Minocqua voters approved building a new fire station Thursday to replace an aging station that has served the Minocqua volunteer firefighters for over four decades. A heavy contingent of Minocqua Fire & Rescue Department members and their supporters carried the day with 63 electors voting approval and none voting against.
- PUB DATE: 10/21/2016 8:35:30 AM - SOURCE: WXPR-FM 91.7 Public Radio

Projected growth and changes in demographics in the Holmen Area Fire District has the fire department’s officers and board taking a look at what future needs will be. Holmen Area Fire Department Chief Paul Menches presented a needs assessment draft to the Holmen Area Fire District Association Board its Sept.
- PUB DATE: 10/21/2016 3:20:44 AM - SOURCE: Onalaska Holmen Courier Life

VIDEO: A mother and her two children are being treated for breathing in too much smoke after their home caught fire around midnight Friday. The Beloit Fire Department says police officers reported heavy fire and smoke coming from the back of the building at 622 East Grand Avenue when they got there. The people inside were out because they had been alerted by smoke detectors.
- PUB DATE: 10/21/2016 3:19:02 AM - SOURCE: WKOW-TV 27 ABC

Thomas Graydon says he must have fought back for his firefighters one too many times. The South Weber fire chief was forced out Monday night by Mayor Tammy Long after a conflict between Graydon and City Manager Tom Smith over the handling of a firefighter disciplinary case. In an interview Wednesday evening, Graydon unleashed a series of complaints about Long, Smith and city council member Marlene Poore and described the South Weber City work environment as “toxic” under its current leadership.
- PUB DATE: 10/21/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Ogden Standard-Examiner

As a member of the volunteer fire department in the tiny northwestern Minnesota town of Ada, Randy Peterson has a routine when his pager goes off. He checks to see if his kids are at home. At 10 p.m. Sunday, when he was called to a two-vehicle crash with one car on fire in the neighboring town of Borup, Peterson had a sinking feeling.
- PUB DATE: 10/21/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Star Tribune

Edward Hutchinson wants to make a fitting exit after more than six decades as fire chief. “I want to get on a horse and ride off like John Wayne into the sunset, and wave,” said Hutchinson, who will turn 95 in November. “I want a little humor.” The man popularly known as “Hutch” will not run for a 22nd term, leaving the fire department to find another leader for the first time since 1953.
- PUB DATE: 10/21/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Casper Fire Chief Kenneth King announced his retirement Wednesday, hours after apologizing for sending an email asking an investigator to delete “bad parts” from video evidence of the Cole Creek Fire. King will step down Jan. 2, 2018, the city announced. City Manager V.H. McDonald received and accepted his retirement letter Wednesday.
- PUB DATE: 10/21/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Casper Star-Tribune

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) has received a significant grant award as part of the Motorola Solutions Foundation’s public safety grant award program. The grant will make it possible for the IAFC to provide a fifth year of the highly successful Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI).
- PUB DATE: 10/21/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: International Association of Fire Chiefs

On October 20, 1 residential fire fatality was reported by the Nation's news media.

Several firefighters have threatened to leave after the town board moved forward with establishing a municipal fire department without the current fire chief. The Town of Wilson Board on Monday passed an ordinance and set of bylaws establishing the municipal fire department, but did not approve an amendment that would allow current Fire Chief Brian Schmitt to retain his job when the department switches from a corporation to a municipal entity.
- PUB DATE: 10/20/2016 4:44:52 PM - SOURCE: Sheboygan Press

On October 19, 6 residential fire fatalities were reported by the Nation's news media.

VIDEO: The State Fire Marshal is expected to arrive in downtown Clintonville this morning to help investigate a fire that injured three people late Wednesday. Fire gutted two apartments above Doesn’t Compute, a computer store, and Main Street Tattoos, at 49 S. Main Street. The fire department says a man and a woman who were in the apartments were airlifted to a Milwaukee hospital.
- PUB DATE: 10/20/2016 5:06:27 AM - SOURCE: WBAY-TV ABC 2

PHOTO: Chippewa Falls fire Chief Mike Hepfler could barely contain his excitement Wednesday as he gave a tour of the new fire station in the city’s southeast corner. “I still pinch myself every once in a while, just to make sure I’m not dreaming,” Hepfler said as he stepped through the construction area.
- PUB DATE: 10/20/2016 2:13:27 AM - SOURCE: Eau Claire Leader-Telegram

Coon Creek Fire & Rescue is hoping the generosity of people in the Coulee Region continues to shine as they reach out to the public to fulfill a financial challenge, which will allow the organization to purchase a new first responder vehicle. Chief Russ Cornford said over the past three years of fundraising the organization has already raise $40,000 toward the vehicle purchase price of $80,000.
- PUB DATE: 10/20/2016 2:08:14 AM - SOURCE: Westby Times

A brand new lieutenant in the Portland Fire Bureau acted heroically and put his life at risk Wednesday morning to save lives when an explosion destroyed a building and injured several people, the bureau’s fire chief said. Chief Mike Myers said during an afternoon news conference that Lt. Peter St. John was injured in the explosion and had been taken to a hospital.
- PUB DATE: 10/20/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KATU-TV ABC 2 Portland

A brand new lieutenant in the Portland Fire Bureau acted heroically and put his life at risk Wednesday morning to save lives when an explosion destroyed a building and injured several people, the bureau’s fire chief said. Chief Mike Myers said during an afternoon news conference that Lt. Peter St. John was injured in the explosion and had been taken to a hospital.
- PUB DATE: 10/20/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KATU-TV ABC 2 Portland

Active duty Yonkers Fire Lt. John "J-Rod" Rodriguez died Tuesday night from a 9/11-related cancer. He was 53 years old. Rodriguez leaves behind a wife and two children. "John Rodriguez was first and foremost a family man, a loving and devoted husband and proud father," said Yonkers Fire Union President Barry McGoey, who joined the department with Rodriguez in October 2000.
- PUB DATE: 10/20/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NY Journal News (Lohud.com)

Chicago Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago on Wednesday defended his 60-day suspension of a lieutenant who refused to send underlings into an area where they might be exposed to Ebola but said the city will accept an arbitrator’s ruling overturning the suspension. Santiago said the decision not to appeal the arbitrator’s ruling had nothing to do with the no-confidence vote taken Sept.
- PUB DATE: 10/20/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Chicago Sun-Times

Two firefighters were rescued after falling through a stairwell in a burning home Thursday morning at Eichelberger Street and Wherry Avenue. Authorities say they fell through a stairwell about 10 feet into the basement. They were being evaluated for injuries. No further details were immediately available about what injuries they suffered.
- PUB DATE: 10/20/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A Phoenix firefighter was called to the home where he grew up to help in the effort to save his father's life. Derek Dee was on Engine 20 when he realized he was headed to his parents' home on Sept. 10. Dee's father, 71-year-old Tommy Dee, was suffering from cardiac arrest. His mother called 911 and his parents' neighbor performed CPR.
- PUB DATE: 10/20/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CBS 5 AZ KPHO