In a significant move aimed at transforming how emergency services are funded, the Board of Fire Commissioners has passed a resolution to include a fire benefit charge proposal on the August 6, 2024, primary election ballot. The Wenatchee Valley Fire Department is championing this initiative, asserting that it offers a fairer method of funding compared to the existing system.
- PUB DATE: 4/22/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Source One News

In response to Gov. Josh Green proclaiming April as Tsunami Awareness Month in Hawai'i, the University of Hawai'i Sea Grant College Program (Hawai'i Sea Grant) partnered with organizations across the state to promote tsunami preparedness by creating a new 2024 Hawai‘i Tsunami Preparedness video. This year marks 78 years since the deadly 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake that generated tsunami waves over 50 feet high in Hilo, caused tragic loss of life and $340 million economic damage to the state.
- PUB DATE: 4/22/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Big Island Now

VIDEO: A partial building collapse and natural gas leak in Superior Thursday afternoon caused some tense times at the Franklin Apartments and the Happy Hearts Childcare center located next door. The incident started when a small section on the outside of the apartment building collapsed. The debris fell into the area where the apartment’s boilers were located as well as where the main gas line entered the building.
- PUB DATE: 4/19/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KQDS-TV FOX 21 Duluth

The Waupaca County Sheriff's Office has launched a text to 911 program. This means if you're in an emergency, you can send a text to 911. The sheriff's office said the texting program should only be used when a call is not possible. "For instance, if the caller is deaf, hard-of-hearing, speech impaired or when speaking out loud would put the caller in danger," authorities said in a news release.
- PUB DATE: 4/19/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WGBA-TV NBC 26 Green Bay

VIDEO: Three firefighters with the Charlotte Fire Department have been hospitalized following a two-alarm house fire that was intentionally set Thursday morning in north Charlotte. The department responded to a structure fire around 2:45 a.m. on Grimes Street and had to call for more support due to the size of the fire.
- PUB DATE: 4/19/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSOC-TV ABC 9 Charlotte

New proposed legislation would make it easier to demolish or remediate dangerous vacant buildings in the City of Seattle. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the legislation Thursday morning which he developed in partnership with councilmembers Tammy Morales and Bob Kettle, which would give the Seattle Fire Department the power to order complete demolition or remediation of unsafe vacant buildings.
- PUB DATE: 4/19/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

VIDEO: April 16 is a day still remembered in Texas City – the day of an unimaginable disaster. It happened during prosperous times for the growing oil, shipping and chemical industry in Galveston County in 1947. Texas City was a growing town of 16,000 where many of the residents worked at chemical and petroleum plants that had sprouted up along the ship channel during World War II.
- PUB DATE: 4/19/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KVUE-TV ABC 24 Austin

Whether or not Auburn’s singing firefighter has a hit to rise up the charts one day, look up in the sky. You might see him soaring another way. “I like to have realistic goals for myself, and one of those is to become a pilot,” said Ducote Talmage, who until recently was a contestant on NBC’s singing competition “The Voice.
- PUB DATE: 4/19/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Montgomery Advertiser - Metered Site

PHOTOS: A fireball shot into the sky Thursday evening as an apartment house went up in flames in Pilsen. Firefighters were called to the scene at 8:15 p.m., and found flames raging at the two-and-a-half-story, multi-family frame house at 1355 W. 16th St., Chicago Fire Department Assistant 1st District Chief Jim McDonough said.
- PUB DATE: 4/18/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WBBM-TV CBS 2 Chicago

VIDEO: Firetrucks in Pigeon Forge now have dash cameras, recording how crews respond to calls and helping them improve how they approach emergencies. Fire Chief Tony Watson said crews and fire department leaders can watch videos to learn how to better fight fires. He said the cameras cost around $130,000 and they help expand the station's training opportunities.
- PUB DATE: 4/18/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WBIR-TV NBC 10 Knoxville

VIDEO: San Francisco is marking the 118th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake and fire that nearly destroyed the city. Every year on April 18, a moment of silence is observed at 5:11 a.m. at Lotta's Fountain on Market Street to remember those who lost their lives in the 7.8-magnitude tremor. More than 3,000 people died in the quake and fire, and hundreds of thousands lost their homes.
- PUB DATE: 4/18/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KGO-TV ABC 7 San Francisco

VIDEO: Law enforcement agencies across four states were left scrambling following reports of major 911 outages that saw millions unable to contact authorities late Wednesday. Many of the outages — reported in Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota and Texas — were restored by the late evening. So far, there’s no indication that the outages were caused by a cyberattack or other malicious act, law enforcement officials told NBC News on Thursday.
- PUB DATE: 4/18/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC News

The City of Altoona's population has grown significantly in the past couple of decades, making it one of the fastest growing cities in Wisconsin. Population growth in Altoona means there’s been a higher demand for firefighters and police officers. The growth now has the fire department and police departments rethinking the size of their location.
- PUB DATE: 4/17/2024 10:20:00 PM - SOURCE: WKBT-TV CBS 8 La Crosse

VIDEO: Milwaukee residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can now receive a special device that would alert them in a fire. It is thanks to the donation of 100 LIFETONE HL Bedside Fire Alarm units from the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin Charitable Foundation. On Wednesday, April 17, the Milwaukee Fire Department introduced a bedside fire alarm.
- PUB DATE: 4/17/2024 2:01:47 PM - SOURCE: WITI-TV FOX 6 Milwaukee

Madison Fire Department officials said a squirrel may have played a role in a solar panel fire that occurred at a home Monday afternoon on the city's far east side. Crews were called to a home in the 7100 block of Littlemore Drive just before 2:45 p.m. Smoke and flames could be seen coming from a solar panel on the roof of the home.
- PUB DATE: 4/17/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WISC-TV CBS/MyNetworkTV 3 Madison

VIDEO: The Maui Fire Department on Tuesday presented the results and recommendations from a highly-anticipated “after-action” report on last year’s wildfire devastation, saying changes had already been made based on lessons learned. The after-action report was put together by the Western Fire Chiefs Association and includes a detailed timeline of Aug.
- PUB DATE: 4/17/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Hawaii News Now

VIDEO: As Captain Mark Egloff approaches 30 years as a Buffalo firefighter, he's made history, receiving the first-ever line-of-duty cancer diagnosis within the department. "You know, you're scared when you hear it," he told 7 News. "Everyone hears cancer, you get scared of it. That's just the natural reaction.
- PUB DATE: 4/17/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WKBW-TV ABC 7 Buffalo

It was one of the darkest days in Charlotte’s history when a 5-alarm fire engulfed a SouthPark apartment complex under construction, trapping two workers inside. Ruben Holmes and Demonte Sherill lost their lives; the fire almost took more. “We almost lost eight to 10 firefighters that day when they called for ‘Mayday’ when they got trapped,” said North Carolina State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor.
- PUB DATE: 4/17/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Queen City News

VIDEOS: Mark Coleman was woken up by his dog around 4 a.m. on March 12 at his parent's house in Fremont, Ohio. The former UFC fighter recalled his room being unusually warm and thought he was having a nightmare. Coleman headed to the kitchen to see what was happening and saw clouds of smoke. Still, he didn't realize what was happening.
- PUB DATE: 4/17/2024 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTOL-TV CBS 11 Toledo

The City of Janesville has named a sole finalist for the position of fire chief. The city announced Tuesday the selection of Ryan Murphy as its next fire chief, pending the acceptance of an offer letter from the city. The Police and Fire Commission voted to select Murphy as the sole finalist after a nationwide recruitment and extensive selection process.
- PUB DATE: 4/16/2024 10:52:00 PM - SOURCE: WKOW-TV ABC 27 Madison