Two Verona men were charged Wednesday with arson after police said they admitted to setting fire to an abandoned farmhouse and setting off fireworks inside the home. Kyle D. Brazee and Evan R. Ruchti, both 18, were charged with arson for the July 4 fire that destroyed an abandoned house on Highway M, near Shady Bend Road and Liberty Drive.
- PUB DATE: 10/26/2017 10:45:14 PM - SOURCE: Madison

A new incident notification system helps Waupaca firefighters find their destination, know what special hazards a site may have, know which volunteers are responding and how soon they will arrive. “It’s peace of mind to know who’s actually coming,” said Steve Fenske, a member of the Waupaca Area Fire District who has been spearheading the implementation of the program.
- PUB DATE: 10/26/2017 8:43:23 AM - SOURCE: Waupaca Now

Milwaukee firefighters were called to the city’s northwest side Wednesday, October 25th for a garbage fire. As they were dousing that fire with water, they found a body in a vehicle. Now, this case is being investigated as a homicide. Fire crews were called out to reports of a fire near 45th and North around 5:30 p.
- PUB DATE: 10/26/2017 5:45:22 AM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6

Thirteen people were displaced after a fire damaged an assisted-living facility in Tomah. The Tomah Fire Department was dispatched shortly before 7 p.m. to Cranberry Country assisted living facility, where staff was evacuating the building upon arrival of firefighters. No injuries were reported. Tomah Fire Chief Tim Adler said there was heavy smoke throughout the building and that entry was made with a hand line to extinguish the blaze.
- PUB DATE: 10/26/2017 2:43:13 AM - SOURCE: Lacrosse Tribune

The son of a Honolulu firefighter who died after a training accident in 2016 has filed a lawsuit against the city. In June of last year, 63-year-old Cliff Rigsbee was riding a rescue sled during an offshore training exercise near Kaimana Beach Park. After plowing through a series of large waves, he went unconscious.
- PUB DATE: 10/26/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KHNL/KGMB-TV Hawaii News Now

Chief (Ret.) Alan Vincent “Bruno” Brunacini, 80, passed away Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017, in his hometown of Phoenix, Ariz. He was born on April 18, 1937, in Jamestown, New York. When he was about 5 years old, Bruno’s family relocated to Albuquerque, N.M., where he graduated from Highland High School. He moved to Phoenix as a young man, and in 1958, he joined the Phoenix Fire Department (PFD).
- PUB DATE: 10/26/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Fire Engineering

Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Chief Rick Weigele said Tuesday he expected to be terminated by the district’s board this week. Wednesday, about 45 people attended a special board meeting in Riverbank to support Weigele, who was the subject of closed-door performance reviews Friday and this week, despite starting the job only five months ago.
- PUB DATE: 10/26/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Modesto Bee

In the days after D.C. rookie firefighter Dane Smothers Jr. was critically injured in an accident at the scene of a house fire, there were fears he would not survive. The 28-year-old had numerous broken bones and there were real concerns he would never walk again. But after nearly three months in the hospital, Smothers is not only walking, but he said he wants to go back to work.
- PUB DATE: 10/26/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTTG-TV MyFox 5 DC

A former Old Orchard Beach fire chief pleaded guilty Wednesday to arson for setting a fire last year that burned 42 acres of wetlands. Ricky Plummer, 61, entered the guilty plea to the Class A felony in York County Superior Court in Alfred. He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 9, said Deputy District Attorney Justina McGettigan.
- PUB DATE: 10/26/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Portland Press Herald

VIDEO: Leaders from the Department of Workforce Development made a stop in Merrill Wednesday to highlight the Merrill Fire Department for their dedication to employing individuals with disabilities. Deputy Secretary Georgia Maxwell and Assistant Deputy Secretary Dave Anderson presented the department with the Exemplary Employer Award from Governor Walker.
- PUB DATE: 10/25/2017 2:17:24 PM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau

On October 24, 8 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On October 23, 3 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On October 21, 12 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

Response time is crucial when it comes to first responders. In fact, response time is the rock upon which their house is built. This holds true for fire, police and rescue personnel across the board. It doesn’t matter if you’re serving a rural, suburban or metropolitan area: You have to react fast when the need arises.
- PUB DATE: 10/25/2017 1:49:34 AM - SOURCE: Lake Geneva News

A 31-year-old Stanhope firefighter died Monday evening during a drill at the Sussex County Public Safety Academy in Frankford, according to officials. Edward J. Frenenski, an active member of Stanhope Hose Company No. 1, suffered a medical emergency as he took part in a vehicular extrication drill that involved his entire fire department around 8:20 p.
- PUB DATE: 10/25/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New Jersey Herald

Former Naples Fire Chief Steve McInerny has filed a lawsuit over his firing last year, alleging that city and union leaders "concocted a scheme" to bring him down. He is demanding a jury trial and seeking damages. His long list of defendants includes former Naples Mayor John Sorey, current and former City Council leaders, Naples firefighters and members of their union Local 2174, along with the city's TV channel and the city.
- PUB DATE: 10/25/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Naples Daily News

With so many concerns on the minds of our nation's firefighters -- training, tactics and protocols; not to mention putting their lives on the line -- it's understandable if something as simple as being cautious with an email is overlooked during a stressful day. One small slip, however, and an entire fire department can fall victim to a hacking attack which can cripple internal communications and data storage or compromise sensitive information for both department members and everyday citizens.
- PUB DATE: 10/25/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Firehouse

More people in Champaign County could survive cardiac arrest with the help of a free smartphone app designed to mobilize the public to start treatment in the first critical minutes. The PulsePoint Respond app was launched Monday in Champaign County by Presence Regional EMS and METCAD, the local emergency dispatch agency.
- PUB DATE: 10/25/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The News-Gazette

A former firefighter recruit is suing San Diego for discrimination, harassment and retaliation because she was fired last year after speaking up about lewd comments and penis drawings in the Fire Academy locker room. Nicole Pappas, 31, claims male members of her 2015 recruiting class criticized her weight, commented on her butt and forced her to look at penis drawings by taping them on the wall, emailing them and posting them on social media.
- PUB DATE: 10/25/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: San Diego Union-Tribune

It involved homework, but the rewards were worth the effort when the 36 local elementary school students names were drawn to be honorary firefighters at the Sturgeon Bay Fire Department. The students were among 468 students who completed their assignments given to them by the Sturgeon Bay firefighters during the 2017 Grade School Fire Prevention Program conducted by the department during September and October.
- PUB DATE: 10/24/2017 10:15:51 PM - SOURCE: Green Bay Press-Gazette