By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• Kansas City firefighters responded early Jan. 15 to a two-alarm fire at the vacant Parade Park housing complex, which is slated for demolition.
• Fire crews found a two-story building fully engulfed and the fire spread to an adjacent unit before being knocked down.
• Firefighters controlled the blaze and searched the property, reporting no injuries.
• The cause of the fire is under investigation as crews remained on scene to extinguish hot spots.

KANSAS CITY, MO — Firefighters battled a two-alarm fire early Jan. 15 at the vacant Parade Park housing complex, which officials said is set to be demolished later this month.

Crews from the Kansas City Fire Department and mutual aid units responded about 2:45 a.m. to the 2100 block of East 15th Terrace and found a two-story building fully involved, Battalion Chief Riley Nolan said.

Firefighters stretched hose lines and deployed aerial apparatus to knock down the main fire and extended suppression efforts to an adjoining unit that also became involved.

A comprehensive search of the structures returned all clear with no reported injuries, and crews brought the fire under control by about 4 a.m., officials said.

Firefighters remained on scene into the early morning putting out hot spots, and the cause of the blaze remains under investigation, according to department personnel.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• • Baltimore County (Md.) officials said the cost of hazmat cleanings and equipment replacements at fire stations could exceed $260,000 amid an employee misconduct investigation.
• • The county ordered deep cleanings of all career fire stations and replacement of ice machines after allegations of inappropriate conduct by a fire department employee.
• • The work includes sanitizing shared spaces and equipment following concerns about biological contamination, officials said.
• • The misconduct case and related departmental actions remain under investigation.

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Baltimore County officials said the cost of hazardous materials cleanings and equipment replacements at fire department facilities could exceed $260,000 following an internal misconduct investigation, according to estimates reviewed by local media.

The county sought proposals in early December for biohazard cleanup services covering high‑touch surfaces, living quarters, kitchens and other spaces at all 25 career fire stations and fire department offices, officials said.

Deep cleaning began Dec. 4 at several stations and has involved professional sanitization of shared areas, department emails show.

In addition to cleanings, the county ordered the replacement of more than two dozen ice machines across facilities, with each unit quoted at about $7,000 installed.

The cleaning and equipment work followed allegations of inappropriate behavior by a Baltimore County Fire Department employee that prompted concern among staff about the safety of shared spaces. The incident remains the subject of a criminal and internal investigation.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• • The Department of Health and Human Services has rescinded layoffs affecting hundreds of workers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), restoring staff who were previously terminated.
• • The reinstatements follow widespread criticism from labor groups, industry stakeholders and lawmakers about deep cuts to the workplace safety agency.
• • NIOSH conducts research and provides guidance on occupational health and safety issues, including miner safety, firefighter health, and other workplace hazards.
• • Officials said notices revoking all previous reduction‑in‑force actions were sent to affected employees, though some may have taken other jobs or retired.

WASHINGTON — Federal health officials have reinstated hundreds of researchers and other staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, reversing layoffs that had affected nearly the entire workforce of the federal workplace safety research agency.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued notices this week revoking all reduction‑in‑force actions previously sent to NIOSH employees, effectively restoring their positions and allowing them to return to work.

NIOSH, which operates under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focuses on research and recommendations to prevent work‑related injuries, illnesses and deaths, including programs related to mining safety, chemical hazard assessment and other occupational health priorities.

The move follows intense criticism from labor unions, industry groups representing firefighters, miners and other stakeholders, and members of Congress, who argued that deep staffing cuts compromised critical safety research and worker protections.

While notices to rescind layoffs have been issued, officials acknowledged that some employees may have retired or accepted other positions since their termination, affecting the timeline for fully restoring the agency’s workforce and programs.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• • Waterford Township, Michigan fire officials are proposing to charge elder care facilities fees for repeat non‑emergency fire and emergency medical service responses.
• • The proposal would amend the township’s cost‑recovery ordinance to require facilities to pay for non‑emergency calls after the first five in a calendar year.
• • Non‑emergency responses cited include lift assists, non‑emergency transports and false alarms, officials said.
• • The Township Board of Trustees is scheduled to consider the measure at a Jan. 26 meeting.

WATERFORD TWP., MI — Waterford Township fire officials are proposing an amendment to the local cost‑recovery ordinance that would require elder care facilities to pay for repeated non‑emergency responses by fire and EMS personnel, township leaders said.

Fire Chief Matthew Nye told the Township Board of Trustees that the department has seen a “measurable increase” in non‑emergency calls from assisted living and other elder care facilities, including lift assistance, non‑emergency transport and false alarm responses, according to a memo presented at a board meeting.

Under the proposed policy, facilities would be allowed five free non‑emergency responses per calendar year before fees are imposed for additional calls. Costs not paid within 60 days could be added to the facility’s property taxes, Township Director of Development Services Jeffrey Polkowski said.

Firefighters responding to calls would determine whether a call qualified as an emergency under the ordinance, and facilities would have the option to appeal charges they believe were issued in error, officials said.

Similar ordinances have been implemented in other Michigan communities such as Sterling Heights and Bloomfield Township, Polkowski told trustees. The township board is scheduled to consider adopting the amendment at a Jan. 26 meeting.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• • Multiple fire departments responded early Wednesday to an intense fire that destroyed several modular structures in Cahokia Heights, Illinois.
• • The fire was reported a little before 2 a.m. on the 3900 block of Mississippi Avenue and involved abandoned business property and construction site trailers.
• • At least nine departments were involved, with crews facing challenges including limited hydrants and windy conditions.
• • The blaze is out and remains under investigation, and no injuries have been reported.

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, IL — Firefighters from at least nine departments responded overnight to an intense fire that destroyed multiple modular structures and trailers in Cahokia Heights, authorities said.

The fire broke out shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday on the 3900 block of Mississippi Avenue, involving an abandoned business and several construction site trailers, according to officials.

Crews encountered heavy fire conditions upon arrival and faced operational challenges due to a lack of nearby hydrants and windy weather, fire officials reported.

Operations by responding departments extended over an extended period before the fire was brought under control.

Fire officials have labeled the incident suspicious given the absence of electricity near the structures, and a fire investigation remains ongoing.

No injuries to firefighters or civilians have been reported in connection with the blaze.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• • The Ogden Fire Department in Utah launched a mobile outreach clinic this week to provide immediate health care to people experiencing homelessness in parks and encampments.
• • The clinic is part of an expanded initiative including medical advocates funded through a state grant to address non‑emergency needs.
• • Ogden Fire Chief Mike Slater said the goal is to give care outside of emergency rooms and reduce unnecessary 911 calls.
• • The effort involves collaboration with homeless service advocates from the Ogden Police Department.

OGDEN, UT — The Ogden Fire Department has launched a mobile outreach clinic to provide on‑site medical care to people experiencing homelessness in public spaces and encampments, officials said.

The initiative, rolled out this week, uses a specialized vehicle staffed by fire personnel and medical advocates to address non‑emergency health needs and connect unsheltered individuals with appropriate care, according to Fire Chief Mike Slater.

The outreach clinic builds on a program started last year that placed medical advocates at the Lantern House homeless shelter through state grant funding to help with triage, medication management and access to health services.

Slater said the goal of the mobile clinic is to meet people where they are and offer preventative care to reduce reliance on emergency rooms and 911 ambulance responses.

The Ogden Police Department also participates in the effort by sending homeless service advocates on outreach missions to support individuals contacted by fire crews.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• • A U.S. Coast Guard investigation found that tracking devices carried by Newark firefighters were not used during a 2023 cargo ship fire that killed two firefighters.
• • The devices, known as Pak‑Trackers, were intended to help locate trapped or missing firefighters inside the smoke‑filled vessel.
• • Investigators said Newark Fire Department had portable receivers available but they were never brought aboard the ship.
• • The investigation was part of a broader review of response shortcomings during the fire aboard the Grande Costa D’Avorio in Port Newark.

NEWARK, NJ — A U.S. Coast Guard investigation found that electronic tracking devices carried by Newark firefighters were not deployed during the 2023 cargo ship fire that left two firefighters dead, according to the agency’s report released this week.

The system, known as Pak‑Tracker, consists of a transmitter integrated into a self‑contained breathing apparatus and a portable receiver designed to help rescuers home in on the signal from missing personnel.

Documents and testimony before Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board investigators show that the Newark Fire Department had three handheld receivers but did not take them aboard the Italian‑flagged Grande Costa D’Avorio while searching for the missing firefighters amid dense smoke and darkness.

The report said it is unknown whether use of the tracking system would have changed the outcome, noting that radio communications were hindered by the vessel’s steel structure and the search environment.

The findings were part of a broader inquiry into operational issues during the July 5, 2023, blaze at Port Newark, which also examined training, equipment use, and shipboard firefighting familiarity. Newark city officials said the department has since acquired additional tracking receivers and implemented training improvements for maritime incidents.