Watertown Assistant Fire Chief Tim Gordon was found not guilty of obstructing a police officer after a lengthy trial in Lake Country Municipal Court on Friday. The municipal charge against Gordon was initiated by the city of Watertown and alleges he intentionally misrepresented an incident that occurred while he was on duty in March conducting a fire inspection.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2017 4:16:04 AM - SOURCE: Watertown Daily Times

It took authorities about half an hour to get a sunken vehicle out of Lake Michigan and onto a tow truck Thursday morning. Manitowoc police and fire department workers began working on removing the sedan at about 11 a.m. A crew of two firefighters took a boat to the car and hooked it up on a tow truck.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2017 2:56:34 AM - SOURCE: Appleton Post-Gazette & Post Crescent.com

When disaster strikes, it takes more than a first responder to make the call. It takes a partnership between the community and its organizations. That’s what representatives of about 90 public and private organizations learned Wednesday morning during a Wisconsin Emergency Management workshop at the Kenosha Medical Center.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2017 1:51:16 AM - SOURCE: Kenosha News

A 32-year-old firefighter from the San Diego area who was battling the Thomas fire died Thursday, a loss that a local Cal Fire official said “has shaken our organization to the core.” Cal Fire authorities confirmed at news conferences in Ventura, where the fire is burning, and San Diego County that the fallen firefighter was Cory Iverson, who was assigned to the massive blaze with a fire engine strike team from Cal Fire’s San Diego unit.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: San Diego Union-Tribune

A 17-year veteran of the Tallahassee Fire Department died overnight Thursday while on duty. The death of Engineer Jeffery Atkinson was not related to any of the fires fought by the department Thursday, a TFD spokeswoman said. Firefighters had responded to blazes at the International Book Mine on Gaines Street and at a home on Fermanagh Circle in Killearn Estates.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Tallahassee Democrat

A state Supreme Court judge has ruled against issuing a preliminary injunction that would block the city from a new policy that prohibits firefighters from being called in to work when their colleagues call in sick. In a decision issued Wednesday, Judge James P. McClusky ruled the city can keep intact, at least for now, a new policy that does not allow firefighters to be brought into work when others call in sick.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Watertown Daily Times

Brandon Clevenger pleaded guilty this morning to reckless driving causing death in the highway crash that killed Comstock Fire Chief Ed Switalski six months ago. Replying in one-word answers, Clevenger, 24, of Battle Creek, admitted in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court that he was responsible for the crash that killed Switalski.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WWMT-TV Kalamazoo 3

The city’s fire marshal testified Thursday that a 2014 report on dangers inside the Ghost Ship warehouse that a fire captain claims to have written has never been found and lawyers said they doubt it exists. Fire Capt. George Freelen’s surprising testimony Tuesday, during the preliminary hearing of defendants Derick Almena and Max Harris, who have each been charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter stemming from the deadly Dec.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: East Bay Times

On December 14, 2 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

No one was injured in a fire that caused extensive damage to a trailer home at 9027 County Highway Q Tuesday night. According to Watertown Interim Fire Chief Kraig Biefeld, nobody was home when firefighters arrived on the scene at about 3:24 p.m. Biefeld said it took firefighters about 20 minutes to knock down the fire, which was contained to its area of origin shortly after crews arrived.
- PUB DATE: 12/14/2017 4:11:57 AM - SOURCE: Watertown Daily Times

Buffalo County authorities continue to investigate the cause of a fire Tuesday morning that killed a father and his 2-year-old daughter at their Buffalo City home and do not suspect foul play, Sheriff Mike Schmidt-knecht said. Douglas Shawley, 30, and Genevieve Shawley, 2, were killed in the fire, according to sheriff’s office officials.
- PUB DATE: 12/14/2017 2:13:21 AM - SOURCE: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram

VIDEO - One person has died and two firefighters injured after a fiery crash Thursday morning in Hunt County, authorities say. Authorities said the crash occurred on Texas 34 at Farm-to-Market Road 2101 shortly before 6 a.m. According to Lonny Haschel, Texas Department of Safety spokesman, a Cash Volunteer Fire Department truck crashed and flipped onto its side after swerving to avoid a vehicle that pulled out in front of it.
- PUB DATE: 12/14/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KXAS-TV NBC 5 Dallas - Fort Worth

The alert flashed over Brockton Firefighter John McLaughlin’s phone: there was a reported building fire at 63 Woodward Avenue, just a few streets away from where he was driving on his way to work. He took a left turn onto the street, then noticed the handicapped access ramp attached to the front of the building in question.
- PUB DATE: 12/14/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Brockton Enterprise

A resident at a North Miami apartment building that caught fire early Wednesday shot at firefighters, believing that someone was burglarizing his home, Local 10 News has learned. The fire started about 3 a.m. at La Castellana apartments near Northeast 135th Street and Northeast Seventh Avenue. Dozens of residents were forced out of their homes because of the dryer fire on the second floor.
- PUB DATE: 12/14/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WPLG-TV ABC Local10.com - Miami & Fort Lauderdale

FirstNet public-safety subscribers in the “primary” user category—law enforcement, fire, EMS, 911 and emergency-management personnel—now have preemptive access across AT&T’s network, FirstNet and AT&T announced today. Implementing ruthless preemption throughout the AT&T network marks the on-time fulfillment of a major technological feature.
- PUB DATE: 12/14/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Urgent Communications

An Atlantic County Superior Court judge has delayed a second round of state-mandated salary cuts to the city Fire Department. Judge Julio Mendez ruled Monday that an 11.3 percent salary cut can’t go into effect until he hears the department’s injunction requests Jan. 10, because irreparable damage could result before the hearing.
- PUB DATE: 12/14/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Press of Atlantic City

Changes in the past two years have improved Bloomington Fire Department's response times, but Fire Chief Brian Mohr said the changes also have increased the use of other vehicles and crews on medical runs that is taxing the understaffed department. "Our benchmark is the six-minute response time. Our goal is to be doing that at 90 percent of the time," said Mohr.
- PUB DATE: 12/14/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Pantagraph

On December 13, 5 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

Portage Fire Chief Clayton Simonson has been at the helm of the Portage Fire Department for 13 years, and hasn’t indicated any readiness to retire. But when the time comes for Simonson to hang up his turnout gear — temporarily or permanently — there’s a plan in place to pinpoint his successor. The city’s Human Resources Committee on Tuesday took a long look at a draft of a succession plan for Simonson.
- PUB DATE: 12/13/2017 8:01:40 PM - SOURCE: wisc news

VIDEO: A 7-year-old rule that requires fire sprinklers to be put in new apartment buildings with three to 20 units will no longer be enforced by the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel says the Department of Safety and Professional Services rule now goes beyond the agency's authority.
- PUB DATE: 12/13/2017 6:01:26 PM - SOURCE: WEAU-TV 13 News