After climbing 1,034 steps and reaching the top of a 47-floor building in Milwaukee for the annual Fight For Air Climb, Lt. Jacob Johnsrud from the Manitowoc Fire Department said he and everyone else was completely out of breath. "We don't feel anxious about it because we know it's going to get better," he said.
- PUB DATE: 3/7/2018 9:06:06 AM - SOURCE: Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter

PHOTO: Firefighters on Tuesday night, March 6 responded to the scene of a house fire in Cudahy. The call came in around 11 p.m. The fire broke out at a home near Holmes Avenue and Delaware Avenue. Cudahy, St. Francis,South Milwaukee and Oak Creek Fire personnel responded to the scene and extinguished the fire.
- PUB DATE: 3/7/2018 6:48:29 AM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6

VIDEO: Firefighters on Tuesday night, March 6 responded to the scene of a fire at a bar on Milwaukee's north side. The call came in around 11:30 p.m. The fire broke out at the building known as the Good Time Bar -- located near 10th and Chambers. Police say the bar has been vacant. Neighbors call this bar a nuisance.
- PUB DATE: 3/7/2018 6:31:19 AM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6

Increased ambulance fees and a new charge for patients who are not transported to a hospital are being considered in Somers. A rate survey was provided to village officials Tuesday by Somers Fire Chief Carson Wilkinson. “The proposed change to the village’s fee schedule would put us in line with our neighboring communities and communities in southern Wisconsin,” said Wilkinson, who indicated the last time a rate change was considered was more than two years ago.
- PUB DATE: 3/7/2018 2:23:49 AM - SOURCE: Kenosha News

The city firefighters’ union, Local 825, filed a four-count lawsuit alleging a breach of fiduciary duty against the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, a union which represents the state’s fire departments. “Have you ever had anyone demand money from you? It happens all the time: spam emails, unsolicited phone calls and junk mail,” said Frank Ricci, a battalion chief and president of Local 825.
- PUB DATE: 3/7/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Stamford Advocate

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has directed the reinstatement of the city’s Girls’ Empowerment Camp, an event that had been canceled last week after an attorney questioned whether its gender-focused approach violated state and federal anti-discrimination statutes. The event will be expanded to two weekends — one in April and one in May -- and registration will be reopened.
- PUB DATE: 3/7/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: San Diego Union-Tribune

The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office is investigating after the Mayfield Volunteer Fire Department, not far from the Tuscaloosa-Fayette County Line, was burglarized early Tuesday morning. The Mayfield Fire Chief says not only was the station burglarized, but two fire trucks were stolen, then run off the road and abandoned.
- PUB DATE: 3/7/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WBRC-TV Fox 6 Birmingham

A group of Long Island firefighters landed in hot water for a massive brawl at a wedding party that left the groom injured, police said. The melee erupted Saturday between attendees at a Hagerman Fire Department dinner and wedding party guests in the foyer of the East Wind Hotel in Wading River, NY, Riverhead town police said.
- PUB DATE: 3/7/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Post

In November 2017, the fire service was alerted to an incident in Nashville, Tenn., that involved a firefighter recruit falling during a training session of the John Nance drill, which involves rescuing a firefighter from a sublevel situation. This drill involves many options, including lowering down a firefighter to assist in rescuing the downed firefighter.
- PUB DATE: 3/7/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FireRescue1

On March 6, 0 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and several aldermen are saying many city workers choose not to live in the city, and that's having a huge financial impact. The city's Legislative Reference Bureau did some number crunching and overall, 21 percent of City of Milwaukee workers don't live in Milwaukee, according to their analysis.
- PUB DATE: 3/6/2018 5:08:33 PM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6

A slew of upgrades at Sheboygan’s downtown and century-old fire station could begin soon after Common Council members on Monday approved a contract for masonry repairs. Council members approved, on a 16-0 vote and without any discussion, the $146,000 contract with Innovative Masonry Restoration of WI LLC.
- PUB DATE: 3/6/2018 2:35:38 PM - SOURCE: Sheboygan Press

VIDEO: A Beaver Dam apartment explosion that killed one man and displaced about 150 residents on Monday appears to be the result of bomb-making activity and "is not a meth lab," Chief John Kreuziger said at a morning press briefing. The body of the man killed in the blast on the second floor of the Village Glen Apartments remained in the apartment, unidentified, as Kreuziger addressed reporters and concerned residents.
- PUB DATE: 3/6/2018 9:18:43 AM - SOURCE: WISN-TV ABC 12 Milwaukee

Fire breaks out at the Nemak Plant on Gateway Drive in Sheboygan early Tuesday morning. Battalion Fire Chief Keith Risse says they got a 911 call just after 2am that there was a furnace malfunction which caused the fire to escape the equipment and spread. The fire quickly made it to the roof of the building.
- PUB DATE: 3/6/2018 7:23:51 AM - SOURCE: WXER-FM 104.5 & 96.1 The Point

The Janesville Police and Fire Commission on Thursday threw out a malfeasance complaint against Janesville Fire Chief Randy Banker, saying the former employee who made the complaint didn’t provide enough evidence to prove wrongdoing. Former Janesville Fire Department fire inspector Donald “Jeff” Bowen last year filed charges of malfeasance in public office against Banker, Janesville Fire Marshal Sue North and Janesville Fire Department union President Lt.
- PUB DATE: 3/6/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Janesville Gazette

First responders being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder could soon have extended benefits under a bill passed Monday by the Florida Legislature. The state House of Representatives voted unanimously for legislation (SB 376) to extend workers' compensation benefits for those being treated for PTSD.
- PUB DATE: 3/6/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Tampa Tribune and TBO.com (Tampa Bay Online)

An independent arbitrator recently ruled against the Kokomo firefighters union in a grievance case filed by Local 396 that accused city officials of not staffing a tanker in an effort to avoid overtime costs. The grievance, first filed in November 2016 and largely unrelated to the ongoing contract negotiation controversy, alleged that city officials violated a contractual agreement in its attempt to not pay overtime.
- PUB DATE: 3/6/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Kokomo Tribune

Two prominent members of the town’s firefighter community, allegedly liquored up from a fire department dinner, are charged with setting their own fire outside the firehouse. Gregory Bomba, 45, a former fire captain, and William Tortora, 57, the brother of Fire Marshal James “Chic” Tortora, were being held in lieu of $250,000 bonds after being charged with second-degree arson, second-degree reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.
- PUB DATE: 3/6/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Connecticut Post

For the first time in recent memory, Kennedy Space Center firefighters are prepared to strike. Their contract expired seven months ago and now they say the NASA contractor over fire and rescue operations is trying to cut retirement benefits and get rid of sick leave. Firefighters told Channel 9’s Mel Holt they’re still hoping to make a deal that will allow them to protect the space center without sacrificing their livelihoods.
- PUB DATE: 3/6/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFTV-TV ABC 9 Orlando

Sonoma County’s top elected and administrative leaders all agree if another major disaster struck the region today, one key aspect of their response would be different than when the historic wildfires ignited five months ago: They’d use mass cellphone alerts to warn the public about the emergency. And if rainfall from this latest storm triggered dangerous debris flows in the county’s fire-scarred hillsides, a team of designated staff members would immediately jump into action.
- PUB DATE: 3/6/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Santa Rosa Press Democrat