The deputy chief of the West Feliciana Fire Protection District was killed Wednesday morning north of St. Francisville while responding to a crash on U.S. 61, according to State Police and Fire Protection District No.1 of West Feliciana. Deputy Chief Russell Achord, 48, of St. Francisville, was responding to an 18-wheeler that had run off the side of U.
- PUB DATE: 1/18/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Baton Rouge Advocate

In Phoenix, not every medical 911 call results in an ambulance ride to the hospital. Sometimes, the fire department calls for a taxi to take the person to the hospital instead. The number of taxi rides is growing — overwhelmingly so for people in poor neighborhoods — as fire officials wrestle with more calls and limited resources.
- PUB DATE: 1/18/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com & KPNX-TV NBC 12 Phoenix

Firefighters and other responders working on some of the busiest stretches in Texas now have an added level of safety with apparatus that were recently placed in service. The Irving Fire Department has placed two “blocker” apparatus in service and the department will be adding three more blocker units in the coming months.
- PUB DATE: 1/18/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Firehouse

Many research studies have focused on firefighter mental health challenges due to a sinAcross the country, firefighters are responding to fewer fires but are increasingly called upon to provide Emergency Medical Services (EMS), perform search and rescue, and react to hazardous materials incidents and natural disasters.
- PUB DATE: 1/18/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: U.S. Fire Administration

The state Supreme Court refused Wednesday to reinstate a San Francisco jury’s $3.7 million damage award to 15 firefighters who claimed age discrimination in the city’s scoring of a 2008 exam on promotions to lieutenant. The Superior Court jury agreed with the firefighters in 2013 that the Fire Department’s exam unit had weighed some parts of the test more than others, and ranked the test-takers, in ways that were unrelated to fitness for the promotion, and that had an adverse effect on applicants older than 40.
- PUB DATE: 1/18/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: SFGate.com

On January 17, 8 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

Every year, the La Crosse Fire Department holds ice dive rescue training. After finishing the classroom portion of training, the divers are ready to put what they learned into action. "We're going through the final certificate," said Captain Tom Griffith with the La Crosse Fire Department. "Basically, the final discipline for our newest divers to become full fledged divers with our team.
- PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 6:51:55 PM - SOURCE: WXOW-TV ABC 19 LaCrosse

The fire department has ordered a new fire truck at a cost of about $500,000 after totaling a truck while responding to assist with a Pewaukee fire in October. The city of Pewaukee will share a reserve vehicle with Delafield until the new truck arrives sometime in July Delafield Fire Chief Paul Kozlowski said the town had to pay a $1,000 deductible and insurance covered the rest of the accident, which occurred at N13 W28400 Silvernail Road.
- PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 6:13:11 PM - SOURCE: Livinglakecountry

A New London teenager is safe following a frigid after school experience. Avery Eplett, 17, of New London, had intended to take his first ever snowmobile ride on the Wolf River Monday, Jan. 15, when his snowmobile suddenly dropped through the ice at the Riverside Park Boat Launch in New London. The launch typically has open water in it year round, due to its close distance downstream from the wastewater treatment plant’s outflow pipe.
- PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 8:36:33 AM - SOURCE: Waupaca Now

VIDEO: It took 12 fire departments, 200,000 gallons of water, and seven hours to put out a destructive fire in Woodruff on Monday night. On Tuesday afternoon, the State Fire Marshal and Woodruff Fire Department ruled the cause and origin of the fire "undetermined." No one was hurt in the fire, but it burned millions of dollars worth of boats, RVs, cars, and snowmobiles in winter storage there.
- PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 7:21:15 AM - SOURCE: WJFW.com

On January 16, 11 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On January 13, 11 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

A proposal by the Holmen Area Fire District fire chief to form a partnership with the La Crosse Fire Department was met with mixed opinions by town of Holland board members last week. The idea was first brought to the Holmen Area Fire Department Association Board in December by fire chief Paul Menches, at which point the board approved having Menches pursue efforts to create a fleet maintenance agreement with the LAFD, as they have a full-time maintenance program.
- PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 2:18:23 AM - SOURCE: Onalaska Holmen Courier Life

One person was transported to the hospital for possible smoke inhalation following a house fire Tuesday night. The Racine Fire Department was dispatched at 9:24 p.m. to the 1600 block of Rapids Drive for a report of a structure fire that started on a couch. All occupants of the home were reported to be out of the residence when firefighters arrived.
- PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 2:17:08 AM - SOURCE: Racine Journal Times

The Altoona City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to allow the city to charge nonresidents and nontaxpayers who require emergency calls that exceed $1,000. “Unless we do something, we’re not going to bill,” Altoona fire Chief Mark Renderman said. “We should be doing something significant, and it has to exceed $1,000 for us to start billing.
- PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 2:13:41 AM - SOURCE: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram

Break a leg on the job and workers compensation will pay the medical bills and cover lost wages. But suffer emotional or psychological trauma after a failed attempt to revive an infant or hours processing dead bodies in the wake of a mass shooting and you're out of luck. Families of first responders and a bi-partisan group of lawmakers are behind a proposal to include post traumatic stress disorder in workers comp coverage.
- PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Tallahassee Democrat & Tallahassee.com

A Houston Republican is starting to pay a hefty price as she runs for re-election for running afoul with police and firefighter unions in Texas. In the last to Legislature sessions, State Sen. Joan Huffman has sponsored legislation to make it harder for many public worker unions to collect membership dues.
- PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Houston Chronicle

The bitter contract dispute between the city and the firefighters’ union could last much longer than the year deadline that City Council members hope. Syracuse attorney Nathaniel Lambright, who is representing the Watertown Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 191, warned on Tuesday that the labor dispute may not be resolved for another two to 2½ years while it continues through the lengthy appeal process.
- PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Watertown Daily Times

Hillsborough County officials fired a Fire Rescue medic Tuesday after an internal investigation concluded he had "unwavering loyalty" to the Outlaws Motorcycle Club — the state’s dominant biker gang. Clinton Neal Walker, 33, of Bradenton is the first Hillsborough County employee to be investigated for gang activity under a series of countywide ordinances sparked by Walker’s own arrest last September over starting a bar fight in Key West.
- PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Tampa Bay Times and Tampa Bay.com

The Wichita Fire Department has completed an administrative investigation and concluded that no employee gave a rapper permission to use a fire truck in a music video posted to YouTube. In the video, rappers Blue Scrilla and Pj can be seen rapping both inside of and in front of a Station 15 Wichita Fire Department truck.
- PUB DATE: 1/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Wichita Eagle & Kansas.com