By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• A fire broke out around 11 a.m. Monday at the new $80 million cruise ship dock in Whittier, Alaska, and was extinguished early Tuesday morning, with no reported injuries.
• Firefighters found no working hydrants in the area and improvised a water shuttle, moving an estimated 161,000 gallons of water using tenders running repeated loops to a functioning hydrant elsewhere in Whittier.
• The fire spread from the dock to the moored, unoccupied Klondike Express, a 137-foot catamaran operated by Phillips Cruises & Tours, causing significant damage; the vessel was towed away and the company plans to repair it before next season.
• The response drew mutual aid from Anchorage, Girdwood, Moose Pass, Bear Creek and Cooper Landing fire and emergency agencies, and prompted an hourslong closure of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel.
• The U.S. Coast Guard and the Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the cause; the story remains developing.

WHITTIER, Alaska — Fire crews battling a blaze at a newly built cruise ship dock in this Prince William Sound community improvised a water shuttle operation after finding no working hydrants in the area, officials said.

The fire was reported around 11 a.m. Monday at the north cruise ship terminal, an $80 million dock that opened in September 2025 through a partnership between Huna Totem Corp. and Norwegian Cruise Line. It was extinguished early Tuesday morning, with no reported injuries. The response prompted an hourslong closure of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the main access route in and out of Whittier.

The fire spread from the dock to the Klondike Express, a 137-foot catamaran operated by Phillips Cruises & Tours that was moored, unoccupied and unpowered at the time. “It started on the dock and it spread to the Klondike,” said Casey Neumann, a managing partner with the company, adding that the vessel sustained significant damage. Phillips towed the boat away from the dock and plans to repair it in time for next season. A cruise ship, the Norwegian Jade, appeared to assist in fighting the fire with onboard equipment before departing the area, according to witness accounts and social media posts; the ship was not involved in the fire’s cause.

With no functioning hydrants nearby, Anchorage and Girdwood fire crews used water tenders to establish a shuttle, running repeated 10-minute loops between the scene and a working hydrant elsewhere in Whittier, according to the Anchorage Fire Department. Girdwood Fire Chief Michelle Weston estimated the operation moved at least 161,000 gallons of water. The city requested mutual aid from regional agencies, and firefighters, law enforcement, EMS personnel, marine responders and state and federal partners coordinated a large-scale response by land and water, according to Whittier city officials.

A U.S. Coast Guard investigation team arrived Tuesday morning to conduct a damage assessment and evaluate the need for pollution response, according to Coast Guard spokesperson Omar Faba, who said the cause remains under investigation. Whittier City Manager Jackie Wilde said the Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office is overseeing the fire investigation.

The commissioning of the USS Ted Stevens, a U.S. Navy destroyer, had been scheduled to take place at the damaged dock in early October; city officials said the ceremony will proceed as planned Oct. 3 but has been relocated to the Princess Cruises terminal.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• A bipartisan group of New York House lawmakers introduced H.R. 10361 on Monday, seeking federal reimbursement for state and city pension payments made to 9/11 first responders and their families.
• The bill, led by Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino along with two additional Republicans and six Democrats, was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
• Lawmakers estimate total 9/11-related pension costs at about $3.4 billion; after subtracting $290 million FEMA reimbursed in 2002, the bill seeks approximately $3.1 billion in additional federal funds.
• The measure would cover pension payments the city and state made to first responders who died or became disabled as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks or related illnesses.
• The effort follows a similar 2024 bill from Garbarino that was never called to committee or subcommittee.

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of New York lawmakers introduced legislation Monday seeking approximately $3.1 billion in federal reimbursement for New York state and city pension systems that covered payments to first responders disabled or killed as a result of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The bill, U.S. House Bill 10361, is led by Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino and backed by two additional Republicans and six Democrats. It was introduced Monday and referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Because the Sept. 11 attacks were declared a national disaster, lawmakers argue the federal government bears responsibility for related costs, including pension payments New York City and state agencies made to first responders who died or became disabled, as well as death benefits paid to families of those killed. The bill seeks that reimbursement through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA reimbursed the pension system $290 million in 2002 for what a 2023 congressional memorandum described as “unanticipated costs of the payment of death and disability claims that resulted [from] the 9/11 attacks.” Lawmakers say total 9/11-related pension costs have since grown to an estimated $3.4 billion, leaving a $3.1 billion gap after the earlier reimbursement.

“We lost nearly 3,000 Americans that day, but no one knew that we’d lose thousands more in the aftermath to 9/11-related illnesses,” Garbarino said in a 2024 statement introducing similar legislation, which failed to advance to committee. Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, a co-sponsor of the new bill, said the FDNY and NYPD pension systems face shortfalls tied to those unanticipated costs. “We must ensure that the families of these heroes continue to receive the benefits that they deserve,” Nadler said.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• A three-alarm fire broke out Saturday morning at the Sig Sauer facility at 233 Exeter Road in Epping, New Hampshire, injuring one firefighter.
• Crews were dispatched around 10:42 a.m. and found smoke coming from a roughly 200-by-100-foot, two-story commercial building; an interior attack was launched but crews temporarily withdrew to defensive operations due to the fire’s volume before reestablishing an interior attack.
• The fire was declared under control at about 12:07 p.m., with 18 departments and agencies responding through mutual aid.
• The injured firefighter was treated at Exeter Hospital for minor injuries and released.
• The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating; officials said the fire does not appear suspicious. It is the second fire at a Sig Sauer New Hampshire facility this year, following a July 27 titanium-related explosion at the company’s Exeter plant that seriously injured an employee.

EPPING, N.H. — A three-alarm fire tore through the Sig Sauer facility in Epping Saturday morning, injuring a firefighter and drawing a large mutual aid response from surrounding communities, according to fire officials.

The Epping Fire Department was dispatched to the facility at 233 Exeter Road around 10:42 a.m. for a fire alarm, with automatic mutual aid from the Brentwood and Lee fire departments. The first-arriving engine reported smoke coming from a roughly 200-by-100-foot, two-story commercial building, and firefighters entered through a side door to begin an interior attack.

Due to the volume of fire, a second alarm was requested. Crews had trouble reaching parts of the structure and temporarily pulled back to defensive operations while additional companies arrived and established a water supply. As access improved, crews reestablished an interior attack, cutting multiple openings into the metal-clad building because of limited windows and access points. Four handlines operated inside simultaneously, with crews rotating through the structure, and a third alarm was called for additional personnel.

The fire was declared under control at about 12:07 p.m., though crews remained on scene for an extended period conducting overhaul operations. One firefighter was taken to Exeter Hospital with minor injuries, treated and released. Route 27 was closed during the response between North Road in Brentwood and Route 125 in Epping.

Departments and agencies that responded included Epping, Exeter, Kingston, Brentwood, Lee, East Kingston, Newfields, Newmarket, Durham, McGregor Ambulance, Stratham, Raymond, Candia, Sandown, Rye, Chester, Fremont and Nottingham.

The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating; officials said the fire does not appear suspicious. It marks the second fire at a Sig Sauer facility in New Hampshire this year. On July 27, an explosion involving stored titanium at the company’s Exeter plant seriously injured an employee, who suffered burn injuries and was flown to a Boston-area hospital. Exeter fire officials said at the time they were continuing to investigate that incident’s cause.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• An 85-foot construction crane toppled onto a passing vehicle in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood Monday morning, setting it on fire and injuring four people.
• The driver escaped the burning car in reverse before self-extricating; two construction workers were trapped inside a storage container the crane fell on, and the crane operator jumped clear as the structure tipped.
• Miami Fire Chief Robert Hevia said all four were transported with minor injuries; none were killed.
• Technical rescue crews cut through the storage container to free the trapped workers while other crews extinguished the vehicle fire.
• The cause of the collapse, involving a piling rig, remains under investigation by OSHA and Miami-Dade County Unsafe Structures personnel.

MIAMI — An 85-foot crane collapsed onto a passing vehicle in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood Monday morning, setting the car on fire and injuring the driver and three construction workers, officials said.

The collapse occurred shortly after 8 a.m. Miami Fire Chief Robert Hevia said at a news conference that he was thankful no one was killed. “I’ve been on the fire department for 28 years; when you see the scene, it’s impressive,” Hevia said. “The fact that we had four victims, and they were all able to be extricated or self-extricate themselves with minor injuries is a remarkable day for them.”

A woman driving next to the construction site saw the crane begin to fall and was able to reverse her car and escape as it caught fire, Hevia said. “To be able to see the crane falling, pull the car in reverse and pop out of the back while the car’s on fire, really incredible,” he said. The crane also crushed two unoccupied parked cars and fell on a storage container where two construction workers were inside; the crane operator managed to jump clear as the structure tipped over.

The two trapped workers, the crane operator and the driver were all taken to hospitals with minor injuries; officials have not identified them. “It was a very complex scene with a fire that was occurring; our crews were putting out the fire and our technical rescue team working simultaneously to cut through the conex box, the construction box, and they were able to successfully extricate the two victims,” Hevia said. All other workers at the site were accounted for.

Officials have not determined what caused the crane — specifically a piling rig, a type of crane whose upper structure is designed to drive support columns into the ground — to topple. Hevia said the collapse is under investigation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Miami-Dade County Unsafe Structures personnel responded to the scene. Firefighters remained on site to monitor and contain a fuel spill until a specialized mitigation crew arrived.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• Lexipol’s 2026 State of Readiness in Public Safety survey found agencies report far greater preparedness for routine calls than for major disruptions or regulatory changes.
• The survey collected responses from 915 law enforcement, fire, EMS and corrections professionals, 74% of whom hold command- or chief-level positions.
• Staffing shortages were cited by 65% of respondents as a factor limiting readiness, with only 17% saying their agencies are extremely or very prepared for staffing shortages.
• Training barriers included scheduling and time constraints, cited by 83% of respondents, and budget constraints, cited by 57%.
• Lexipol is the parent company of FireRescue1, Police1, EMS1 and Corrections1, which is disclosed in the original report.

DALLAS — Public safety agencies report being substantially better prepared for routine calls than for major disruptions, regulatory changes and staffing shortages, according to Lexipol’s 2026 State of Readiness in Public Safety survey.

The survey collected responses from 915 law enforcement, fire, EMS and corrections professionals, 74% of whom hold command- or chief-level positions. Among its findings is a wide gap between preparedness for day-to-day events and so-called “disrupter” events: 78% of respondents said their agencies are prepared for typical calls, compared with 38% who reported preparedness for legal or regulatory changes and 22% for major operational disruptions. Only 8% said they were extremely confident in their agency’s ability to respond to evolving challenges such as emerging incident types and new risks.

Staffing emerged as a particular concern. Just 17% of respondents said their agencies are extremely or very prepared for staffing shortages, and 40% said recruitment is more difficult than it was two years ago. Staffing shortages were cited by 65% of respondents as a factor limiting readiness, followed by recruitment challenges at 39%.

The survey also found an association between leadership preparedness and other measures of agency readiness, including training effectiveness, retention, wellness support, policy quality and data use, though only 19% of respondents rated their agencies as very or extremely effective at developing future leaders. On training, time and scheduling were the most frequently cited barriers, reported by 83% of respondents, followed by budget constraints at 57%; 45% rated their agencies’ training as very or extremely effective, while 34% said effectiveness is not consistently measured.

Nearly half of respondents, 48%, rated their agencies’ personnel wellness support as strong or comprehensive; among those agencies, 44% rated personnel retention as very or extremely effective, compared with 10% at agencies reporting low wellness support. On policy maintenance, 60% of respondents said their agencies review policies continuously or at least annually, and 59% rated their policies as mostly or fully current and aligned with laws and best practices.

Overall, 58% of respondents said their agency’s readiness is stronger than it was two years ago, 49% expressed concern about the current state of public safety, and 44% said they were somewhat or very optimistic about the field’s outlook over the next two to three years.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• The Virginia Beach City Council approved reducing firefighters’ average workweek from 56 hours to 48 hours.
• The council also authorized the Virginia Beach Fire Department to hire 63 full-time employees over the next fiscal year to support the new schedule.
• The department expects to implement the shorter workweek in September 2028.
• Fire Chief Kenneth Pravetz said firefighters currently average 56-hour weeks, with some working 72- or 96-hour weeks due to staffing shortages, and said the career-long time commitment exceeds that of the average city employee by roughly nine years.
• The change follows a broader trend among Virginia fire departments, including Norfolk’s adoption of a 42-hour workweek in July.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach City Council has approved reducing firefighters’ average workweek from 56 hours to 48 hours, a change city leaders say will improve firefighter health, recruitment and retention.

The council also authorized the Virginia Beach Fire Department to hire 63 full-time employees during the next fiscal year to support the new schedule, according to WAVY. The department expects to implement the change in September 2028.

Fire Chief Kenneth Pravetz said firefighters currently work an average of 56 hours a week, with some logging 72- or 96-hour weeks because of staffing shortages. Over the course of a career, Pravetz said, firefighters work the equivalent of nine years longer than the average city employee. “All of this work has eroded some of the health and wellbeing aspects of the profession,” Pravetz said. “If we can reduce the hours or reduce the exposure rates, it’ll just be good for the workforce, and it’ll be good for the community. We’ll have better engaged and refreshed firefighters.”

Pravetz said the shorter workweek will give firefighters more time to recover between shifts and spend with their families while improving on-duty performance. The additional staffing would also give the department a larger pool of firefighters available for recall during hurricanes, tornadoes and other major emergencies, he said.

The change follows a broader shift toward shorter workweeks among fire departments in Virginia and nationally. Norfolk adopted a 42-hour workweek for its firefighters in July, and Pravetz said the Virginia General Assembly has encouraged departments to explore similar changes. He said the department plans to hire aggressively over the next year to fill the positions needed for the transition.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• The main clubhouse at the historic Lochmoor Club in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, burned to the ground Sept. 9 and has been declared a total loss.
• Crews were dispatched around 2:41 p.m. in response to a reported kitchen fire; the blaze was brought under control before midnight, with a fire truck remaining overnight to extinguish hotspots.
• A connected athletic center sustained only smoke damage after emergency crews demolished the walkway linking it to the clubhouse to stop the fire from spreading.
• No injuries have been reported; the Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety Department said the fire remains under investigation and no further details will be released.
• The Grosse Pointe school district limited outdoor activity at three nearby schools as a precaution while monitoring air quality near the scene.

GROSSE POINTE WOODS, Mich. — The clubhouse at the historic Lochmoor Club burned to the ground and has been declared a total loss following a fire Sept. 9, according to the Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety Department and club officials.

Crews were dispatched to the club around 2:41 p.m. in response to a reported kitchen fire, with smoke and flames visible coming through the roof of the two-story clubhouse, which includes dining facilities, a pub, locker rooms and a kitchen. A connected athletic center — housing a gym, tennis courts, golf simulators and the pro shop — sustained only smoke damage after emergency crews demolished the walkway linking the two buildings to prevent the fire from spreading.

The fire was brought under control before midnight, and a fire truck remained on site overnight extinguishing hotspots. The Public Safety Department said it was assisted by units from Grosse Pointe City, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Shores, Harper Woods and the St. Clair Shores Fire Department. The fire remains under investigation, and officials said no further details will be released.

“The community will feel this loss for many years to come,” the department said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with members and workers who have been impacted by this devastating loss.” No injuries have been reported.

Lochmoor leadership, including general manager and chief operating officer Eric Reiter, notified club members of the total loss the evening of the fire and asked them to stay off the property, which remained closed Sept. 10 as public safety, cleanup and investigative crews worked the scene. Club officials said they have been in contact with their insurance company.

The Grosse Pointe school district said Sept. 10 it was monitoring air quality near the site and warned that conditions could be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including students and staff with asthma or other underlying conditions. As a precaution, the district limited outdoor time at Mason, Parcells and North schools.

Lochmoor Club’s golf course first opened in 1918; the original clubhouse was destroyed by fire in 1924 and later rebuilt, with the most recent structure dating to 1969 and undergoing renovations in recent years. Grosse Pointe Woods Mayor Arthur W. Bryant said Sept. 9 that “we’re really going to miss this place for a while.”

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle questioned Seattle Fire Department officials Tuesday about a Texas-based nurse line and an AI program used to help triage 911 medical calls.
• Since 2022, some 911 callers with less-urgent issues have been transferred to a nurse line run by ambulance contractor American Medical Response; those nurse-ordered ambulances are exempt from city response-time standards and are not tracked by the city.
• A 71-year-old woman, Pamela Hogan, died in 2022 after waiting more than 10 hours for an ambulance ordered through the nurse line; her estate’s lawsuit against the city and AMR was settled this summer by AMR.
• Since 2023, an AI program from Danish company Corti has been listening to all Seattle Fire Department 911 medical calls and prompting dispatchers to consider transferring certain callers to the nurse line; the program was introduced without public disclosure.
• Fire Chief Harold Scoggins said dispatchers retain full control over transfer decisions, and the University of Washington is evaluating the AI program’s effectiveness, though no metrics have yet been shared publicly.

SEATTLE — The Seattle Fire Department may pursue greater accountability from its ambulance contractor after City Council members raised concerns Tuesday about a nurse line used to triage some 911 medical calls and an artificial intelligence program that flags calls for potential transfer.

Councilmember Bob Kettle called Fire Department officials before his public safety committee following Seattle Times reporting this year that raised questions about both systems. “That’s the main to-do item,” Kettle said after the meeting, referring to his desire for enhanced oversight of ambulance responses ordered through the nurse line.

Most basic life support 911 hospital transports in Seattle are handled by the city’s ambulance contractor, American Medical Response. Since 2022, the Fire Department has transferred some 911 patients with less-urgent issues to AMR’s nurse line, based in Texas, where nurses can offer advice, connect callers to virtual care, arrange rideshare transport to clinics, or order an ambulance. “We only have so many units to go out the door,” Fire Chief Harold Scoggins told the committee. “This was the tool that was implemented to help with that.”

At the same time the nurse line was introduced, the department changed AMR’s contract to exempt nurse-ordered ambulances from city response-time standards and stopped tracking their wait times. In 2022, 71-year-old Pamela Hogan waited more than 10 hours for an ambulance after being transferred to the nurse line, despite calling 911 back multiple times, and died without receiving care. Her estate sued the city and AMR; AMR settled the case this summer. Kettle noted the city cannot determine whether Hogan’s experience was unusual, since it no longer tracks such waits. “That (type of) call is up to AMR to track,” Scoggins said, adding that once calls are identified as lower-level medical emergencies, they fall outside the city’s tracking system.

Since 2023, an AI program developed by Danish company Corti has monitored all of the department’s 911 medical calls and sent live prompts suggesting dispatchers transfer certain callers to the nurse line. The department introduced the program without disclosing it to 911 callers and operated it for more than two years without public review, raising concerns among some experts about transparency and accountability. Scoggins said dispatchers, not the AI, retain decision-making authority. “It can pop a message up on the screen based on the words that the caller is using, the pace, the tone, the tenor,” Scoggins said. “The dispatcher can send that call to the nurse line or not. That still rests with the dispatcher.” Councilmember Rob Saka said he appreciated that dispatchers remain in control of the process.

As of May, the department had no public metrics on the AI program’s effect on patient outcomes. Officials said Tuesday that the University of Washington is evaluating the program’s effectiveness but did not share further details.

Scoggins said the department holds quarterly meetings with AMR regarding the nurse line and could raise the possibility of tracking and time standards in future contract negotiations, though AMR signed a new five-year agreement last year and would need to agree to any changes. “We haven’t asked that question. We can ask that question,” Scoggins said. Kettle said he plans to follow up with Mayor Katie Wilson’s office on the issue.