Alabaster Fire Department offering new internship program to high schoolers

Some students enrolled in Alabaster City Schools will soon have the opportunity to pursue a career in the fire service through a new internship program with the Alabaster Fire Department. High school juniors and seniors in good academic standing with Alabaster City Schools, private schools or homeschool organizations in the city will have the opportunity to apply for the 'Alabaster Strong' Fire Internship Program. Applicants also have to be at least 17 years old. The fire department will select up to four interns per year and those interns will work between 15 and 20 hours a week. The program was approved by the city council on Oct. 25. In the program, interns will take part in a variety of hands-on and classroom learnings that will help them develop the skills necessary for a career in the fire service, such as ride alongs and hands-on training opportunities covering safety, public education, fire department organization and more.
WVTM-TV NBC 13 Birmingham

Fairfield council approves purchase of first ambulance

Tuesday night during a special called meeting City of Fairfield Council Members passed a resolution to purchase its first ambulance. Mayor Eddie Penny said the goal is to get patients cared for faster which could mean the difference between life and death. "Traditionally we was relying on ambulances just to come from anywhere in Jefferson County but response times got so slow, we said we got to take another step to try and see if we can improve that," said Mayor Penny. Mayor Penny said this step is only the first to making a City operated ambulance service possible. "Now what we plan to provide will be basic transport services and we're gonna look at the fees that are charged for that so we make sure that we're charging citizens exact same thing but it will be basic not advanced. In other words they will stabilize the person to get them to the hospital as soon as possible" he said.
WBMA-LD ABC 33/40 Birmingham

Backlogged test results could skew state’s COVID-19 numbers

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) said Wednesday it will soon be receiving results from a large laboratory that had not reported its COVID-19 results to the department. Because of this delayed reporting, upcoming COVID-19 numbers reported by ADPH will be skewed. More cases will be reported in the coming days, but it does not mean that all of those cases happened recently. “Over the next two cycles of data entry, a large number of cases may be added to the Data and Surveillance Dashboard. Some of these cases will be from previous months,” the ADPH stated in a press release. ADPH says COVID-19 is a notifiable disease, and laboratories are mandatory reporters, which means ADPH does not have control over when results are reported. Other factors affect COVID-19 data being reported to ADPH.
WKRG-TV CBS 5 Mobile

Pell City Fire Captain gets special ride home after COVID-19 battle

One local man got a special ride home from the hospital today. That man is Pell City Fire Captain Jeff Rogers. Rogers was discharged from UAB-West today after a two-month battle with COVID-19. His department surprised him as he left the hospital by giving him a ride home on his fire engine. The Pell City Fire Department used their Facebook page to thank the hospital staff for taking care of their co-worker and friend, and to thank the Bessemer Fire Department for their support as he left the hospital.
WBMA-LD ABC 33/40 Birmingham

Woman charged in arson at neighbor’s Montgomery home

A woman has been charged with arson after court records say she admitted to starting a fire at her neighbor’s home. Starr Jackson, 37, is charged with arson first degree. Court records say the charges are related to an incident that took place Monday at a residence in the area of Meadow Lane in Montgomery. Firefighters were called to the scene after a report of a house fire. When they arrived, they found damage to the wood siding of the home from a fire. According to the affidavit, Jackson is accused of lighting several molotov cocktails and throwing them at her neighbor’s home. Jackson told investigators the homeowners were harassing her and throwing items over her fence. On Monday, Jackson said several bottles filled with gasoline and tissue paper were thrown over her fence.
WSFA-TV NBC 12 Montgomery

FEMA to help fund residential storm shelters in Geneva County

Geneva County is scheduled to receive a total of $112 thousand dollars. Under the plan, FEMA pays 75 percent of the shelter expense. The homeowner must pay a 25 percent local match. Smith says there’s a half-dozen companies that manufacture these shelters, and the cost varies according to size and other features. Over the years, Smith says tornadoes have caused millions of dollars and property damage, and has claimed lives here in the wiregrass. Those Geneva Countians that are interested in receiving FEMA financial assistance to install a residential storm shelter, a sign-up meeting takes place next Monday night at 6 p.m., at the Geneva County Farm Center.
WDHN-TV ABC 18 Dothan