Investigators from the state fire marshal’s office have determined the cause of an explosion that injured two student firefighters and an instructor back in the fall. The incident took place on October 4 during a training exercise at a Mobile Live Fire Training Unit trailer, which was set up in South Hadley.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WWLP-TV Springfield

The two El Paso County emergency districts are seeking a declaratory judgment from the 448th District Court to prevent the county from having final authority of their budgets and tax rates. The emergency services districts filed a lawsuit against the county Dec. 29. The lawsuit was discussed by the Commissioners Court on Monday in executive session, but no action was taken in public.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: El Paso Times

A former city fire inspector was awarded just over $1 million for his lawsuit claiming he suffered years of harassment from the fire department because he had cited safety violations at businesses in the city. A Superior Court jury on Friday awarded Fred Bonda $750,000 for lost wages and $350,000 emotional distress.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NJ.com

Calling 911 can be a lifesaver for those who need help or medical attention, but not everyone who calls actually has an emergency. In February 2016, firefighters with the Tucson Fire Department noticed they were getting called to a few hundred homes all the time. Those people, many of them elderly, were overusing the 911 button.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Tucson News Now

The South Area Fire Response District unveiled it's new $650,000 fire truck. It's meant to do the job of multiple rescue vehicles. It's the first new rig purchased since multiple fire departments merged to create the SAFER District. The truck was welcomed with a traditional "wet down" ceremony where the firefighters wet down the entire truck and then push it back into the garage.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 9:23:48 PM - SOURCE: WSAW-TV CBS 7 Wausau

On January 30, 1 residential fire fatality was reported by the Nation's news media.

VIDEO: Investigators on Monday found no evidence of foul play in the death of a man in a house fire on Janesville's near east side Sunday night, according to a Janesville police news release. Janesville firefighters and police, together with the state Department of Criminal Investigations, Fire Marshal's Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, searched 603 S.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 5:34:07 PM - SOURCE: Walworth County Today - Metered Site

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

On January 27, 10 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

Firefighters used an airboat Sunday night to rescue two people from a partially submerged truck that had gone through the ice on Lake Winneconne. Lt. Craig Quick of the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office said the truck had stopped sinking. "One individual was stuck inside the vehicle, and one was out of the vehicle on the roof of the truck," Quick said.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 6:46:44 AM - SOURCE: Oshkosh Northwestern

On January 29, 8 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On January 28, 3 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On January 27, 5 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

VIDEO: I crawled to the edge of the ice and slid into the water, and my extra-large neoprene suit suctioned to my body. I felt warm and buoyant — very unlike a drowning victim, even though I played that part at an ice-rescue training hosted by the Pittsville Fire Co. on Saturday. The exercise drew firefighters from as far as Sheboygan who spent time in a classroom with instructors, then suited up to practice in an icy pond.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 4:41:06 AM - SOURCE: Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune

VIDEO: Multiple fire departments and other agencies are helping put the fire out in Sun Prairie. Sun Prairie Fire Assistant Chief Thane Westermeyer says when crews got to the building on Schiller, fire and smoke was coming from the basement. The fire quickly spread to the first and second floors. "We anticipate being on scene for a few more hours until we get the fire under control.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 3:43:13 AM - SOURCE: WKOW-TV 27 ABC

VIDEO: In these uncertain times, come new mandatory measures for Beloit Fire Paramedics. The first responders are now required to wear bullet proof vests on disturbance calls. "Our guys have been attacked, they've been assaulted on calls," Deputy Chief Joe Murray said about why they are making the change.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WKOW-TV ABC 27

In these uncertain times, come new mandatory measures for Beloit Fire Paramedics. The first responders are now required to wear bullet proof vests on disturbance calls. "Our guys have been attacked, they've been assaulted on calls," Deputy Chief Joe Murray said about why they are making the change. "Nowadays, across the country with different threats, we have to have that level of protection," he said.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WKOW-TV ABC 27

One of the first firefighters on the scene when two planes slammed into the Twin Towers has died, the 124th first responder to die from a 9/11 related disease. Ireland-born Brian J. Masterson succumbed to a two-year battle with esophageal cancer on Jan. 22, the Longford Leader reported. The 61-year-old father-of-three and avid marathon runner, originally from Longford, Ireland, spent months working at Ground Zero after the attack, the Daily Mail reported.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Post

Several of Darien’s volunteer firefighters quit in protest after the new city manager replaced the fire chief last week. Timothy Sweezey characterized the move as a cost-cutting measure for the city’s always-tight budget, but he assured residents this week that there are plenty of firefighters to cover Darien in case of fire.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Golden Isles News

NFPA has issued a firefighter protective hood safety bulletin as the fire service grapples with PPE contaminants and increases in job-related cancer. Firefighters and their PPE are exposed to a wide range of toxins. According to a study by the CDC and NIOSH, firefighters have a higher chance of developing more than a dozen different cancers than the general population.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: National Fire Protection Association