The Stoughton Fire Department has selected a new cheif, according to The Stoughton Courier Hub. Squad leader Josh Ripp will replace former chief Scott Wegner, who retired on Jan. 2. Since Wegner’s retirement, Mark Miller served as interim chief. Ripp has been a volunteer with the department for five years and worked as fire chief for seven years with the Maple Bluff Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 2/19/2020 7:55:06 AM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison

Two 13-year-olds have been arrested and booked on suspicion of arson and manslaughter charges in a deadly fire on Tuesday that claimed the lives of two firefighters and destroyed the Porterville Library. Tuesday’s blaze started shortly after 4 p.m. The man killed has been identified as Fire Capt. Raymond Figueroa, 35.
- PUB DATE: 2/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Visalia Delta Times

VIDEO: A large, deadly fire consumed the Porterville Library Tuesday evening and claimed the lives of two firefighters. "We are still working on notification," Tulare County Fire Chief Charlie Norman said as he fought back tears. The names of the firefighters killed have not been released. Both work for the city of Porterville, Norman said.
- PUB DATE: 2/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Visalia Delta Times

Representatives from the city’s firefighters union say a new public administration software system designed to streamline payroll for the department has instead burdened the force with extra duties. The union has filed a grievance on behalf of its 911 dispatchers claiming the software has not only created more work, but shifted payroll responsibilities to their supervisors who they say haven’t properly been trained to administer it.
- PUB DATE: 2/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Bangor Daily News - Metered Site

Any first responder knows in an emergency, time is of the essence. Bruce Bechtold is a former Stearns County deputy. He says cutting minutes or even seconds off response time can make all the difference. That was the case when his cousin Mark suffered a heart attack nearly a decade ago. "Firefighter just happened to be nearby with an AED and shocked him and he's alive today," said Bechtold.
- PUB DATE: 2/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KARE-TV NBC 11 Minneapolis

The Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) responded to more than 1.5 million medical emergencies last year, saving countless lives in the process. But many of these first responders — who endure high stress in a job where mere seconds may mean the difference between life and death — barely have anything left to save once they get their paychecks, according to unions representing them.
- PUB DATE: 2/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: AM New York

Just because you call an ambulance in Montgomery County, Maryland, that doesn’t mean you’ll skip the lobby wait in the emergency room. Maryland’s ER wait times — the time spent in the emergency room before being admitted to the hospital or being sent home — are the longest in the country: an average of 376 minutes, in the latest data, from 2017.
- PUB DATE: 2/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTOP-AM 1500 Washington

The Madison Fire Department has a new team devoted to investigating the origin of fires with the hope that it not only makes investigations more efficient, but helps protect firefighters, as well. “What I love about my job is the teamwork of it,” said Kara Nelson, an apparatus engineer and fire investigator with the Madison Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 2/18/2020 8:51:29 PM - SOURCE: WMSN-TV Fox 47 Madison

A man was taken to the hospital after his hand became trapped in mechanical equipment, according to a release by the Madison Fire Department. Firefighters were sent to a business along the 2200 block of Fordem Avenue around 1:00 a.m. Tuesday. The man’s fingers were trapped between two mechanical rollers, the release said.
- PUB DATE: 2/18/2020 3:45:26 PM - SOURCE: WMSN-TV Fox 47 Madison

It’s a sign of our era — when countless Americans distrust government — that firefighters in one of Michigan’s most affluent communities worry about a millage vote next month. If most voters in Bloomfield Township vote no, as they did for a police-and-fire measure with a bigger price tag last year, a projected 22 firefighter/paramedics could lose their jobs, Fire Chief Mike Morin says.
- PUB DATE: 2/18/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Detroit Free Press

When a firefighter rips his or her uniform, repairing it isn’t quite as simple as ironing on a patch. Although it used to take weeks or months of waiting and thousands of dollars to repair their gear, the firefighters at the John B. Glaser Fire Station in Shawnee can have everything fixed in a few days.
- PUB DATE: 2/18/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Kansas City Star

Persistence may soon be paying off for firefighters across the Commonwealth. They have pushed for expanded cancer coverage as many are developing it at an high rate. Now, after five years of legislation, this year’s bill looks like it will become law. Firefighters said state lawmakers were no longer able to overlook the problem in front of them and that’s why they think they are the closest they’ve ever been to getting it passed.
- PUB DATE: 2/18/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSLS-TV NBC 10 Roanoke

The Mesa Fire and Medical Department has become the first fire team in Arizona to receive the designation of being a Certified Autism Center. The designation was granted by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards and comes after the staff, firefighters and other first responders at the department received position-specific training to "enhance their understanding and sensitivity when helping individuals with autism or other sensory sensitivities," according to a press release by the organization.
- PUB DATE: 2/18/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com & KPNX-TV NBC 12 Phoenix

With tight budgets and dwindling amounts of volunteer help, interior fire departments struggle with maintaining staffing. In 2011 the Steese Volunteer Fire Department came up with an idea to help -- they began providing scholarships and a place to live for students who are going to UAF. "We are able to staff two stations, two ambulances, two engines, with these scholarship folks to serve the community for minimal amount of money," said Captain Ruth Church.
- PUB DATE: 2/18/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTVF-TV NBC 11 Fairbanks

The Sauk City Volunteer Fire Department is thanking a local family after they brought in pizza after fire crews put out a structure fire in the town of West Point Monday. As NBC15 News reported, crews responded to a fire at a home on Selwood Road in the Town of West Point outside Prairie Du Sac around 3 p.
- PUB DATE: 2/17/2020 8:32:02 PM - SOURCE: WMTV-TV NBC 15 Madison

On Sunday, February 16 the Fond du Lac Fire Rescue was dispatched to the Be Smart Auto Mall at 530 VanDyne Road for a reported structure fire. Fire Chief Peter O’Leary says employees working inside the building at the time made the 9-1-1 call and were able to exit the building safely. Upon arrival, fire crews encountered not only the structure on fire but several adjacent vehicles as well.
- PUB DATE: 2/17/2020 4:46:40 PM - SOURCE: WFRV-TV and WJMN-TV Green Bay

The La Crosse Fire Department is honoring one of their own. Firefighter and EMS trainer, Franco Garritano, received the La Crosse Firefighter of the Year Award on Monday. He’s being recognized for over 12 years of commitment to the department and community, but he says the department’s support is what pushes him to be his best.
- PUB DATE: 2/17/2020 4:43:51 PM - SOURCE: WKBT-TV CBS 8 La Crosse

The Evansville’s Fire Department responded Friday evening to a garage fire in the 100 block of West Liberty Street. According to a news release, around 9:23 p.m. Evansville firefighters and police officers responded to a call about a two garages on fire located behind the homes on West Liberty and West Church streets.
- PUB DATE: 2/15/2020 3:20:17 PM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison

Milwaukee police are investigating an arson that occurred early Friday morning, Feb. 13 near 8th and Cherry. The call came in around 3:30 a.m. Police say the victim, a 23-year-old Milwaukee woman, sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. This is an active investigation and Milwaukee Police are seeking a known suspect.
- PUB DATE: 2/14/2020 8:39:05 AM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6

Firefighters on Friday morning, Feb. 14 responded to the scene of separate fires in Milwaukee. Crews were first called out to a house fire near 19th and Fairmount just before 2 a.m. for a house fire. Officials say the house only sustained minor smoke damage. While on scene authorities found a man in his 60’s suffering from minor injuries.
- PUB DATE: 2/14/2020 4:38:01 AM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6