VIDEO: 3 firefighters injured in massive Rhode Island hotel fire

Firefighters are still working to extinguish hotspots after a massive fire broke out inside a Newport hotel Monday evening. Crews responded to the Wayfinder Hotel on Admiral Kalbfus Road shortly after 8 p.m. as heavy flames and smoke could be seen for miles pouring from the roof and windows. Departments from six different communities were called in as mutual aid to help put out the flames at the four-story hotel, which is across the street from the old Newport Grand Casino. Newport Deputy Chief Mark Riding said three firefighters suffered minor injuries and no residents were hurt. “We actually had one firefighter go through a floor, he was rescued by the crews that were with him,” Riding said. “We don’t know if it was from the heat or the water weight that was causing collapses.”
WPRI-TV CBS 12 Providence

‘When stunt doubles marry’: How one Utah couple set themselves on fire in holy matrimony

Traditional weddings are, you know, traditional — and they don't typically include things like setting yourself on fire as you head off into the night. For one Utah couple, however, being sprayed with a fire extinguisher to douse errant flames is commonplace, so doing the same on their wedding day was just par for the course. Gabe Jessop and Ambyr Mishelle, of Ogden, are stunt doubles who work on film and television sets for shows such as "Yellowstone" and "Hereditary." According to Jessop, having a wedding that showcased their "day job," was a way to show friends and family what brought the two of them together. So, with the help of professionals in pyrotechnics, securing the proper permits and all that jazz, the couple blazed their way down a beachy aisle on the shores of Wasatch County’s Jordanelle State Park in front of family and friends and millions of viewers who caught wind — or shall we say smoke — of their flaming wedding.
Deseret News

A ride back in time: Retired Connecticut firefighters restoring 1930 tiller truck

The1930 American LaFrance Tiller Truck is now back home. The Middletown Fire Department used the truck from 1930 to about 1963 and recently got a call from someone in Binghamton, New York – the old truck was sitting on a lot there. Jim Loewenthal, a retired Middletown firefighter, enlisted his friends and fellow former firefighters and had the 75-foot fire truck brought back to Middletown. Now, the restoration work is beginning. “It’s a lot of history and we’ve had a lot of fun restoring it. It’s been nothing but a team effort and it’s been a wonderful journey,” said Loewenthal. Among those admiring the antique fire truck at a recent restoration day in Middletown was John Cryulik. Cyrulik is now 103 years old and used to drive the Tiller fire truck. “it’s wonderful to see it again because I remember when they took it away…. It’s a nice truck,” said Cyrulik.
WTIC-TV FOX 61 Hartford

IAFF Collaborates with Navy to get base fire fighters active and healthy

The IAFF has been collaborating with the U.S. Navy on a program to improve the fitness, health and wellness of Navy fire fighters by encouraging them to become more active. In January 2022, the IAFF launched Integrated Group Navy Fire Instruction, Training and Education (IGNITE), a comprehensive 18-month wellness-fitness program, in collaboration with fire fighters from Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (NRMA). The program has been funded by the Navy through a two-year federal grant. The IGNITE program involves eight IAFF federal locals in the Mid-Atlantic region representing more than 500 federal fire fighters. If successful, the program could be rolled out across U.S. Navy bases nationwide. Created as an extension of the IAFF’s Fit to Thrive (F2T) program, IGNITE aims to do more than provide exercise routines and nutrition tips.
IAFF.org

Florida fire department to begin using innovative Tele911 program in June

The Kissimmee Fire Department will begin integrating telemedicine and patient navigation into the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system with the Tele911 program beginning Monday, June 6. The use of Tele911, Inc. by Kissimmee Fire Department is intended to reduce ambulance transports to the Emergency Room for residents who call 911 with non-emergency medical issues. KFD is one of the first fire departments in Florida to use this service. Patients will be evaluated by KFD paramedics, who will determine if they are stable and can participate in a live telehealth visit. The Tele911 emergency physician will then make an appropriate disposition and treatment plan that meets the patient’s needs. The patient will also receive a next day follow-up with a physician. Patients who are not transported will also receive a follow-up by a Tele911 social worker to provide them with linkage to primary care and social services.
Positively Osceola

Arizona scrapyard fire contained after sparking explosions

VIDEO: A major scrapyard fire has been put out after Phoenix Fire Department and several other agencies worked early Sunday morning to contain it near the I-10 stack. Fire crews were called out to the scene near 22nd Avenue and Willetta Street, south of McDowell Road around 5:45 a.m. Video from the scene showed massive plumes of black smoke over central Phoenix as firefighters worked to put out the flames. Phoenix Fire Capt. Scott Douglas told Arizona’s Family that multiple explosions believed to be caused by magnesium were reported after the fire started. It’s still not yet clear what started the initial blaze. Authorities ultimately upgraded the fire to a fourth alarm, meaning a larger response of firefighters were on the scene. Electricity in the area was cut off as a precaution as Arizona’s Family crews spotted a power pole on fire.
KPHO-TV CBS 5 Phoenix

‘I just wanted to be a part of the best’: Detroit firefighter breaks barriers

VIDEO: Jackie Lam joined the Detroit Fire Department a few years ago because of the department’s reputation of being the best of the best. And without even knowing it, Lam ended up doing a lot more than just fighting fires as she instead paved the way for future generations to follow in her footsteps. It’s one thing to be a female firefighter. There are not many of them, but what about a female Asian American firefighter? That’s something the DFD hadn’t seen in its 162-year history until Jackie Lam came along. Lam has been with the Detroit Fire Department for two and a half years, moving from California to start her career. “So the Detroit Fire Department has a reputation of being one of the best fire departments in the whole world,” said Lam. “So I wanted to be a part of it. Most other departments don’t get to fight as aggressively as the Detroit Fire Department, and I just wanted to be part of the best.”
WDIV-TV NBC 4 Detroit

Sickness, death still follow FDNY veterans who fought massive East Village phone exchange fire nearly 50 years ago

PHOTOS: Sickness and death stalk firefighters who put out a massive blaze in 1975 that destroyed the New York Telephone Exchange in the East Village. “I have leukemia. Everybody got something,” said retired FDNY Firefighter Danny Noonan. “We lost about 18 guys in the first 10 to 12 years,” Noonan said. “For years, every time the phone rang, all you would hear was, ‘Hey Danny, guess who died?’ ” Veterans of the five-alarm blaze are being honored by a pair of plaques unveiled over the weekend at the FDNY’s academy on Randalls Island. About 700 firefighters fought the blaze, and an additional 4,000 telephone company employees were brought in to fix up the building and repair the damaged cables. No one died fighting the fire itself — but the Fire Department believes many people died from its after-effects. Noonan said it’s believed that about 40% of those who were at the fire were diagnosed with some form of cancer. No one knows for sure.
New York Daily News - Metered Site

New treatment breaks down toxic PFAS ’forever chemicals’ in hours

Earning themselves the moniker of "forever chemicals" due to their ability to persist for a long time in the environment, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are increasingly being shown to pose serious risks to human health. In light of this improved awareness scientists are ramping up their efforts to better break them down before they can cause harm, and a new breakthrough demonstrates how it might be done in a matter of hours using UV light. PFAS are a group of chemicals consisting of more than 4,000 compounds that feature in everything from waterproof clothing and nonstick cookware, to food packaging and firefighting foams. In widespread use since the 1940s, studies have linked use of the chemicals to a wide range of health conditions, including cancers and impaired immune system function.
New Atlas