Officials from three fire agencies surrounding Santa Rosa who envision becoming a single firefighting agency were among scores of fire officials who met Saturday to hammer out a vision for improving Sonoma County’s complex and uneven firefighting delivery service. There is a fall deadline from Sonoma County supervisors to come up with a long-range plan streamlining the county’s nearly 40 fire agencies.
- PUB DATE: 7/5/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Santa Rosa Press Democrat

In theory, no one should ever be injured or killed during fire service training exercises. Training, by definition, should take place in a controlled environment, with specific goals, objectives and outcomes. Of course, this is a fallacy. Training fires are still fires. Creating training scenarios that mimic actual fire response will necessitate also including some of the risk associated with emergency response.
- PUB DATE: 7/5/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FireRescue1

VIDEO: Verona firefighters and police, along with several other agencies, are investigating a fire in an abandoned house at the corner of County M and Shady Bend Road. Verona Fire Chief Joe Giver says the call came in around 4:00 p.m. Tuesday. No one was living in the home at the time of the fire. Chief Giver says all utilities to the home were turned off at the time of the blaze.
- PUB DATE: 7/4/2017 10:42:23 PM - SOURCE: WKOW-TV 27 ABC

VIDEO: Milwaukee's lakefront was a busy place Monday, July 3rd ahead of the big U.S. Bank Fireworks Show, and officials with the Milwaukee Fire Department will be patrolling the water and the surrounding area in an effort its a fun and safe celebration for all. Every Fourth of July, the water draws people in.
- PUB DATE: 7/3/2017 5:07:43 PM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6

VIDEO: A driver accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal as she was parking her vehicle, causing it to crash through a window at a bank, the Kaukauna Fire Department said Monday, July 3rd. The crash happened just before 1:00 p.m. at Huntington Bank on E. 4th Street near Crooks Avenue.
- PUB DATE: 7/3/2017 3:00:52 PM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6

VIDEO: National Transportation Safety Board investigators said Sunday there was a discussion between the pilot of a Cessna airplane and air traffic controllers about “local weather phenomenon.” Soon after, the aircraft dropped off radar and crashed, killing six. "We're dealing with things that people just don't want to talk about or see," Price County Sheriff Brian Schmidt told local media.
- PUB DATE: 7/3/2017 7:00:40 AM - SOURCE: Sheboygan Press

VIDEO: An investigation is underway after a fatal fire early Monday morning, July 3rd on Milwaukee's south side. It happened at a duplex near 28th and Becher around 2:30 a.m. Police say a 70-year-old man was found dead inside the home. At this time, the death is being treated as a homicide. The Red Cross is assisting a family of three after the fire.
- PUB DATE: 7/3/2017 5:40:36 AM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6

A police and fire station shuttered earlier this year by the city of Springfield are reopening this month amid pressure from local unions. Fire Station No. 5 opened on Saturday — less than two weeks after the city announced plans to postpone its reopening from July 1 to Aug. 7 due to staffing and equipment issues — after calls from union leaders for it keep the promise it made to voters who expected coverage to resume after an income tax increase was approved at the polls in May.
- PUB DATE: 7/3/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Springfield News-Sun

Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell W. Whitfield Jr. retired this week from the position he has held since 2010, citing health concerns, the need to assume more responsibility for caring for his aging parents and hoping to spend more time with his family. "I've been wonderfully blessed to have had this opportunity," Whitfield said.
- PUB DATE: 7/3/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Buffalo News

Though they recently announced a compromise labor contract that saved the city money, Anchorage Fire Department officials are now clashing with the firefighters union over reducing overtime by cutting hours of a South Anchorage water truck. Mike Stumbaugh, president of International Association of Firefighters Local 1264, said his members gave up future raises in a recently renegotiated contract with the understanding it would prevent cuts.
- PUB DATE: 7/3/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Alaska Dispatch News

The former Dayville Fire Company deputy chief, who was arrested in April on assault charges, was charged this week with side-swiping a vehicle while driving a fire truck to an emergency call, state police said. At approximately 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, state police responded to a motor vehicle crash on Upper Maple Street in Killingly.
- PUB DATE: 7/3/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Norwich Bulletin

Four people who died in a cabin fire near Tamarack Resort Friday night have been identified. According to the Valley County Sheriff's Office, William Smith, who survived the fire, identified the other victims as his wife, Erin Smith, 34, their friend James Harper 3rd, 49, of Boise, and two juveniles.
- PUB DATE: 7/3/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTVB-TV NBC 7

VIDEO: Three Wausau-area groups came together Sunday to help ensure Wausau firefighters have a comfortable place to sleep. During the demo derby the Wausau Area 4th of July celebration the Wausau Westside Business Association, Advantage Insurance, and the Wausau Area 4th of July Association all made donations to the fire department.
- PUB DATE: 7/2/2017 9:40:32 PM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau

VIDEO: Three Wausau-area groups came together Sunday to help ensure Wausau firefighters have a comfortable place to sleep. During the demo derby the Wausau Area 4th of July celebration the Wausau Westside Business Association, Advantage Insurance, and the Wausau Area 4th of July Association all made donations to the fire department.
- PUB DATE: 7/2/2017 9:40:32 PM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau

VIDEO: The Janesville man killed in a house fire Saturday night was arrested in a drunken driving accident two hours earlier, according to police. A press release from Janesville police says 35-year-old William Russell was involved in a crash at Centerway and Harding streets at around 6:30 p.m. The release said Russell “was impaired by alcohol” but refused field sobriety tests.
- PUB DATE: 7/2/2017 7:41:49 PM - SOURCE: WISC-TV Channel 3000.com Madison

VIDEO: Milwaukee police believe arson may be the reason behind a vehicle fire from overnight. Authorities were called to the intersection of Hadley and 49th Street around 11 p.m. Saturday, just a few blocks from Saint Joseph's Hospital. “It hurts. I mean to be here to try and help keep your community safe and sound and you're not getting any help you know this is ridiculous,” said Ms.
- PUB DATE: 7/2/2017 11:40:00 AM - SOURCE: WISN-TV ABC 12 Milwaukee

On June 28, 6 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

The Sun Prairie Fire Department will hold a grand opening ceremony on Saturday, July 1, 2017 at 8 a.m. at Fire Station No. 2, located at 2598 W. Main St. The ceremony will include Mayor Paul Esser and members of the Sun Prairie City Council. Fire Chief Chris Garrison said due to the growing community, increased call volume, and increasing response times, the SPFD will initiate staffing at Station 2 located in west corridor beginning July 1, 2017.
- PUB DATE: 6/30/2017 7:56:28 AM - SOURCE: Sun Prairie Star

The Galaxie apartment building on East Washington Avenue was evacuated Wednesday evening as smoke alarms sounded, with burned food possibly the cause of the smoke. The alarms came in at 6:37 p.m. at the building at 822 E. Washington Ave., the Madison Fire Department said. "Numerous occupants of the building were standing outside as firefighters arrived to investigate," said spokeswoman Cynthia Schuster.
- PUB DATE: 6/30/2017 3:29:33 AM - SOURCE: Madison

A summer storm that brought heavy rains and wind to Wauwatosa also likely sparked a fire that caused more than $150,000 in damage to a home on North 63rd Street. At 10:49 p.m. Wednesday, June 28 the Wauwatosa Fire Department responded to a reported house fire in the 800 block of North 63rd Street. The exact cause is undetermined but likely was started by a lightning strike to the roof of the home, according to a news release from the Wauwatosa Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 6/30/2017 1:56:48 AM - SOURCE: WauwatosaNOW