Ramsey Mueller dreamed of saving others, but he couldn’t save himself. A year ago, he took the first steps toward his lifelong dream of becoming a Tacoma firefighter. Seven months later, he died in his Tacoma home of a heroin overdose at the age of 27, a day after resigning from the department, two days after coming late to a morning shift, slurring his words and nearly hitting another vehicle while briefly taking the wheel of a firetruck.
- PUB DATE: 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The News Tribune

The victims of the deadly shooting rampage at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport came from all walks of life. No official list of the victims has been released, but loved ones have started to talk about them to media outlets. Virginia resident Terry Andres was identified Saturday by a volunteer fire department as a victim in the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting.
- PUB DATE: 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: USA Today

When Lackawanna hired Jason Szpara and eight others to be firefighters in 2014, the cash-strapped city issued them old used breathing masks that had been turned in by retirees. The safety equipment was tattered, Szpara recalled. Now, on occasion, when there's a large fire in Lackawanna, there aren't enough self contained breathing apparatus – the masks and related equipment – to equip every firefighter, Lackawanna Fire Chief Ralph Galanti admitted.
- PUB DATE: 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Buffalo News

A second arrest has been made in the arson fire that killed a Hamilton firefighter. William “Billy” Tucker, 46, was arrested Friday in Richmond, Ky., on an indictment from Butler County for aggravated arson and murder for allegedly starting the fire that killed firefighter Patrick Wolterman in December 2015.
- PUB DATE: 1/9/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Hamilton Journal-News

On January 8, 0 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

VIDEO: On Saturday January 7, 2017 at 8:54am the Barron County Sheriff’s Department received a call of a possible missing person that may be on a snowmobile. Deputies responded to the residence of the missing person just north of Rice Lake and did not locate the subject but the snowmobile was missing.
- PUB DATE: 1/8/2017 5:21:49 PM - SOURCE: WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

A firefighter was hurt Sunday afternoon putting out a fire on Milwaukee's south side. The fire started 4 p.m. in a second-floor unit of a two-story apartment building near Howell and Holt avenues. The Red Cross is helping the 10 to 15 people who live there. The Milwaukee Fire Department told WISN 12 News the firefighter's injuries are minor.
- PUB DATE: 1/8/2017 3:35:27 PM - SOURCE: WISN-TV ABC 12 Milwaukee

PHOTO: Fire destroyed a garage and two vehicles in a Fond du lac neighborhood early Sunday, January 8th. Firefighters were dispatched to the location on Cotton St. just before 2:00 a.m. They found a fully-involved detached garage. There were two automobiles destroyed; one inside the garage and one parked next to it.
- PUB DATE: 1/8/2017 5:27:32 AM - SOURCE: WITI Fox Channel 6

The Beloit Fire Department bid one of their own a happy retirement after more than 28 years of service. Assistant Chief Tim Curtis retired Friday after 28 years, four months and four days serving as a firefighter, relief motor pump operator, motor pump operator, fire investigator, paramedic, acting lieutenant, deputy chief and assistant fire chief.
- PUB DATE: 1/8/2017 1:43:07 AM - SOURCE: Beloit Daily News

On January 7, 0 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On January 6, 2 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

On January 5, 3 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

Appleton Firefighters battled a garage fire in subzero temperatures Thursday. Just before 6 p.m., firefighters were called to 25 Oriole Court. They arrived on scene to find heavy smoke and fire coming from a garage attached to a home. The crews were able to contain the blaze to the garage. The home did sustain some smoke damage.
- PUB DATE: 1/6/2017 6:37:53 AM - SOURCE: WBAY-TV ABC 2 Green Bay

Over the next two months, members of the Ashland Fire Department will conduct their biennial paramedic refresher training. “That includes completing a 48-hour refresher course related to our paramedic licensure,” said AFD Captain Scott Thimm. “In addition to the 48 hours of continuing education, we will be doing eight hours of advanced cardiac life support and eight hours of pediatric advanced life support.
- PUB DATE: 1/6/2017 2:15:48 AM - SOURCE: Ashland Daily Press

On January 5, 1 residential fire fatality was reported by the Nation's news media.

Janesville Fire Chief Randy Banker has no doubt the city eventually will build a new fire station on the north side and add people to staff it. What remains to be seen is if Milton will chip in money and share the station with the Janesville Fire Department. “It's an area of our district where coverage needs to be enhanced,” Banker said.
- PUB DATE: 1/6/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Gazette Extra - Metered Site

Fifteen former or current Marinwood firefighters are suing the Marinwood Community Services District, claiming it shorted them on overtime pay. The lawsuit alleges the district violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by miscalculating the regular pay rate upon which overtime is based. The firefighters said the district should have included not just hourly pay in its calculation of the regular pay rate, but also other compensation such as special assignment pay, holiday pay, college incentive pay and reimbursement for benefit costs.
- PUB DATE: 1/6/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Marin Independent Journal

A Richmond Fire Chief battling stage four cancer is using journey, and the journey of his new scooter, to spread a critical message to firefighters across the country. Creasy said his chemotherapy treatments have severely limited his mobility since his cancer diagnosis in 2014. Richmond firefighter Roger Myers knows the realities of cancer intimately, so he devised a plan to help Chief Creasy.
- PUB DATE: 1/6/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTVR-TV CBS 6

Bernie Madoff. It's a name now often bandied about when talking about the failing Dallas Police and Fire Pension fund. "The reality of it is that it was a Bernie Madoff type scheme," says Lee Kleinman, a city council member and former pension board trustee. The city has agreed to put in an additional billion dollars over 30 years, but they're proposing a series of bitter pills to make up the rest of the nearly $4 billion shortfall.
- PUB DATE: 1/6/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFAA-TV ABC 8 Dallas - Fort Worth

VIDEO - Two police officers were captured on video appearing to pose for a selfie in front of a home as it went up in flames on Long Island Thursday afternoon. The fire destroyed the house in Uniondale, though no one was hurt. Moments after the officers posed for their apparent photo op, one of them appeared to approach another man taking selfies as if to ask him to leave the scene.
- PUB DATE: 1/6/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC New York