Tabitha Vande Voort first wanted to become a firefighter after a tree fell on her father while she was still in grade school. That desire solidified about 12 years later, thanks to a few quiet words of encouragement from the man who now leads the Oconto Fire and Rescue Department. Vande Voort is now, another decade later, one of eight full-time career firefighters for the Department.
- PUB DATE: 3/20/2019 2:01:00 PM - SOURCE: Green Bay Press-Gazette

VIDEO: On Tuesday afternoon, more than 100 community members arrived at the Springs United Methodist Church in Plover to say their final goodbye to a building that has been considered an icon in the village for several decades. Upon arrival at the vigil, the congregation was surprised to learn that the original church bible was recovered from the debris unharmed.
- PUB DATE: 3/20/2019 7:43:34 AM - SOURCE: WMTV-TV NBC 15 Madison

On March 18, 5 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

A couple of people were injured after a roof collapsed at a construction site. Monday afternoon, roof trusses collapsed in a building under construction in the Town of Larwence at the intersection of Mid Valley Drive and Eisenhower Road. Crews were called to the site in the Town of Lawrence around 1:30 p.
- PUB DATE: 3/20/2019 3:25:13 AM - SOURCE: NBC26

VIDEO: Overcoming opioids is difficult for our neighbors struggling with drug addiction. First Responders are taking a new approach to help people who have recently overdosed, find a new life. “I started using heroin when I was 16. I'm 51 years old now. Last month was my first overdose and I think that was my wake up call,” said Abel Martinez.
- PUB DATE: 3/20/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KENS5.com San Antonio

Country music legend Dolly Parton on Saturday donated $200,000 to firefighters to wrap up a fundraising drive that she started shortly after the 2016 wildfires that destroyed large swaths of forest in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding area. On behalf of the Dollywood Foundation’s My People Fund, Parton presented the check to the fire chiefs of the eight volunteer fire departments located in Sevier County.
- PUB DATE: 3/20/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: AL.com

Less than three years after state officials concocted a plan to boost payments for ambulance services, emergency medical administrators say they're still struggling to keep their doors open. Leaders of ambulance organizations from across Vermont converged on the Statehouse Friday to talk about insurance reimbursement and workforce issues that continue to cause problems in the increasingly expensive business of emergency treatment and transport.
- PUB DATE: 3/20/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: VTDigger.org

The New Carlisle Town Council and Olive Township Board voted Tuesday to establish a joint fire territory in 2020. By increasing taxes, the move will enable several firefighters to be hired so that residents don’t depend solely on volunteers for service. The vote was 3-2 from the town council members, and the Olive Township representatives voted 2-1 on the measure.
- PUB DATE: 3/20/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: South Bend Tribune

A planned $9 million firehouse for the 60 or so firefighters at the 182nd Airlift Wing could be eliminated to help fund a proposed border wall. That’s according to a list released Monday by the Pentagon of military construction projects that could be delayed in order to pay for the wall along the country’s southern border.
- PUB DATE: 3/20/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Journal Star

On March 19, 1 residential fire fatality was reported by the Nation's news media.

A house on the East Hill of Chippewa Falls sustained damage Monday after a power line reportedly fell on an electrical box, causing a fire. The fire at 1120 Therbrook St. was reported at 1:30 p.m. Monday, said Chippewa Falls battalion chief Lee Douglas. Douglas said flames were visible coming from the side of the residence when crews arrived.
- PUB DATE: 3/19/2019 3:09:37 PM - SOURCE: Chippewa Herald

Benjamin Morrow always came to work at a Beaver Dam food processing plant smelling like moth balls and wearing clothes with tiny holes in them. He grinned strangely while scrolling through his smartphone, and he scoured the internet at work for information about guns, ammunition and chemicals. Then a shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, left 17 students and staff dead, and Morrow started talking about the possibility of a mass assault in their workplace.
- PUB DATE: 3/19/2019 10:21:14 AM - SOURCE: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

On March 18, 3 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On March 17, 9 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On March 16, 10 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

VIDEO: The Hamilton Fire Department has announced major safety improvements following an internal investigation into the line of duty death of one of their own. Firefighter Patrick Wolterman died in December 2015 after responding to a fire believed to have trapped people inside a home. Wolterman was the first firefighter to enter the home.
- PUB DATE: 3/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WLWT-TV NBC 5 Cincinnati

VIDEO: The newest part-time employees at Gaston Emergency Medical Services walk on four legs and work for treats. Bijou, her son Knox, and a Danish import named Macy Mae serve as the first responders’ therapy dogs. Their presence was the idea of Maj. Jessica Ross, who reflected on tough times at the department and her past career as a certified nursing assistant for a way to help her co-workers.
- PUB DATE: 3/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Gaston Gazette

The city's fire union is asking a judge to halt newly codified rules that direct firefighters to clean up blood and bodily fluids at accident and medical scenes. The Detroit Fire Fighter Association is asking a Wayne County Circuit judge to grant an injunction to halt the practice until an unfair labor complaint is resolved.
- PUB DATE: 3/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Detroit News

The Baltimore City Fire Department is paying overtime to fill nearly a third of its firefighter and medic shifts every day, blowing through its overtime budget. The department is relying heavily on volunteer “callbacks,” in which firefighters or medics who have just finished a shift are asked to work another, said a department spokeswoman.
- PUB DATE: 3/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Baltimore Sun - Metered Site

VIDEO: An election forum Monday allowed voters to hear from both sides of Ballot Issue 1, which residents will vote on as part of the Colorado Springs municipal election April 2. The measure would allow collective bargaining for all uniformed firefighters, which means firefighters would be guaranteed an opportunity to negotiate pay, benefits and equipment concerns with the city.
- PUB DATE: 3/19/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Fox21 News