Weeks after Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city was not pursuing liens against the survivors of firefighters killed in the 2013 Southwest Inn fire, the families’ attorney says the city has refused to waive claims to $1.4 million it paid in benefits to the families. Mayoral spokesman Alan Bernstein disputed that, reiterating Turner’s assertion that the city was not pursuing claims on the money, and said it had offered to waive its right to the money — provided all the money goes to the families of the fallen firefighters, not their lawyer.
- PUB DATE: 8/31/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Houston Chronicle

Firefighter Bryce Gutierrez of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is the winner of the 2017 Firehouse Michael O. McNamee Award of Valor. Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Tim Sendelbach and Worcester, MA, District Chief (ret.) Mike McNamee will present the award to Gutierrez during the Oct. 18 opening ceremonies of Firehouse Expo in Nashville, TN.
- PUB DATE: 8/31/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Firehouse

Four respected FDNY officers may get caught in the fallout from the brutal bare-knuckled Bronx brawl earlier this summer that got eight firefighters suspended. All four officers attended a Medal Day celebration at Billy's Bar near Yankee Stadium on June 6. They were captured on surveillance videotape outside the establishment, where a racial slur sparked a boozy beat down among the Bravest.
- PUB DATE: 8/31/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Daily News

Former Guyton Interim Public Safety Director Stacy Strickland is now facing a criminal investigation. This comes after a separate investigation revealed he helped create a highly inappropriate fake Facebook profile about one of his firefighters. We got our hands on the report Wednesday, in which there are scanned copies of the profile before it was deleted.
- PUB DATE: 8/31/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTOC-TV CBS 11 Savannah

After a successful 35 years in a career he has loved, Deputy Fire Chief David Salot has decided to hang up his helmet and follow a new dream. He will be retiring from the department on Oct. 1 and pursuing a new career track — with NASCAR. Over the past few weeks, Salot has been juggling working for the fire department with a part-time job with NASCAR as a competition technology technician.
- PUB DATE: 8/31/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Progress-Index

After their largest flood in the town's recent history, La Farge is left picking up the pieces. "We thought we had time, but we didn't because the water rose so rapidly here," Assistant Fire Chief Troy Deaver said. Officials said the Kickapoo river crested at 19.42 feet. "It got into our electrical infrastructure, transfer switch generators," Village President Greg Lawton said.
- PUB DATE: 8/30/2018 9:35:07 PM - SOURCE: WKOW-TV 27 ABC

New equipment is coming to Wrightstown for firefighters. It's part of efforts by Wisconsin Public Serivce to recognize emergency response agencies this week. Firefighters were surprised with the donation of equipment to help rescue people trapped in vehicles. An assistant fire chief says time matters and the new equipment will help.
- PUB DATE: 8/30/2018 5:41:00 PM - SOURCE: WLUK TV Fox 11

One person is in the hospital after a house fire in Buffalo County on Tuesday. According to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Office, the fire was called in around 10:50 p.m. Tuesday at a home on Highway 25 in the town of Nelson. When firefighters arrived, the entire house was on fire. Deputies found a male with significant burns near the entry to the house.
- PUB DATE: 8/30/2018 4:00:54 PM - SOURCE: WXOW-TV ABC 19 LaCrosse

Madison College is making life easier for rural firefighters. Volunteer, part-time or full-time firefighters for the first time this fall may complete the school’s 62-credit Fire Protection Technician degree program online. The school expects the move will help firefighters continue their education regardless of where they live or when they work.
- PUB DATE: 8/30/2018 3:39:24 PM - SOURCE: wisc news

Sauk County Emergency Management evacuated about 10 Rock Springs residents early Thursday morning as the Baraboo River's water level continued to rise from the rain dumped onto central Wisconsin earlier this week. While evacuations in Rock Springs are complete, according to Sauk County Emergency Management director Jeff Jelinek, county officials are turning their eyes to the next village in which water will pass: North Freedom.
- PUB DATE: 8/30/2018 6:13:35 AM - SOURCE: wisc news

The Key Largo Volunteer Fire Department is essentially broke, according to a statement made by Fire Chief Don Bock at a recent meeting, during which he described the nonprofit service provider as having “no assets.” The meeting began with the department’s board approving a balance of $29,954 ending in June — an amount that would barely cover the out-of-pocket cash that Bock says he has fronted the fire department.
- PUB DATE: 8/30/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Key West Citizen

The City of Wichita has agreed to pay nearly $155,000 to six fire department investigators who complained they weren’t getting paid overtime wages soon enough, ending a lawsuit alleging violations of federal labor law. The settlement represents “100 cents on the dollar” for nearly $140,000 in claims brought by Branden Arnold, Chris Dugan, Donny Eckerman, Joseph Evans, Mark Reibenspies and David Thissen plus $15,000 for their attorney’s fees and other prosecution costs, according to a motion for settlement approved by a federal judge earlier this month.
- PUB DATE: 8/30/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Wichita Eagle & Kansas.com

A San Antonio firefighter was handed a 10-day suspension this summer after video of him giving an unauthorized ride in a department fire engine ended up on social media, according to discipline records obtained by the KSAT 12 Defenders. Firefighter Jason Persyn was handed the suspension in July after violating San Antonio Fire Department rules related to conduct and behavior, negative public image, improper or negligent handling, safe operation of vehicles, permission for use of city property and proper use of department vehicles, according to the paperwork.
- PUB DATE: 8/30/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KSAT-TV ABC 12 San Antonio

More than 2,500 public safety agencies across the country have joined FirstNet. This is nearly double the number of agencies since the last update in July. FirstNet is the nationwide public safety communications platform dedicated to America's first responders. Being built with AT&T*, in public-private partnership with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority), FirstNet is bringing public safety a much-needed technology upgrade to help them connect to the critical information they need.
- PUB DATE: 8/30/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: MarketWatch.com

VIDEO - On Tuesday, the crew of Engine Company 33 - A Division responded to a medical call at a retirement community. When they arrived, they spotted a woman bouncing a ping pong ball alone. They asked the staff about the woman and were told she is 101-years young and always looking for a worthy ping pong opponent to play with.
- PUB DATE: 8/30/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: XETV-TV San Diego 6

While the Mosinee Fire Department gets new boots, another one is filing them. The Stevens Point Fire Department kicked off its annual "Fill the Boot" campaign Wednesday. The fundraising effort raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, helping patients and families suffering from muscle-debilitating diseases.
- PUB DATE: 8/29/2018 11:01:18 PM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau

It was a pleasent surprise for firefighters in Mosinee on Wednesday afternoon. Wisconsin Public Service Foundation surprised the Mosinee Fire Department with a $2,000 grant that was used for new equipment for the firefighters. The firefighters thought they were going to a be given a training by WPS but instead were walked out to their firetrucks where brand new boots were on display.
- PUB DATE: 8/29/2018 3:55:10 PM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau

An afternoon of kids playing in the rain turned into a frantic scene Tuesday as more than 40 emergency responders from a half dozen agencies descended on a subdivision here where an 11-year-old boy went missing, apparently sucked into a culvert in a drainage ditch following torrential rains that flooded the streets and swelled the nearby retention pond.
- PUB DATE: 8/29/2018 3:48:31 PM - SOURCE: Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune

On August 26, 12 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

To honor fallen firefighter Cory Barr and help the Sun Prairie community, Potosi Brewing and Wisconsin Distributors are partnering to release a new commemorative pilsner. A release says after the tragic events of July 10, when a gas leak caused a major explosion in downtown Sun Prairie, Wisconsin Distributors, which is located in Sun Prairie, wanted to do its part in helping lift everyone's spirits and bring the community together.
- PUB DATE: 8/29/2018 8:31:24 AM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison