The Hobart City Council has unanimously approved a collective bargaining contract with Hobart Professional Firefighters Local 1641, the first time in 53 years the union has had a contract. "This is a landmark case for the fire department," City Councilman Matt Claussen said. Fellow firefighters, who filled the council chamber Wednesday night in a show of support, applauded the council's decision and the nearly yearlong negotiations between union president Enrique Lopez and a council subcommittee comprised of Claussen, City Councilman Dan Waldrop and City Councilman John Brezik.
- PUB DATE: 10/4/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NWITimes.com

VIDEO: Multiple calls, extremely long hours and short staffing. Those are just a few issues Murrells Inlet Garden City Fire District crews are dealing with. Fire Chief Norman Knight said they’re using social media to shine a spotlight on these issues. Back in July, the Murrells Inlet Garden City Fire District asked voters to pass a tax millage increase with the goal of increasing salaries, adding staff and bringing in another paramedic ambulance.
- PUB DATE: 10/4/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WMBF-TV NBC Myrtle Beach

Daryl Paul, a Panama City Beach firefighter, creates something new out of something old. “I didn’t think people would really like them at first,” Paul told WJHG. But people fell in love with Paul’s fire hose American flags. "I love my country, I love my city and I love my job. So for country, that's cool, doing my flags, and using the tools of my trade, you know.
- PUB DATE: 10/4/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WJHG-TV NBC/CW+ 14 Panama City

This weekend, thousands will attend the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Fallen Sun Prairie Fire Capt. Cory Barr will be one of the 119 recognized in a ceremony on Sunday. Capt. Barr’s widow, Abby Barr, their twin daughters, family, Sun Prairie Fire Chief Christopher Garrison and more will attend.
- PUB DATE: 10/3/2019 4:46:35 PM - SOURCE: WMTV-TV NBC 15 Madison

The Marathon-Oneida County Sheriff Bomb Squad is on the scene at an apartment complex where firefighters put out a fire in a garage earlier Thursday morning. An Everest Metro police officer told the Wausau Daily Herald that he could not release any information about the incident, but added that the Wausau Police Department, which is investigating a shooting at Pine Grove Cemetery, will be releasing further information about the fire and response by the bomb squad.
- PUB DATE: 10/3/2019 9:57:41 AM - SOURCE: Wausau Daily Herald

A car burst into flames outside a home in Little Chute Thursday morning. Fox Valley Metro Police say the vehicle was "fully engulfed in flames" when they arrived on scene. Little Chute firefighters put out the fire before it could spread to nearby homes or cars. Fox Valley Metro Police say no one was hurt.
- PUB DATE: 10/3/2019 7:37:29 AM - SOURCE: WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

The U.S. Fire Administration's annual report on firefighter fatalities in the United States is now available for 2018. Eighty-two firefighters died while on duty: 44 were volunteer firefighters; 33 were career firefighters; 5 were wildland firefighters. The 2018 report identifies all on-duty fatalities to increase understanding of their causes and how they can be prevented.
- PUB DATE: 10/3/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: U.S. Fire Administration

The Troy Firefighters Union is speaking out about concerns over the number of firefighters on shift at two of the fire stations in the city Eric Wisher, the President of the Troy Uniform Firefighters Association, said at the Bouton Road and Lansingburgh Stations when they get a medical call that means no one is then there to answer a fire call.
- PUB DATE: 10/3/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WNYT-TV NBC 13

The Radnor Fire Company of Wayne (RFC), today announced the launch of a new recruiting website and direct mail campaign focused on helping boost the fire company's volunteer ranks, while also strongly communicating the many personal benefits and challenges offered by volunteering locally as a firefighter or ambulance member.
- PUB DATE: 10/3/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Radnor Patch

For the eighth year, the IAFC received a grant from Motorola Solutions Foundation (MSF) to fund another year of the Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI). FSEDI is a program developed by the IAFC to provide new and aspiring chiefs with the tools they need to have a successful and productive tenure.
- PUB DATE: 10/3/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: IAFC.org

VIDEO: Some first responders on San Antonio's South Side got a nice surprise for dinner Monday night. A mistake by a fire station in Alberta, Canada led to a pizza delivery in the Alamo City. The Lessler Slave Regional Fire Service in Alberta, Canada meant to feed 60 hungry firemen during a training session earlier this week.
- PUB DATE: 10/3/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Spectrum News

Timm Holt makes sure his house is safe and secure. "What I have in my home I have three floors and they all interact with each other," Holt said. But having working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms doesn't necessarily mean you're safe. Sites including Amazon have been selling these alarms not tested and certified by nationally recognized testing centers.
- PUB DATE: 10/2/2019 5:01:44 PM - SOURCE: WKBT-TV CBS 8 La Crosse

On the heels of news surrounding staffing issues at the Menomonee Falls, Hales Corners and North Shore fire departments, another municipality is facing similar issues. The international Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 4724 posted on Facebook on Sept. 28 alleging ongoing staffing problems at the town of Brookfield Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 10/2/2019 2:25:58 PM - SOURCE: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Sun Prairie Fire Department has accepted a grant of about $470,000.00, which it will use to hire five additional firefighters next year. Sun Prairie Fire Chief Christopher Garrison shared the news with state leaders and other emergency responders on Wednesday. Gov. Tony Evers, Department of Safety and Professional Services Secretary-Designee Dawn Crim, Sen.
- PUB DATE: 10/2/2019 1:35:31 PM - SOURCE: WMTV-TV NBC 15 Madison

VIDEO: Seven people are dead and eight others injured after a vintage plane crashed Wednesday morning at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. The Federal Aviation Administration said a vintage B-17 aircraft that is registered out of Stow, Massachusetts crashed at the end of Runway 6 around 10 a.
- PUB DATE: 10/2/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WVIT-TV NBC 30 New Britain

Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills on Tuesday that aim to improve the reporting and treatment of mental health for firefighters and peace officers. Citing the high-stress and traumatic nature of first responder jobs, Newsom said California needs to ensure they receive adequate care. The bills focus on improving resources and protections for firefighters who want to report mental health issues by creating a peer support program as well as including post-traumatic stress as an injury when dealing with workers’ compensation.
- PUB DATE: 10/2/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KNSD-TV NBC 7 San Diego

VIDEO: Small fire departments across Maine are revamping propane protocols, following last month's deadly explosion in Farmington. Last month's deadly explosion in Farmington sent a shockwave through Maine's firefighting community. "Why there weren't more people hurt? It's a miracle, really," Livermore Fire Chief Donald Castonguay said.
- PUB DATE: 10/2/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WGME-TV CBS 13 Portland

VIDEO: Multiple people have been injured in a vintage plane crash Wednesday morning at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. State police said troopers and firefighters responded to the airport in Windsor Locks for the crash around 10 a.m. The Federal Aviation Administration said a vintage B-17 aircraft that is registered out of Massachusetts crashed at the end of Runway 6 while attempting to land.
- PUB DATE: 10/2/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WVIT-TV NBC 30 New Britain

One day in 2014, Dr. Jeffery Burgess was contacted by a Tucson firefighter about something that would set him on a research course for the next five years. The firefighter, John Gulotta, works for the Tucson Fire Department and he had a friend whom had been diagnosed with leukemia. Tom Quesnel was a fire investigator, one of the people who, after everyone else has packed up and left the scene, goes back in and tries to determine the exact cause and origin of the blaze.
- PUB DATE: 10/2/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: AZ Mirror

City firefighters are above average when it comes to job satisfaction and below average for employee burnout, according to a report released by the department last week. City firefighters were one of a dozen departments across the U.S. to participate in the Fire Service Organizational Culture of Safety Report, or FOCUS, seminar in Chicago last month, according to a news release from fire Chief Daniel Speigel.
- PUB DATE: 10/2/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Press of Atlantic City