VIDEO: Texas fire crews revive dad and daughter in dangerous house fire rescue

Cy-Fair firefighters rescued two people from a house fire overnight after a father was desperately trying to save his family, and the entire rescue was caught on helmet camera video. Northwest Harris County neighbors noticed a garage fire at a home in the 21500 block of Wellsford Glen Dr. before 11 p.m. Wednesday and called 911. Firefighters say three adults live in the home, a husband, wife and their adult daughter. Before firefighters arrived, officials say the husband helped escort his wife, who uses a wheelchair, out of the home. He then went back into the burning house to try and get his daughter. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they went inside to rescue the husband and daughter. Officials say by the time they pulled them out of the fire, neither adult had a pulse and they both suffered from smoke inhalation.
KTRK-TV ABC 13 Houston

California Firefighters See Red Over Plan to Deactivate, Close Stations

Oakland, Calif., will begin deactivating some of its fire engines and shuttering stations temporarily on Thursday in a budget-cutting move that drew criticism from firefighters and neighboring communities that contract with the city for fire protection. The fire department will deactivate three engines for six days at a time over the next five months, effectively closing three of the city's 25 stations, each of which operate with one engine. The only station not affected is at Oakland International Airport. The move is expected to save $5 million. Local officials and firefighters criticized the move and threatened to take legal action to prevent the closures. Some firefighters say their work now is more crucial than ever as they are often the first responders during the COVID pandemic. "You have the domino effect that ends up emptying the city of fire engines because they're all covering for each other's calls," said Zac Unger, president of Oakland Firefighters Local 55.
Government Technology

Fire engine rolls over on way to kitchen fire in Florida city, no injuries

VIDEO: Bonita Springs Fire Control & Rescue District confirmed Wednesday one of its fire engines flipped over on the way to a kitchen fire. According to the fire district, firefighters were heading to the scene of a kitchen fire at a home in the city when the truck they were in rolled over on Snell Lane. The fire engine took a sharp turn and rolled over into a wooded area along the roadway. Luckily, there were no reported injuries to anyone in the fire truck. Firefighters still made it to the scene and were able to quickly put out the kitchen fire down the street from the crash.
WINK-TV CBS 11 Fort Myers

Health of Ohio firefighters at forefront with new Columbus Fire Station 16

VIDEO: One final push officially opened the city's newest fire station Wednesday morning. As part of a tradition, Columbus Division of Fire firefighters and paramedics pushed a fire engine inside the garage bay doors of the new Station 16, located at 1465 Oakland Park Dr., which will provide service to North Linden and the surrounding area. City Council approved $9.4 million in July 2019 for construction of the station, which replaces the old station on Weber Road that was built in the 1950s. Battalion Chief Steve Martin said the Weber Road station had been built at a time when Weber Road was on the far north side of Columbus and the city as a whole saw the number of runs that Station 16 now handles by itself. The new station is equipped to house up to 15 people at a time in single-person dormitory rooms, Martin said. Most shifts have about nine people who would be sleeping at the station, but the station allows for growth or students riding along with fire crews to be housed comfortably.
The Columbus Dispatch

Could Utah become first state to create EMS teams specifically for mental health emergencies?

A lawmaker’s proposal to make Utah the first state to train emergency medical technicians specifically for responding to mental health emergencies received early support in a state Senate committee Wednesday. SB53 would allow EMTs and firefighters to be trained to respond to mental health calls. Then, agencies throughout the state could form teams made up of those trained EMTs, who would be dedicated specifically to mental health emergencies. Bill sponsor Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley City, said he believes Utah will be the first state to implement such a program. “I believe that this will absolutely change the way that we provide service to those experiencing substance use or mental health issues,” Thatcher told members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday. Mental health EMT teams would not take on the role of therapists. Instead, they would triage people and help them find the resources they need, Thatcher said.
Deseret News

VIDEO: Part of California Building Collapses in Early Morning Fire, Firefighter Injured

A firefighter suffered non-life-threatening injuries Wednesday morning at a blaze in a commercial building that houses a Chase Bank branch in the Hyde Park area and burned for 90 minutes before being extinguished. Part of the building collapses during the fire, reported at 12:24 a.m. at 4401 Crenshaw Blvd., near Vernon Avenue. Firefighters found fire burning through the roof of the two-story building, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The address corresponds to a Chase Bank branch inside the Bakewell Building. A total of 160 firefighters extinguished the Major Emergency fire in 90 minutes while protecting a nearby three-story building from fire damage. A knockdown was called at 1:54 a.m., Stewart said. The firefighter sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital, Stewart said.
KNBC-TV NBC 4 Los Angeles

Maine firefighter dedicated to training the shrinking number of firefighters the MAINE-IAC way

PHOTOS: Waterville firefighter Ryan Johnston embraces the fact that those in his profession cannot work remotely amid the coronavirus pandemic. Johnston, 48, founded MAINE-IAC Training a half-dozen years ago after local fire departments learned of his unique extrication class. Now, more than ever, the region’s often short-staffed departments look to get the most out of whom they’ve got, and that’s where Johnston’s business comes in. “One of the things to remember during COVID is that the fires don’t stop, emergencies don’t stop,” Johnston said. “We’ve got to keep our firefighter skills as sharp as we can, so we do it as safely as possible.” In recent months, MAINE-IAC Training reached a countrywide audience. In November, Johnston published an article in popular outlet Firefighter Nation about firefighting while short staffed. In his article, Johnston wrote about the importance of training with ladder trucks in real-world settings with modern tactics.
Sun Journal

Rural New Jersey firefighters donate much-needed equipment to rural Alabama town

Firefighter Hunter Space left his Beemverville Fire Department in Wantage with a pick-up truck full of firefighting gear. After a 14-hour ride, he arrived at the firehouse in rural Vance, Alabama. The trip was to donate the gear his fire department in Sussex County could no longer use to the southern department in need. The gear included breathing apparatus, resistant hoods, turnout gear (pants and coats), flashlights and alarms to alert others when a firefighter "goes down" while battling a fire. "A lot of stuff which was expired up here was golden to them," Space said Tuesday after his return. A fourth-generation volunteer firefighter, Space is a member of the family that owns Space Farms and is the son of Assemblyman Parker Space, a former chief of the Beemerville Fire Department. The rural Alabama town's Fire Department was grateful for the equipment. "We have different standards down here than you have up there," said Vance Fire Chief Harold McAdory in a telephone call on Tuesday.
New Jersey Herald

Firefighters: 3-alarm fire in Las Vegas caused $25-30M in damages

VIDEOS: Clark County firefighters battled a three-alarm fire in the southwest valley near Fort Apache and Tropicana Monday night. According to Clark County Fire, crews responded to the intersection of south Fort Apache Road and west Tropicana Avenue around 11:50 p.m. for a reported fire at an apartment complex that was under construction. Upon arriving, crews elevated the call to a third alarm as the fire grew due to windy conditions. "Compounding the emergency, there were strong winds that was spreading the fire through the complex and sending embers to nearby neighborhoods," Clark County deputy fire chief Warren Whitney said. The fire was officially considered "knocked down" around 1:50 a.m. Tuesday but the scene remained unsafe later Tuesday morning.
KVVU-TV FOX 5 Las Vegas

FDNY EMS Pipes and Drums Band to Perform in Virtual Inaugural Parade

VIDEO: Amid the pandemic, it’s been some time since the FDNY EMS Pipes and Drums band performed publicly. On Wednesday, that will change when members take part in this year’s Inauguration Day festivities . "It was a great honor to be asked by the department to participate in this inauguration parade," said band manager and FDNY Captain Kevin Haugh. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime for Haugh, who spoke with NY1 about the experience on Tuesday at EMS Station 18 in the Bronx. Haugh said it's the first time the band will participate in an inaugural parade. In 2017, their NYPD counterparts went to Washington D.C. to perform when they were asked participate in President Donald Trump's inaugural parade. Now, it’s the FDNY EMS Pipes and Drums band that gets an opportunity to shine. "It's actually going to be nice for us," Haugh said. "COVID has affected a lot of things. We haven't been out to any parades. All the parades have been canceled."
Spectrum News