FDNY marshals make first ever lithium-ion battery violation arrest at Brooklyn storefront

A Brooklyn merchant wound up in fire marshals’ handcuffs for improper storage of highly-flammable lithium-ion batteries inside his business — the first arrest of its kind ever reported in New York City, FDNY officials announced Monday. Tian Liang Liu, of the Electric Bicycle Shop at 1239 Flatbush Ave., was taken into custody on April 12 in a rare criminal action by the FDNY. Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh outlined the details of the arrest during a Monday press conference at the FDNY’s MetroTech headquarters in Downtown Brooklyn. “The FDNY E-safety task force made up of the Bureau of Fire prevention, our Special Investigations Unit, and Fire Investigations conducted an inspection,” Commissioner Kavanagh explained. “Fire marshals arrested Tian Liang Liu and brought him to the 70th Precinct to be charged.”
amNY

Los Angeles firefighter recruit killed in hit-and-run on California’s 101 Freeway

VIDEO: The Los Angeles Fire Department is mourning the loss of a recruit firefighter who was killed in a hit-and-run crash on the northbound 101 Freeway in Studio City Monday morning. According to LAFD, Jacob Fuerte, 22, “may have been involved in a traffic collision” shortly after 5 a.m. near Vineland Avenue as Fuerte was on his way to training. “He got out of his vehicle, likely to assess the situation and render aid to anyone in need, when he was hit by another vehicle,” fire department spokesman Erik Scott said in a videotaped statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. Despite the efforts of emergency responders, including the fire department, Fuerte was pronounced dead at the scene. “We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the immediate family, friends and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” said Scott.
KTLA-TV CW 5 Los Angeles

New esophageal cancer screening test offered to Alabama firefighters

VIDEO: When we think of dangers to firefighters, it's the flames and burning buildings that come to mind. But there are dangers you don't see like the chemicals that can lead to esophageal and other cancers. New screening methods are helping catch the cancers earlier. Firefighters are exposed to hundreds of chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, and asbestos. "Everyone knows somebody going through it. We have someone on duty right now working with cancer," said Steve Cook, President Birmingham Firefighters Association. Gases, vapors and particulates get on their skin, eyes and gear. Birmingham firefighters have a high call volume, more than anywhere in the state, leading to greater exposure to hazards. Eighty firefighters were recently screened at an event in the metro area for esophageal cancer. The one minute EsoGuard test is used to find precancerous cells in the esophagus.
WBMA-LD ABC 33/40 Birmingham

1930 Mack fire truck returned to original Pennsylvania township home

VIDEO: A piece of firefighting history has returned to the place where it first began its service to the community nearly a century ago. The Exeter Township Fire Department has acquired a 1930 Mack fire truck, thanks to a donation from the Reiffton Fire Company Social Quarters. "I saw pictures of what we were going to get, but when I walked in, it got me a little emotional just to see it in person," said Dep. Chief Chris Jordan. The truck served the township for more than 25 years. "We brought back the 1930 Mack that was an original piece of apparatus for the Reiffton Fire Company, which has now merged into the Exeter Township Fire Department," said Jordan. It was then sold to the Kulptown Fire Company in Union Township, which used it for about a year, according to the E.T.F.D. The truck ultimately ended up in the hands of Jack, a private collector in Maine.
WFMZ-TV 69 Allentown

VIDEO: Dozens without a home after hot inferno burns at Northeast DC apartment building

Nearly two dozen residents in D.C.’s Eckington neighborhood are without a home after a massive fire engulfed an apartment building in Northeast overnight Monday, authorities said. The flames also damaged nearby homes. Firefighters were called to an apartment fire in the 300 block of Seaton Place NE just after midnight, D.C. Fire and EMS said. When fire crews arrived, heavy orange flames were shooting from the roof and both levels of the building, firefighters said. Those strong flames traveled from the building across an alley about 10 feet away to neighboring row homes. Thern Hill-El who lives next door to the building took cellphone video of the fire from his window. The video captures the moments the fire jumped from the alley to a car.
WRC-TV NBC 4 Washington, D.C.

Fire Department Instructors Conference returns to Indianapolis

More than 35,000 firefighters from across the world will meet in Indianapolis this week for an almost century-old international conference. The 97th annual Fire Department Instructors Conference International has returned to Indianapolis for the 29th year in a row, and will feature more than 250 speakers and classes. Chief David Rhodes with the FDIC joined News 8 on Sunday to share more about the conference. “The show continues to grow, we couldn’t do it without the greatest support from all the local fire departments, the city fire department, the township, it’s really grown into a huge partnership,” he said. “It takes hundreds of people to pull this off.” According to their website, “The FDIC experience is more than your traditional trade show, it’s about the learning and sharing with your peers formally and informally through hallway conversations, developing life-long friendships, and recharging your passion for the industry.”
WISH-TV CW 8 Indianapolis

Historic Outlet building in Rhode Island was destroyed in spectacular 1986 fire

VIDEOS/PHOTOS: The closed Outlet store building was just steps away from WJAR's Broadcast House in downtown Providence. So, on Oct. 16, 1986, Frank Coletta and Art Lake were among the first to smell smoke. The Outlet was on fire, and WJAR had a front-row seat. "Firefighters shown here on the Broadcast House roof. There you can see the explosion throwing firefighters to the deck of Broadcast House," Frank reported. Our "Spy in The Sky" traffic reporter Tony DiBiasio flew over the inferno. "Flames up about 300 or 400 feet," he said. "Smoke up about 1,500 feet." NBC 10's Dyana Koelsch reported live from the station's roof. "Now police are on the scene, and they have already started their investigation into some possible causes," Koelsch reported. "It may be arson involved here. As one fire official put it, mice did not start this blaze."
WJAR-TV NBC 10 Providence

Colorado firefighter travels country to train departments on how to battle electric vehicle fires

VIDEO: When not stationed at the firehouse or battling blazes, one Aurora firefighter dedicates his time to training firefighters and departments nationwide in responding to lithium-ion battery fires and electric vehicle fires. Paul Shoemaker, a veteran firefighter and paramedic with the Aurora Fire Department for a decade, collaborates closely with the National Fire Protection Association, the Fire Safety Research Institute, and Underwriters Laboratories. He aims to effect change in fire service practices across the nation. "I'm teaching firefighters how to handle, mitigate, and tactically extinguish lithium-ion battery fires," Shoemaker said. Lithium-ion batteries power a range of devices including e-bikes, e-scooters, and electric vehicles.
CBS News Colorado