A town of Oconomowoc family is safe, thanks to a passerby who spotted a fire before the family was aware of it. The passerby's report also greatly limited the amount of damage at the home, according to Western Lakes Fire District Chief Brad Bowen. "We found smoke and flames coming from the rear of the house," Bowen said.
- PUB DATE: 8/20/2019 4:20:29 AM - SOURCE: Lake Country News

The Harrisburg-Carlisle area has the third-fewest occupational firefighters per capita of any metro region in the United States, according to a new ranking based on government data. The ranking developed by security information website ASecureLife compared 2018 census population data and federal employment statistics.
- PUB DATE: 8/20/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Sentinel

If you live outside the City of Batavia in Genesee County, the ability of volunteer fire companies to get enough able-bodied manpower to your house in a timely manner if it ever caught on fire is reaching a crisis stage, Tim Yaeger, emergency management coordinator told members of the County Legislature today.
- PUB DATE: 8/20/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Batavian

On a Thursday afternoon, a rain storm drenched the mountains surrounding the Allenspark Fire Protection District’s Station No. 1 off of Colo. 7. As water tapped against the roof, Stephen Coles , vice president of the Allenspark Fire Protection District , gathered with staff around a table with a stack of papers at the ready.
- PUB DATE: 8/20/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Times-Call

VIDEO: An aircraft nearly 50-years-old is being restored to help fight wildfires in Washington state. The Department of Natural Resources is using $1.1 million from the state's budget to bring the Huey helicopter back to life. The helicopter was first built in 1970 and used in Vietnam. The DNR already has nine former Hueys in their fleet to drop water on fires across the state.
- PUB DATE: 8/20/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

The city of Decatur says it's time to hold first responders who don't arrive to an emergency in a timely manner responsible. They say it's been a problem for years. The First Response Ambulance Service must arrive to city calls within minutes. If they don't, they'll pay a hefty fine. Decatur Fire and Rescue Chief Anthony Grande and his team work directly with the city ambulance services.
- PUB DATE: 8/20/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WAAY-TV ABC 31 Huntsville

Officials responded to Viroqua Municipal Airport Monday after a phone call indicated an airplane crash that officials later found to be fatal. The name of aircraft operator is not being released at this time. According to the Sheriff’s office, emergency crews located a downed aircraft in the field off of Miller Road in the town of Jefferson around 6:30 p.
- PUB DATE: 8/19/2019 10:58:42 PM - SOURCE: WEAU-TV 13 News

VIDEO: They are the ones who answer the call in the middle of the night, putting their lives on the line to help the community at a moment’s notice. However, since 2015, there's been a 16 percent drop in volunteer first responders nationwide, according to the National Fire Protection Association. In Kewaunee County, local leaders are set to vote Tuesday to support a state bill that would give volunteer first responders some money back.
- PUB DATE: 8/19/2019 8:55:26 PM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau

Police say a Milwaukee man is facing charges after allegedly stabbing a taxi driver in the neck, stealing his car and setting it on fire. Scott Perez, 34, is charged with attempted first degree intentional homicide, armed robbery, and arson of property. According to a criminal complaint, the victim was driving a private taxi on August 9 when he received a phone call from a man later identified as Perez, who claimed that his friend had recommended the driver's taxi service.
- PUB DATE: 8/19/2019 6:38:38 PM - SOURCE: WDJT-TV CBS 58 Milwaukee

On August 18, 1 residential fire fatality was reported by the Nation's news media.

Over a dozen fire departments from Wisconsin and Illinois helped battle a garage fire Saturday evening in the 7400 block of County Road P in Turtle Township, according to the Turtle Fire Department. The garage was fully engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived. Additional units from Town of Beloit, City of Beloit, Edgerton, Harlem-Roscoe, Juda and Stoughton EMS responded, but due to the "demanding" fire suppression effort, the mutual aid also was requested from Delavan, Footville, Janesville, Milton, North Boone, Orfordville, Rockton, Shirland and South Beloit, according to a Turtle Fire Department news release.
- PUB DATE: 8/19/2019 7:51:38 AM - SOURCE: Beloit Daily News

Wind gusts accompanying a blustery thunderstorm blew through the Kenosha area early Sunday morning, leaving authorities and residents picking up the pieces. A number trees were felled by micro-bursts of high winds as the storm front blew past, including some blocking intersections and others on porches or homes in the Kenosha community.
- PUB DATE: 8/19/2019 1:43:54 AM - SOURCE: Kenosha News

Firefighters discovered a man trying to ignite more fires as they were dousing flames he had already started inside a business Saturday night. “This was a first for us” says Longmont Chief of Fire Jerrod Vanlandingham. “You don’t typically expect to encounter an arsonist lighting fires at the time you are trying to extinguish them.
- PUB DATE: 8/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KCNC-TV CBS 4 Denver

A special act of the state Legislature will allow the town’s fire chief to stay on the job past his mandatory retirement date next spring. The act, approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker last Friday, allows Fire Chief Ed Bradley to work until his 67th birthday in April 2022.
- PUB DATE: 8/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Wicked Local Plymouth

Retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., his family and two pilots survived a fiery plane crash Thursday after a hard landing at a Tennessee airport. First responders arrived at the scene to help — and this weekend NASCAR thanked them for taking care of one of its legends with free tickets to the races.
- PUB DATE: 8/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CBS News

Licking County fire officials offer varied reasons for the changing landscape of fire service nationwide. But the general consensus is that the volunteer firefighter is "a dying breed." While no organizations specifically track the number of strictly volunteer firefighters in Licking County, the Ohio Fire Marshal's Office tracks statewide numbers.
- PUB DATE: 8/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Newark Advocate

Despite a protest from the fire department’s union, city officials opened a discussion about shuttering the Montclair station and slashing two firefighter/paramedic positions. During Thursday’s public safety committee meeting, Rodney Hall, president of Edwardsville Fire Fighters’ Local 1700 spoke against the notion.
- PUB DATE: 8/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Illinois Intelligencer

PHOTO: A portable fire pit led to a house fire in Madison on Sunday morning. The Madison Fire Department said dispatchers received a call at 8:23 a.m. for reports of a structure fire at 625 Emerson St. near John Nolen Drive. Firefighters arrived about two minutes later. Firefighters said the family left their portable fire pit on overnight in the back deck outside.
- PUB DATE: 8/18/2019 1:35:51 PM - SOURCE: WMSN-TV Fox 47 Madison

A teen male was killed when a tree fell on him in Prairie Lake Township, according to Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald. A 911 call around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, said a male was injured in the 600 block of 19th Street. Chetek Ambulance Service, Chetek Fire Department, Chetek First Responders and Barron County sheriff's deputies responded to the scene.
- PUB DATE: 8/18/2019 1:03:45 PM - SOURCE: Chetek Alert

The Sacramento city firefighters union has gone public with its frustration over contract talks that are at a near impasse. The contract expired eight months ago and the union says the city wants to eliminate or reduce health care and benefits for current and retired firefighters. “It’s disheartening, that’s really what it is,” said union spokesperson Roberto Padilla.
- PUB DATE: 8/16/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTXL-TV FOX 40 Sacramento