Convinced that Buffalo's hiring practices discriminated against minorities and women, U.S. District Judge John T. Curtin ordered the city to desegregate its fire department. Forty years later, Curtin's landmark order is coming to an end. In a decision earlier this week, the federal judge now handling the civil rights case found the city in compliance and dissolved Curtin's 1979 order.
- PUB DATE: 2/11/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Buffalo News

The health study on people exposed to PFAS chemicals at the former Pease Air Force Base is still scheduled to start no later than August. Dr. Frank Bove, the senior epidemiologist for the Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, said the study may even start sooner. “I don’t see why it would be any later than August,” Bove said in response to a question from Portsmouth activist Andrea Amico.
- PUB DATE: 2/11/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Seacoastonline.com

Detroit has seen a dramatic decline in the number of fires over the last five years, which fire department officials credit to the city's aggressive blight elimination, bolstered arson investigations and community education efforts. According to the Detroit Fire Department's data, the average number of structure fires annually in the city has dropped by 42 percent since 2014, the Detroit News reported.
- PUB DATE: 2/11/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WXYZ-TV ABC Detroit

VIDEO: A special event was held on Saturday to provide free wills for firefighters, police and all other first responders. The Pro Bono Committee of the Cincinnati Paralegal Association held “Remember: Wills For First Responders," an event where volunteer lawyers and paralegals came together to provide wills, living wills, and health care proxies to first responders and their spouses free of charge.
- PUB DATE: 2/11/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WXIX-TV FOX 19 Cincinnati

A chicken feed fundraiser took place Sunday for the Fall Creek Area Fire District. Besides lunch, the event also included paddle raffles and an open house. Firefighters say the money raised is used to purchase equipment, including a UTV and ice rescue suits. The open house gives community members a chance to see the newest equipment and learn more about what the fire district has done the last year.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2019 3:04:28 PM - SOURCE: WEAU-TV 13 News

The snowy weather didn't keep community members from supporting a local fire department Sunday morning. The Rock Creek Fire Department held its annual pancake feed fundraiser. It took place at the Rock Falls Town Hall. The menu included pancakes, sausage, and biscuits and gravy. Firefighters served around 100 people during Sunday's breakfast.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2019 3:04:28 PM - SOURCE: WEAU-TV 13 News

PHOTO: A house fire in the Town of Green Lake early Sunday morning left a man dead after fire fully engulfed the home, the Green Lake County Sheriff's Department said. Green Lake County dispatch received a call of of a house fire on Tuleta Hill Road at about 1:14 a.m. from a citizen on the south side of Big Green Lake.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2019 1:04:08 PM - SOURCE: WMSN-TV Fox 47 Madison

At 2:18 a.m. on Dec. 30, the Racine County Dispatch Center received a 911 phone call from a local man as a tragic series of events began to unfold. The caller said his girlfriend, 40-year-old Valencia Days, was suicidal and had driven her vehicle into Lake Michigan. The caller said Days told him her green SUV was floating somewhere along the city’s shore, naming the oasis or North Beach as potential locations.
- PUB DATE: 2/10/2019 4:35:34 AM - SOURCE: Racine Journal Times

On February 8, 2 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On February 1, 16 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

A recent event in Phelps helped bring in money for area fire departments. The Blast Off event was held January 26th as part of the Blizzard Blast events. But Phelps Chamber Director Celeste Hendrickson says the hightlight of the day was a competition called the Bob Off.. "...We took four volunteer firefighters and we got them into their cold water rescue gear, we cut a hole in the ice on North Twin(lake) and they competed to see how long they could last.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2019 7:43:23 AM - SOURCE: WXPR-FM 91.7 Public Radio

A body found inside a burned vehicle located north of Chicago has been identified as that of a missing Milwaukee woman. Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper announced Thursday dental records confirmed the body found late Saturday is that of 56-year-old teacher Kathleen Ryan. Cooper says additional testing is needed before he releases the preliminary cause of Ryan's death.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2019 6:54:37 AM - SOURCE: WMTV-TV NBC 15 Madison

Appleton firefighters saw a five percent increase in the number of calls last year, with just over 5,000. There were nearly 3,400 EMS calls, and they were also up five percent. Battalion Chief Joe Strauss says there was an 18 percent drop in the number of fires, to 100. Strauss says over the past 10 years, the number of overall calls has more than doubled.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2019 3:39:22 AM - SOURCE: WHBY-AM 1150 News Talk

Outgoing Franklin County Auditor Clarence Mingo is renewing his call for a change in state law to provide a property tax break to the spouses of first responders who die in the line of duty. "These families still carry on, they still have to manage through life, and property tax relief is one form of comfort that the government can provide," Mingo said Wednesday, the same day a public memorial service was held for the three-person crew killed in a medical helicopter crash in southeastern Ohio.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Columbus Dispatch - Metered Site

VIDEO: A crane was used Thursday morning to bring down a construction worker from the fifth floor of a building after he suffered a back injury, authorities said. Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Stephen Gollan confirmed the incident occurred at a building under construction at 200 S. Federal Highway.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WPLG-TV

A Superior Court judge has indicated he will likely dismiss a lawsuit filed against the County protesting a parcel tax passed in October to shore up fire department finances. At a Tuesday hearing, Judge Donald Alvarez heard arguments from lawyers representing the County and lawyers for the Red Brennan Group, one of the plaintiffs suing to halt implementation of the tax.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Victorville Daily Press

Understanding firefighter beliefs and behaviors related to cleaning and decontaminating bunker gear after a fire is an essential first step in devising an effective health intervention to reduce risks. Firefighters face substantial risks of exposure to carcinogens and other toxins. These exposure risks result most often from dermal absorption during a fire or inhalation of off-gassing particles (volatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) from contaminated bunker gear during removal.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: U.S. Fire Administration

The attorney representing the city has some doubts that the state’s highest court will take an arbitration case against the firefighters’ union, a continuation of a dispute that has already cost taxpayers nearly $800,000 in legal bills. Terry O’Neil, the Long Island labor attorney representing the city in the nearly five-year contract dispute with the firefighters’ union, acknowledged it will be difficult to convince the Court of Appeals to hear the case.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Watertown Daily Times

On February 7, 4 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

VIDEO: In March, the Milwaukee Police and Fire Departments will compete in two hockey games to raise money for charities. A spirited photo shoot to promote the games pit a Milwaukee Admirals hockey player in firefighter gear against another Admirals player in police gear. "It's heavy. My neck's getting a workout right now," said Admirals right wing Zach Magwood.
- PUB DATE: 2/7/2019 7:12:37 PM - SOURCE: Today's TMJ4