When Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief David Coatney rode out on an ambulance for a shift in southern Dallas on the night of New Year's Eve, his paramedics responded to a hectic 10 calls in 12 hours. "I thought that was an anomaly because of New Year's Eve," Coatney said. "But then when I pulled the data, I found that was a normal shift for them.
- PUB DATE: 2/28/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Dallas Morning News

The former South Thomaston fire chief has been ordered by a judge to account for approximately $15,000 that went missing from the town’s fireman’s association after it was allocated to help buy a new fire truck. Justice William Stokes, in his Feb. 14 ruling, ordered that former Fire Chief Wayne Brown, along with former firefighter Colin Grierson, to come up in the next month with a detailed list of “any and all withdrawals and/or disbursements from the [South Thomaston Firemen’s] Association’s funds.
- PUB DATE: 2/28/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Bangor Daily ews

Soot, grit and grime once were the height of fashion at American firehouses. Strutting around in a singed helmet and smudged turnout gear let the world know that you were one tough firefighting son of a gun. “For some it’s still like the red badge of courage,” said Herington, Kan., fire chief Ken Staatz.
- PUB DATE: 2/28/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Kansas City Star

Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed is on leave from her job for the second time this year. A spokeswoman refused to say late Monday afternoon whether Reed’s absence is performance related. There is no current administrative investigation of the chief, she added. Reed did not return a phone message. “The city does not comment on the leave status of employees,” said Erica Derryck, a spokesman for Mayor Libby Schaaf.
- PUB DATE: 2/28/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: East Bay Times

VIDEO: While full-time career firefighters are out on a call, other emergencies still need to be covered. Sometimes those are handled by volunteer or paid-on-call positions. However, area fire departments say those positions are becoming more and more difficult to retain. "Families are just too busy these days," said Assistant Chief Troy Gudie of the Onalaska Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 2/27/2017 8:37:48 PM - SOURCE: WXOW-TV ABC 19 LaCrosse

On February 25, 9 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On February 24, 7 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

VIDEO: In the past year Beloit Fire Department has responded to more than 400 calls compared to the previous year. Just last month, they saw a 100 call increase. The Beloit fire chief says aging baby boomers, flu season and people that may not have health insurance are all contributing factors to the spike in calls.
- PUB DATE: 2/27/2017 5:39:41 PM - SOURCE: WMTV-TV NBC 15 Madison

On February 26, 6 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

VIDEO: Ten people were displaced because of an apartment building fire on the east side of Madison Sunday night. Dane County Communications tells 27 News the call about a fire at 743 North Thompson Drive came in just before 11 p.m. Sunday. Callers told officials there was smoke in the back of the building on the second floor.
- PUB DATE: 2/27/2017 5:19:39 AM - SOURCE: WKOW-TV 27 ABC

On February 26, 0 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

Ron Savage, an anchor at Fox 2 News and on-call firefighter, died suddenly today after collapsing while training with the Milford Fire Department, said Fire Chief Thomas Moore. He was 63. "Ron was a dedicated member of the Milford Fire Department since 2014 and this loss will truly be felt," Milford Fire Chief Thomas Moore said in a statement emailed to the Free Press.
- PUB DATE: 2/27/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: HomeTown Life

The West Burlington Fire Department's profile picture on Facebook has changed overnight after losing one of their own. The Eastern Iowa Fireground Photos is reporting on their Facebook page that firefighter James Franciskovich, 52, and two others were headed to the State Fire School in Ames, Iowa on Friday evening, Feb.
- PUB DATE: 2/27/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WQAD 8

West Sacramento’s Deputy Fire Chief Rebecca “Becky”’ Ramirez never saw a female firefighter growing up and certainly never considered a career in the field. In fact, when she and her husband, Adam Ramirez, were taking classes at a San Bernardino County-area community college, she encouraged him to enroll in a firefighting course offered there.
- PUB DATE: 2/27/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Sacramento Bee

Fire Capt. Rick Winship died in a hospital bed, not in a raging inferno or a tragic accident while racing to an emergency scene. But his death was in the line of duty all the same, his widow says. The fast-spreading cancer that killed him two years ago was, Heather Winship believes, a result of exposure to toxic soot and smoke during his 26-year career with the Independence Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 2/27/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Kansas City Star

Following the suicide of Firefighter Nicole Mittendorff last year, the Fairfax County (Va.) Fire and Rescue Department contracted to have an assessment done of organizational culture and attitudes within the department. The resulting report includes many valuable insights and recommendations, but also falls short when it comes to really dealing with the issue of accountability.
- PUB DATE: 2/27/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FireRescue1

VIDEO: An afternoon house fire has left four people in search of a new home. The fire started just before noon on Sunday in the 800 block of Ridge Road in Green Bay. When firefighters arrived heavy smoke was coming from the home. Five additional units were called to the scene to help battle the blaze.
- PUB DATE: 2/26/2017 7:16:16 PM - SOURCE: WFRV-TV and WJMN-TV Green Bay

On February 25, 0 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

VIDEO: Firefighters estimate 70-thousand dollars of damage to an Eau Claire home after a fire last night. The fire broke out around 9:30 last night in the one-thousand block of summit street on Eau Claire’s north side. Then crews arrived, they found smoke and fire coming from the home. According to Eau Claire fire and rescue, the main fire was knocked down; however, crews stayed on scene throughout the night to monitor conditions.
- PUB DATE: 2/25/2017 8:01:21 PM - SOURCE: WLAX & WEUX-TV Fox 25 & 48

VIDEO: No one was hurt during an early morning fire in the village of Bellevue on Saturday. Fire crews were called to a home in the 3100 block of Warm Springs Drive at 2:15 a.m. Chief Jack Mlnarik with Bellevue Fire and Rescue says fire was coming out of the chimney of the home and when firefighters began to make entry, they heard a loud explosion and backed away.
- PUB DATE: 2/25/2017 7:36:01 PM - SOURCE: WGBA-TV NBC 26 Green Bay