National News
CHANGE STATE

Thursday, April 18, 2024

VIDEO: Extra-alarm fire destroys Lower West Side Chicago apartment house, spreads to neighboring homes


PHOTOS: A fireball shot into the sky Thursday evening as an apartment house went up in flames in Pilsen. Firefighters were called to the scene at 8:15 p.m., and found flames raging at the two-and-a-half-story, multi-family frame house at 1355 W. 16th St., Chicago Fire Department Assistant 1st District Chief Jim McDonough said. The building was vacant and was being remodeled at the time, he said. Firefighters immediately launched a blitz attack – directing two hose lines on the house while protecting nearby homes. The Fire Department raised a 2-11 alarm for additional equipment and manpower. A 2-11 alarm brings 32 pieces of fire equipment and just short of 100 firefighters, McDonough explained. The fire did spread to two nearby buildings to the east and west – both of them constructed from a wood frame with a brick veneer, and both of them occupied, McDonough said.
WBBM-TV CBS 2 Chicago

Fire department in Tennessee adds dash cameras to firetrucks, improving how crews respond to calls


VIDEO: Firetrucks in Pigeon Forge now have dash cameras, recording how crews respond to calls and helping them improve how they approach emergencies. Fire Chief Tony Watson said crews and fire department leaders can watch videos to learn how to better fight fires. He said the cameras cost around $130,000 and they help expand the station's training opportunities. "A picture's worth 1,000 words," he said. "I don't think there's a better thing that we can do than to be able to share some of the stuff that we're seeing out here on a daily basis." He said the videos can help save the lives of firefighters, making sure they approach emergencies prepared with vital information. "We can look at how we position our apparatus. We can look at the actions our firefighters do. You got to tell them, 'Okay, this is non-punitive, we're not gonna get you in trouble. Let's talk about how we can do this better,'" he said.
WBIR-TV NBC 10 Knoxville

San Francisco commemorates 118th anniversary of 1906 earthquake with ceremony, stressing preparedness


VIDEO: San Francisco is marking the 118th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake and fire that nearly destroyed the city. Every year on April 18, a moment of silence is observed at 5:11 a.m. at Lotta's Fountain on Market Street to remember those who lost their lives in the 7.8-magnitude tremor. More than 3,000 people died in the quake and fire, and hundreds of thousands lost their homes. Lotta's served as a meeting spot for citizens to reunite with their loved ones after the quake. It is the oldest surviving monument from that day. The ceremony also included 30 seconds of fire engine sirens at 5:12 a.m., during the exact moment the earthquake hit. As part of the ceremony, many who attend dress up in Victorian-era outfits. Former Mayor Willie Brown, SFFD, SFPD, San Francisco Sheriff's Office were there as well as the Emergency Management Department.
KGO-TV ABC 7 San Francisco

Major 911 outages in 4 states leave millions without a way to contact local authorities


VIDEO: Law enforcement agencies across four states were left scrambling following reports of major 911 outages that saw millions unable to contact authorities late Wednesday. Many of the outages — reported in Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota and Texas — were restored by the late evening. So far, there’s no indication that the outages were caused by a cyberattack or other malicious act, law enforcement officials told NBC News on Thursday. The outages appear to be related to Lumen Technologies, a spokesperson for the communications and telecom company said. On Wednesday, some customers in Nevada, South Dakota and Nebraska "experienced an outage" when a third-party company, unrelated to Lumen, "physically cut our fiber" while "installing a light pole," company spokesperson Mark Molzen said.
NBC News


Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Maui Fire Department outlines key areas of improvement identified in ‘after-action’ report on wildfires


VIDEO: The Maui Fire Department on Tuesday presented the results and recommendations from a highly-anticipated “after-action” report on last year’s wildfire devastation, saying changes had already been made based on lessons learned. The after-action report was put together by the Western Fire Chiefs Association and includes a detailed timeline of Aug. 8 — the day ferocious flames raced through Lahaina. More than 100 lives were lost, thousands of properties were destroyed and the town was all but leveled. Maui fire officials stressed the report did not cover the cause and origin of the wildfires, but rather was a “thorough, well-researched presentation,” identifying what went well and what improvements could be made to protect lives and property in the future.
Hawaii News Now

Cancer screening partnership saves New York firefighter’s life; Program serves as model for other cities


VIDEO: As Captain Mark Egloff approaches 30 years as a Buffalo firefighter, he's made history, receiving the first-ever line-of-duty cancer diagnosis within the department. "You know, you're scared when you hear it," he told 7 News. "Everyone hears cancer, you get scared of it. That's just the natural reaction." But thanks to a partnership between Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Buffalo Fire Department, and Buffalo Professional Firefighters Local 282, Captain Egloff's lung cancer was detected early. He had surgery and is now cancer-free and back on the job. "I was fortunate enough that we caught it early enough that it was just a little segment they took out," he explained. "They stitched me up, and I was good to go." Roswell Park operates Eddy, a mobile lung cancer screening unit, which focuses on at-risk populations.
WKBW-TV ABC 7 Buffalo

VIDEO: North Carolina updating fire code following deadly 2023 SouthPark fire


It was one of the darkest days in Charlotte’s history when a 5-alarm fire engulfed a SouthPark apartment complex under construction, trapping two workers inside. Ruben Holmes and Demonte Sherill lost their lives; the fire almost took more. “We almost lost eight to 10 firefighters that day when they called for ‘Mayday’ when they got trapped,” said North Carolina State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor. “Luckily, they were able to get out due to their equipment and their training.” Now, because of that destructive and deadly fire, changes are on the way. “What are we going to do?” Taylor said. “How can we make these buildings safer during construction? Because, we had the Raleigh fire and then, of course, we had the Charlotte fire.”
Queen City News

After saving his parents and nearly losing his life, former UFC fighter promotes fire safety in Ohio


VIDEOS: Mark Coleman was woken up by his dog around 4 a.m. on March 12 at his parent's house in Fremont, Ohio. The former UFC fighter recalled his room being unusually warm and thought he was having a nightmare. Coleman headed to the kitchen to see what was happening and saw clouds of smoke. Still, he didn't realize what was happening. Not until he went to grab a doorknob and got third-degree burns. That's when he realized this was real. “I realized the fire was everywhere inside the house. I immediately ran toward my mom and dad's bedroom and yelled at them about five times. They didn't respond. I got a sick feeling that they were dead or something,” Coleman said. Coleman got his parents out of bed and walked his mom and dad down the hallway to get to safety but he lost sight of his mom.
WTOL-TV CBS 11 Toledo







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