on real clothes for this one.” “You could tell the panic in the page.” “We could hear it, the seriousness, but the average person probably wouldn’t.
- PUB DATE: 3/16/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Alexandria Echo Press

A wildland fire at Memorial Park was brought under control on Sunday afternoon by the Red Wing Fire Department and other agencies. The department sent a news release Sunday evening stating, the agencies responded within six minutes to the fire and extinguished it within an hour. Approximately five acres of wildland burned as a result.
- PUB DATE: 3/15/2020 6:02:43 PM - SOURCE: Rivertowns

Residents of a home were displaced after a fire early Sunday morning. The Sheboygan Fire Department received a report of a structure fire around 4:30 a.m. in the 3300 block of North 13th Street. Firefighters found heavy fire coming from the front porch when they arrived. They extinguished the fire outside before going into the building, according to the fire department.
- PUB DATE: 3/15/2020 3:44:16 PM - SOURCE: Sheboygan Press

VIDEO: The Madison Fire Dept. is turning to music to encourage proper hygiene. They posted a clip on social media showing members of the dept. having fun and grooving to a popular Lizzo song while getting those hands clean. They also included a link to some important tips about stopping the spread of COVID-19.
- PUB DATE: 3/14/2020 8:39:51 PM - SOURCE: WMTV-TV NBC 15 Madison

The City of Janesville is prepared to operate under an emergency operations plan, city leaders say. This week, city leaders practiced running an emergency operations center – a room in which essential city staff can make decisions on how to allocate public resources during a crisis. “A lot of our everyday regular stuff gets pushed to the side if it’s not essential”, said Janesville’s Management Information Specialist Molly Nolte.
- PUB DATE: 3/14/2020 3:02:22 PM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison

Members of the Merrill community are applauding some fast acting employees at the Weinbrenner Shoe Company. After one of their coworkers went into cardiac arrest this past Tuesday, a few brave men and women stepped up to save his life. In a ceremony on the Weinbrenner factory floor Friday, Cory Eisner and several of her teammates were honored for their quick thinking.
- PUB DATE: 3/13/2020 7:52:46 PM - SOURCE: WJFW-TV NBC 12 Rhinelander-Wausau

Fontana Elementary School was evacuated and classes were canceled today after a natural gas leak caused by two faulty boilers in the building. The leak was first detected at about 8:15 a.m. by custodian Scott Linhart shortly after students had filled the school, which serves about 200 children in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
- PUB DATE: 3/13/2020 1:51:10 AM - SOURCE: Lake Geneva News

A Merrill man is expected to make a full recovery after his coworkers performed the first aid that saved his life. Local firefighters who responded to the incident Tuesday and provided the first aid training used that day have now been recognized for their efforts. On March 10, an employee at Weinbrenner Shoe Company went into "full cardiac arrest" according to Safety Director Robert Watry.
- PUB DATE: 3/13/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFJW-TV NBC 12 Rhinelander

Concerned about the effects of coming into contact with the coronavirus, unions representing firefighters, paramedics, nurses and hospital workers are asking lawmakers to act on their behalf. As workers on the front lines of the epidemic, the unions said they want assurances — perhaps requiring additional legislation — that their benefits won’t be exhausted if they contract COVID-19 or miss work because they’re under quarantine after coming into contact with people with coronavirus.
- PUB DATE: 3/13/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Twin Cities Pioneer Press