By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• A small Cessna 172 plane made an emergency landing in the Hudson River near Newburgh, New York, Monday evening after reporting in-flight trouble, officials said.
• Two people aboard — the pilot and one passenger — escaped the crash and swam through icy water to shore, authorities reported.
• Both occupants were transported to a hospital with minor injuries and are expected to recover, New York officials said.
• The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of the emergency landing.
• New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the outcome “another miracle on the Hudson,” and first responders were credited with a swift response.

NEWBURGH, NY — A small Cessna 172 aircraft made an emergency landing Monday night on the Hudson River near Newburgh, New York, after encountering problems in flight, authorities said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane, a single-engine Cessna 172, went down around 8 p.m. and came to rest in icy water east of Stewart International Airport. Both the pilot and one passenger escaped the aircraft and swam to shore, officials reported.

Emergency responders from the Middle Hope Fire Department and other local agencies located the two occupants and evaluated them at the scene before they were taken to a hospital; both were treated for minor injuries and are expected to recover.

The FAA is leading an investigation into the cause of the emergency landing, and has not released details on what prompted the aircraft’s difficulties.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul described the safe outcome as “another miracle on the Hudson” and praised first responders for their rapid actions following the incident.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• Nine Philadelphia firefighters were injured Monday when a floor collapsed while they were combating a blaze in a vacant building, officials said.
• The fire started in a three-story former commercial structure in the South Kensington neighborhood.
• Crews encountered heavy fire and thick smoke upon arrival and advanced lines into the building.
• As firefighters operated inside, a second-floor collapse trapped and injured several personnel.
• The injured were transported to hospitals; all were expected to survive, fire officials said.

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Nine Philadelphia firefighters were injured Monday morning when a floor gave way during operations at a blaze in a vacant three-story building in the South Kensington section of the city, fire officials said.

Philadelphia Fire Department crews arrived to heavy fire and dense smoke at the former commercial structure and advanced hose lines toward the seat of the blaze, according to department reports.

While firefighters were operating inside, a section of the second-floor structure collapsed, causing injuries to multiple personnel, officials said.

Emergency medical services were summoned, and the injured firefighters were transported to area hospitals for treatment; the fire department said all were expected to survive their injuries.

Investigators with the fire department and building safety officials were at the scene to determine the cause of the fire and factors contributing to the floor failure.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• A gunman opened fire outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden in downtown Austin, Texas, killing two people and injuring 14 early Sunday morning, authorities said.
• Austin Police officers confronted and fatally shot the suspect at the scene.
• The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation amid “indicators” that suggest a possible terrorism nexus.
• Officers reported the suspect fired from both a pistol and a rifle during the attack.
• Officials said it is too early in the investigation to determine a motive.

AUSTIN, TX — Two people were killed and 14 others were wounded early Sunday in a shooting outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden in downtown Austin, and the FBI has joined the probe as a possible act of terrorism, authorities said.

Austin Police Department officers responding shortly before 2 a.m. confronted a suspect who had opened fire near the bar on West Sixth Street, firing from both a pistol and a rifle, Police Chief Lisa Davis said. Officers shot and killed the suspect at the scene.

The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force was assisting Austin police based on “indicators” found on the suspect and in his vehicle that suggest a potential terrorism nexus, though officials cautioned it was too early to determine motivation.

Fourteen victims were located at the scene and transported to local hospitals, with several reported in critical condition, and the names of those killed have not been immediately released.

Investigators continued to process the scene and gather evidence as part of the ongoing multi-agency inquiry into the incident.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• A federal judge granted compassionate release and vacated the life sentence of Richard W. Brown, convicted in a 1988 arson that killed six Kansas City firefighters.
• The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri credited Brown for time served and ordered him released with five years of supervised release.
• Brown was 18 at the time of the construction site fire that led to the deaths, and the judge cited “extraordinary and compelling circumstances” in the decision.
• Prosecutors have filed a motion to reconsider and stay the release order while pursuing an appeal.
• Brown must pay restitution as part of his release terms.

KANSAS CITY, MO — A federal judge has granted compassionate release to Richard W. Brown, who had been serving a life sentence for his role in a 1988 arson that killed six Kansas City firefighters, vacating the sentence and ordering his immediate release with supervised release, court records show.

The decision by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri credited Brown for nearly 29 years served and imposed five years of supervised release, court filings state, and included a restitution requirement for the Kansas City Fire Department.

Brown was 18 at the time of the highway construction site fire near East 87th Street and Blue River Road that led to a massive explosion and the deaths of six firefighters responding to the scene in November 1988.

U.S. prosecutors have filed a motion seeking reconsideration of the compassionate release order and a stay of the decision as they pursue an appeal in the U.S. District Court, arguing factors including sentencing guideline application.

The case remains active in federal court as the appeal process unfolds and Brown is expected to begin supervised release upon his discharge from custody.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• Loveland (Colo.) Fire Chief Tim Sendelbach issued a 40-page written response rejecting claims from the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority board that he committed insubordination and other misconduct ahead of possible termination.
• Sendelbach was placed on paid administrative leave Jan. 28 amid the board’s move to end his contract, according to his response letter.
• The board alleged issues including misinformation to staff, refusal to comply with assignments, and conduct detrimental to operations; Sendelbach contested the claims as unsubstantiated.
• In his letter, Sendelbach said several earlier concerns stemmed from a 2023 complaint and that documentation of prior investigations is lacking.

LOVELAND, CO — Fire Chief Tim Sendelbach has formally responded to the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority board’s notice of intent to terminate his contract, rejecting key allegations and providing detailed rebuttals in a 40-page letter dated Feb. 26.

Sendelbach was placed on paid administrative leave Jan. 28 after the board named a committee to address a personnel issue, and the board subsequently cited “just cause” reasons to seek termination of his leadership.

In his response, the chief denied claims of insubordination, intentional misinformation, withholding financial information, and actions that created division within the organization, asserting that many allegations lack evidence and context.

Sendelbach said several matters referenced by the board originate from concerns raised in 2023 by a former advisory commission chair, and he questioned why documentation of any independent investigation into those issues is absent.

The board also accused the chief of mischaracterizing budget decisions and staffing departures, and of conduct detrimental to board relations; Sendelbach provided his interpretation of events and noted where he believes the record differs from the board’s characterization.

As of Friday, neither the Loveland Fire Rescue Authority board nor city officials had publicly announced further action on the termination process, and an official investigation or decision timeline has not been disclosed.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• A family in Wellston, Missouri, found the body of a 71-year-old man inside his burned home two days after firefighters had battled a fire and told relatives no one was inside.
• The home fire occurred Feb. 24 on Ogden Avenue; fire crews withdrew early due to a roof collapse.
• Relatives said they were told a search had been completed and cadaver dogs would be used, but no canine search occurred, officials confirmed.
• The man, identified by family as Wayne Vann, was discovered under debris in his bedroom on Feb. 26.
• Fire officials said conditions limited rescue efforts; the cause of the fire is under investigation.

WELLSTON, MO — Relatives of a 71-year-old man found his body inside a burned home Feb. 26, two days after firefighters responded to a blaze and told them the residence had been searched and was empty, family members and officials said.

The fire occurred around Feb. 24 on Ogden Avenue, and Mid County Fire Protection District crews pulled back from interior operations about six minutes after arrival because the roof collapsed and fire conditions were too severe, Fire Chief Randell Sanders said.

Family members said they were repeatedly told that no one was inside and that a cadaver dog would be used to assist in the search on Feb. 25, but that canine support was not available.

On Feb. 26, relatives entered the burned structure and located the man, identified by family as Wayne Vann, beneath debris in his bedroom within minutes, they said.

Chief Sanders said crews made every effort to search for victims during and after the fire but were limited by extreme conditions and that a cadaver dog was not available when requested; he expressed condolences to the family.

Local authorities have not released an official cause for the fire and said investigations are ongoing.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• A house explosion and resulting fire in Taunton, Massachusetts, seriously injured a 25-year-old mother and her 2-year-old child Wednesday morning.
• Firefighters responded to the three-family home on Plain Street at about 9:50 a.m.; the structure was fully engulfed when crews arrived.
• The injured woman was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and the child to Hasbro Children’s Hospital for treatment of severe burns and serious injuries.
• Eight residents were displaced; two adjacent homes also sustained significant fire and heat damage.
• State police fire investigators and the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s Office are assisting local fire authorities with the investigation.

TAUNTON, MASS. — A house explosion Wednesday morning left a multi-family home engulfed in flames and seriously injured a woman and her young child, fire officials said.

Taunton Fire Department and police responded at about 9:50 a.m. to a reported explosion at a three-family residence on Plain Street, finding the structure fully involved in fire, according to local authorities.

A 25-year-old woman was transported to Rhode Island Hospital with severe burns, and a 2-year-old child was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital with serious injuries, officials said.

Eight residents were displaced by the blaze, and two neighboring homes sustained extensive burn and fire damage, Taunton fire officials reported. No firefighters were injured during the response.

Fire investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office, Massachusetts State Police and the Taunton Fire Department are working together to determine the origin and cause of the explosion, with preliminary inquiries ongoing, authorities said.

Extreme winter weather and deep snow from a recent blizzard presented additional challenges at the scene, officials noted while urging residents to avoid the area.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing
• Mold remediation work at a Wichita, Kan., fire station has forced its continued closure while additional stations may also be taken offline, city officials said.
• Fire Station 15 will remain closed at least two more weeks as cleanup continues.
• Mold has been identified in most of the city’s firehouses, prompting remediation and possible relocations of crews.
• Officials said Fire Stations 11, 3 and 13 could be closed temporarily for similar work.
• The mold issues are occurring while voters decide on a proposed sales tax that would fund station maintenance and repairs.

WICHITA, KAN. — Mold remediation efforts will keep Wichita Fire Station 15 closed for at least another two weeks, and city officials say additional fire stations may also require temporary closures as part of the cleanup process.

Station 15, located at Lincoln and Rock Roads, was taken out of service amid mold concerns identified during remediation work, Public Works Director Gary Janzen told the Wichita City Council.

Janzen said firefighters assigned to Station 11 in south Wichita will be relocated soon for remediation work, and Fire Stations 3 and 13 in northwest Wichita could also be taken offline for similar cleanup efforts.

Officials have not ruled out additional closures as remediation progresses at the city’s fire facilities. Most of Wichita’s roughly 22 fire stations have reported mold issues.

The mold concerns have emerged as voters prepare to decide on a proposed 1% city sales tax that would help address maintenance backlogs at fire and police facilities, including structural repairs and upgrades.

City staff said remediation at Station 15 includes plugging ductwork and conducting air quality testing before firefighters can return, with similar work planned at other locations.