Second major fire in 8 hours reported at Flint Township apartments

PHOTO: A fire at Sunridge Apartments in Flint Township forced several people out of their residences overnight. A second fire broke out in the same complex about eight hours later on Thursday morning. The first fire was reported just after midnight Thursday when a resident returned home to find their apartment in flames. Flames spread to the attic and heavily damaged buildings 500 and 600. Seven fire departments from around Genesee County responded to help crews extinguish the flames. Fire officials at the scene could not confirm whether anyone was injured. Several fire departments returned to the complex around 8 a.m. Thursday for a second major fire. Flint Township officials called in fire departments from around Genesee County to battle the flames again.
WJRT-TV ABC 12 Flint

1918 Republic Fire Truck now on display in Bay City

PHOTOS: Dale Bash couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Bash, chairman of the Antique Toy & Fire Museum, a volunteer non-profit organization with a keen eye for history and education, was at the museum’s new facility on Sunday, April 21 in downtown Bay City to open its doors for its first exhibit: a 1918 Republic Fire Truck. Joined by fellow museum volunteers Mike, Nick and Justin Ruegsegger, Bash was struck by how many people stopped to take pictures of the fire truck as they backed it into the newly restored Victorian fire station. “It was amazing,” Bash said. “There were even people that came out of the Washington Street Pub to take pictures. It was really a heartwarming sight.” The Antique Toy and Fire Museum recently completed Phase 1 work of Bay City’s historic Fire Station Number 3, located at 115 Washington Ave.
Midland Daily News - Metered Site

With fake injuries and victims, paramedic trainees practice for disasters at Grand Rapids concert venue

VIDEO: Preparing for the worst was the goal for paramedics in training with Life EMS Ambulance on Wednesday afternoon. GLC Live at 20 Monroe, a downtown Grand Rapids concert venue, was turned into the site of a simulated mass casualty incident. “At Life EMS Ambulance, we put these on twice a year for all of our new paramedics in training before they go out on the road and they’re on their own,” Patrick Cooney-Davis, a field training coordinator, said. Organizers mocked up a scenario in which a firework malfunction at the venue injured several people. The “victims” were portrayed by actors who work at Life EMS. Staff from the venue participated, too. Five paramedic trainees practiced how they would handle the situation.
WOOD-TV NBC 8 Grand Rapids

School bus repurposed to help South Torch Lake Fire and Rescue firefighters in the heat of the moment

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Walk through most northern Michigan fire departments and you are bound to see a variety of trucks and vehicles they use to respond to emergencies. But one local fire department has a new addition unlike any other department around. "It's different every day. I get to meet different people every day. Unfortunately, sometimes I see them in their worst conditions, but it's different every day," said Fire Chief Paul Fabiano. Something different every day. For the firefighters at South Torch Lake Fire and Rescue, that means they have to be prepared for just about anything. A quick walk through the fire station shows you they are. "Every vehicle has a purpose," Chief Fabiano said. But their latest addition -- just a few weeks old -- might seem familiar in form, just not expected in this fleet.
WPBN-TV NBC 7 Traverse City

Oakland County launches new countywide radio system

Farmington Hills Police Chief Jeff King said that his confidence in a new countywide radio system is high, and that there have already been benefits. “It’s delivered so far on all of its promises,” King said. “It has some emergency capability for the officers, in regards to the satellite GPS tracking of officers. Things that our old system never had, this new system has, to where if an officer was to get in trouble and was not able to communicate with us, we would be able to utilize the system as another means to locate that officer.” Oakland County first responders can now be anywhere in the state and contact their home base or communicate with other agencies through radio with the implementation of the county’s $61 million radio system from Motorola.
C&G Newspapers