There is a national shortage of volunteer firefighters, but local fire departments are having a hard time keeping paid-on-call and part time workers on their teams as well. The Holmen Area Fire Department's (HAFD) has started a campaign to hire part-time workers, and full-time workers later on this year.
- PUB DATE: 3/22/2017 4:37:27 PM - SOURCE: WKBT-TV CBS 8 La Crosse

On March 20, 7 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On March 21, 5 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

A Town Meeting Day vote caused an entire volunteer fire department to resign. At Unity, New Hampshire's Town Meeting Day on Saturday, a 65 to 38 vote ruled in favor of an article giving selectmen the authority to appoint the fire chief and firefighters. Selectboard members said the article was petitioned by many residents, which is why it appeared in the town warrant.
- PUB DATE: 3/22/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC5: Burlington, VT and Plattsburgh, NY

Friends, family and colleagues are mourning the unexpected death of a wildland fire expert who died while attending the IAFC Wildland-Urban Interface conference Sunday. Christina Randall, who gave an insightful interview for the latest Fire Chief Digital edition, was an expert in mitigating wildland and WUI fires and a member of IAFC’s Wildland Fire Policy Committee, IAFC stated in a press release.
- PUB DATE: 3/22/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FireRescue1

The fire chief who has been on paid administrative leave for more than two months has been reinstated. In a 3-0 vote Tuesday, the Board of Selectmen reinstated Fire Chief Peter Martell and took him off paid administrative leave, which he has been on since Jan. 10. On Jan. 10, Chief Martell was chastised by Stephen J.
- PUB DATE: 3/22/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Worcester Telegram

Dressed in full gear and carrying an American flag, Ventura County firefighter Rudy Marin completed the Los Angeles Marathon Sunday as he raised money for a memorial honoring his fallen colleagues. Marin was one of thousands who made the 26.2-mile trek from Dodger Stadium near downtown L.A. to the Santa Monica shoreline.
- PUB DATE: 3/22/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTLA-TV WB 5 Los Angeles

A former Branford firefighter convicted of federal embezzlement charges has filed a state complaint alleging the city illegally rescinded a conditional employment offer after learning about his past criminal charges. A Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities complaint dated March 2 and filed by Andrew Konspore said the City of New Haven violated state statute when it withdrew its conditional offer of employment in September.
- PUB DATE: 3/22/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New Haven Register

PHOTO: A deer is freed from the icy water of a Jackson Co. lake thanks to the work of the Black River Falls Fire Department. Firefighters were called to Lake Lee in Millston Monday night for a report of a deer trapped on the ice. Rescue crews located the whitetail deer about 300 yards from the boat landing, partially submerged and unable to get to land.
- PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 10:36:02 PM - SOURCE: WKBT-TV CBS 8 La Crosse

The Altoona Police and Fire Commission met Tuesday night to discuss the next steps for hiring the community's first full-time fire chief. The position was originally offered to Chad Peterson in February, but he turned it down citing family obligations. According to Police and Fire Chief Jesse James, all or some of the nine candidates will be asked to complete an essay portion of the application process.
- PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 8:01:52 PM - SOURCE: WEAU-TV 13 News

VIDEO: A McFarland woman is lucky to be alive after a scare involving nail polish. In 23-years of fighting fires, McFarland Fire Chief Chris Dennis says he's never heard a call like the one that came in Saturday morning. "This was probably the first and only time we've had an incident where an individual was making nail polish," Chief Dennis said.
- PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 4:35:58 PM - SOURCE: WKOW-TV 27 ABC

VIDEO: The Waupun Fire Department will unveil its 2,800-square-foot Public Safety Training Tower during an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 1, at 903 N. Madison St., Waupun, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for 11. “When fire strikes, seconds matter,” explained Fire Chief BJ DeMaa.
- PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 3:02:37 PM - SOURCE: Fond du Lac Reporter

On March 19, 8 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On March 18, 12 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

Sun Prairie firefighters are still investigating a fire Sunday that injured a firefighter in the Town of Burke. Lt. Becky Gruber of the Sun Prairie Fire Department said that on Sunday, March 19, 2017 at 6:12 p.m., the SPFD responded to a reported duplex fire in the 5500 block of Larry Lane. When fire units arrived on scene flames were coming from the roof of the one unit, Gruber said, and smoke alarms were sounding.
- PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 3:15:39 AM - SOURCE: Sun Prairie Star

Months — even years — of uncertainty over the future of fire protection for the village of Pewaukee were put to rest Monday, March 20, when the common council approved a new fire and emergency medical services contract with the village. The village tentatively approved the agreement earlier this month.
- PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 3:04:09 AM - SOURCE: Lake Country News

The Kenosha City Council approved across-the-board wage increases for employees of the police and fire departments Monday night. The council approved the 2016-2018 contract with the Local 414, the union representing Kenosha Fire Department firefighters. It also approved a separate resolution increasing pay for non-represented police and fire employees, such as division and battalion chiefs.
- PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 1:53:30 AM - SOURCE: Kenosha News

On March 20, 0 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

VIDEO/PHOTOS - An eight-alarm fire that began at an unoccupied apartment complex in Kansas on Monday injured three firefighters and destroyed multiple homes, according to emergency officials. The fire broke out at an apartment complex under construction in Overland Park, Kansas at around 3:30 p.m. Monday before quickly spreading to several homes nearby, Fire Department Chief Bryan Dehner said Monday evening.
- PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: ABC News

Wanted: Self-starters who can take high stress with low pay, handle a daily grind coupled with bouts of life-and-death intensity and deal compassionately with all types of personalities — plus complete state-required training. An average day for a city EMT or paramedic includes all of the above — and never have the dangers of the job been as visible as they were in the death last week of Yadira Arroyo.
- PUB DATE: 3/21/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Daily News