By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• • Diana Sparrow, sister of Carolyn Virginia Collins, 64, filed a wrongful death lawsuit June 1, 2026, in Richland County Circuit Court against the City of Columbia, Richland County, the Columbia-Richland Fire Department, and fire engine driver Bryan Richardson.
• • Collins was killed July 12, 2025, when a Columbia-Richland fire engine traveling north in a southbound lane on Two Notch Road struck her vehicle as she attempted a left-hand turn from a median.
• • The lawsuit alleges Richardson was driving in excess of 65 mph in a posted 45-mph zone and drove against traffic flow while responding to a lightning-strike house fire; Richardson was subsequently ticketed by South Carolina Highway Patrol for driving at an unreasonable speed.
• • The lawsuit additionally alleges Richardson failed to activate the fire engine’s emergency lights and sirens — a claim that conflicts with prior media reports and a Highway Patrol release, which stated the lights and sirens had been engaged.
• • Sparrow’s attorney, Shaquana Cuttino, is seeking a jury trial with damages covering medical costs, burial expenses, pain and suffering, and attorney’s fees; named defendants have 30 days from being served to respond.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The estate of a Columbia woman killed last year in a collision with a responding fire engine is pursuing legal action against the City of Columbia, Richland County, the Columbia-Richland Fire Department, and the driver of the apparatus, following a July 2025 crash that officials say occurred while the engine was en route to an active structure fire.

Carolyn Virginia Collins, 64, was killed at approximately 6:49 p.m. on July 12, 2025, when a Columbia-Richland Fire Department engine driven by Bryan Richardson struck her vehicle on Two Notch Road. According to the lawsuit and a South Carolina Highway Patrol report, Richardson was driving northbound in a southbound lane at the time of the collision. Collins was attempting to make a left-hand turn from a median when the impact occurred. She died at the scene.

The fire engine had been dispatched that evening to a lightning-strike fire on Bradford Ridge Lane in northeast Columbia, where one home had been engulfed in flames and two others damaged. Several engines were called to the scene. The lawsuit, filed June 1, 2026, in Richland County Circuit Court by Collins’ sister, Diana Sparrow, alleges Richardson drove at more than 65 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone and operated the vehicle against the flow of traffic. Richardson was subsequently issued a traffic citation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol for driving at a speed not reasonable under conditions, according to court records.

The suit names the City of Columbia and Richland County — which jointly manage the fire department — as defendants, alleging both entities were negligent in their training and supervision of Richardson. The lawsuit states that the department, city, county, and Richardson each owed a duty of care to Collins and the public to ensure emergency vehicles are operated in a manner that does not endanger civilian motorists.

The lawsuit also alleges Richardson failed to operate the engine’s emergency lights and sirens at the time of the crash. That allegation directly conflicts with prior media reports and a South Carolina Highway Patrol statement following the collision, both of which indicated the lights and sirens had been activated. The State newspaper has filed a public records request for the Highway Patrol’s full investigation report.

Sparrow, acting as representative of Collins’ estate and represented by attorney Shaquana Cuttino, is seeking a jury trial and asking the court to award compensatory damages including medical costs, burial expenses, and other economic losses, as well as damages for pain and suffering and attorney’s fees. Under the terms of the suit, all named defendants have 30 days from the date of service to file a response. The Columbia-Richland Fire Department had not issued a public statement in response to the filing as of the date of publication.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• • Grand Blanc Township, Mich., officially opened a new 60,000-square-foot public safety and public works complex on June 8, 2026, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at 5272 S. Dort Highway.
• • The $24 million facility consolidates Fire Station No. 1 and the Department of Public Works into a single, purpose-built structure designed to address longstanding space and safety limitations at the township’s existing facilities.
• • Township Supervisor Scott Bennett stated the project was completed without a tax increase, funded through years of dedicated municipal savings.
• • Planning for the new complex began in 2019 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic; ground was broken in mid-October 2024.
• • Grand Blanc Township firefighters began operating out of the new station on June 8, with a public open house allowing residents and community partners to tour the facility and meet township staff.

GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Grand Blanc Township marked the completion of a $24 million public safety and public works complex with a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 8, 2026, at 5272 S. Dort Highway, formally opening a 60,000-square-foot facility that brings Fire Station No. 1 and the Department of Public Works under one roof for the first time.

Township Supervisor Scott Bennett said the project addresses infrastructure deficiencies that had persisted for years at both departments. The former Fire Station No. 1 had been physically connected to the township’s main offices at 5371 S. Saginaw St., a configuration that created safety challenges and limited operational space for the fire department. The Department of Public Works had similarly outgrown its footprint within the main office building. Planning for a replacement facility began in 2019 but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic before groundbreaking took place in October 2024.

“This facility will serve as a vital hub for safety, wellbeing and public service for Grand Blanc Township residents,” Bennett said. “It’ll house the teams, and the equipment needed to keep our residents safe and our township running smoothly for generations to come.”

Bennett said the project was completed without raising taxes, noting that the township had spent years saving and planning for the investment. Following the ribbon-cutting, the township hosted a public open house inviting residents, local officials, and community partners to tour the building and meet with fire and public works staff. Grand Blanc Township firefighters began active operations out of the new station on June 8, the same day as the ceremony.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• • Thomas “TJ” Kochera, a 34-year-old New Haven firefighter-paramedic with nearly ten years of service, died Friday after experiencing complications during a second surgery to address a congenital heart defect.
• • Kochera was described by New Haven Fire Chief Daniel Coughlin and regional EMS partners as one of the premier pre-hospital care providers in Connecticut, credited with numerous cardiac arrest saves and emergency rescues.
• • In addition to his duties with the New Haven Fire Department, Kochera worked as a paramedic for American Medical Response in the Bridgeport area since 2012.
• • Kochera is survived by his wife and two daughters, ages 2 years and 8 months.
• • His death came four days after the passing of retired New Haven firefighter Thomas Kelly, bringing the department’s losses to six in five years, according to Chief Coughlin.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Thomas “TJ” Kochera, a firefighter-paramedic with the New Haven Fire Department, died Friday, June 6, 2026, following complications that arose during surgery, Fire Chief Daniel Coughlin confirmed. Kochera was 34 years old and had served with the department for nearly a decade.

Kochera had undergone elective surgery to correct a congenital heart defect that Coughlin described as one that had not disqualified him from active duty service. Following the initial procedure, Kochera experienced pain that required a second surgery. A complication during the second operation resulted in cardiac arrest, according to the chief. Kochera was assigned to the Howard Avenue firehouse at the time of his death.

Beyond his work in New Haven, Kochera had served as a paramedic with American Medical Response in the Bridgeport and Fairfield areas since 2012. Yale New Haven Hospital for EMS described Kochera as one of the region’s most distinguished pre-hospital care providers, crediting him with numerous cardiac arrest saves. American Medical Response in Bridgeport noted his compassion, professionalism, and dedication to both colleagues and patients. A fellow New Haven firefighter recalled in a public tribute how Kochera assisted him in carrying an unconscious fire victim down a hallway and stairwell of a burning building four years ago; the victim survived.

Coughlin credited Kochera with contributing procedural improvements to the department, including a proposal to strategically hold one of two responding paramedics in reserve during certain calls so that a second unit remained available for simultaneous emergencies — an approach made feasible by advancements in the department’s computer-aided dispatch system. “He kind of wanted to share the wealth,” Coughlin said.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker issued a statement mourning Kochera’s death, noting that residents across the city are alive today because of his work in the field. “The City of New Haven and the New Haven Fire Department mourn Firefighter Kochera’s passing, grieve alongside the Kochera family — especially his wife and two young children — and will be by their side during this difficult time,” Elicker said. Kochera is survived by his wife and two daughters, ages 2 years and 8 months.

Kochera’s death followed by four days the passing of retired New Haven firefighter Thomas Kelly, who died 34 years after sustaining a traumatic brain injury when he fell 30 feet through a roof shaft during a fire response in 1992. Chief Coughlin noted the department has lost six members in five years, including Kelly. The Firemen’s Benevolent Association of New Haven has established a donation fund to support the Kochera family.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• • Chelmsford Firefighters IAFF Local 1839 voted unanimously to issue a no-confidence resolution against Fire Chief Gary Ryan, citing staffing shortages, communication failures, and a lack of advocacy for department personnel and public safety.
• • Union President Robert Albon delivered the vote by letter Monday to the Chelmsford Select Board and acting Town Manager John Sousa, stating the action followed what the union described as years of unresolved deficiencies in department leadership.
• • A central grievance involves the department’s handling of the April 7, 2026, serious injury of firefighter Nicholas Spinale, who fell 40 feet at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy in Stow and sustained life-threatening injuries.
• • The union alleges that Chief Ryan issued no direct communication to the department or union leadership following Spinale’s injury, a claim it says was confirmed through a public records request.
• • Acting Town Manager Sousa publicly defended Ryan, calling him “one of the finest people I have ever met,” and disputed multiple claims in the union’s letter, suggesting the timing of the vote coincides with an ongoing collective bargaining impasse.

CHELMSFORD, Mass. — The Chelmsford Firefighters IAFF Local 1839 announced Monday that its members voted unanimously to issue a no-confidence resolution in Fire Chief Gary Ryan, citing what the union described as years of staffing deficiencies, communication failures, and inadequate advocacy for department personnel and community safety.

Union President Robert Albon delivered the resolution by letter to the Chelmsford Select Board and acting Town Manager John Sousa on June 9, 2026. In a statement accompanying the letter, Albon said an internal survey of department personnel found respondents “overwhelmingly” believed Ryan was not the appropriate individual to lead the department. Specific concerns listed by union members included ongoing staffing shortages, the absence of established standard operating procedures, and a lack of clear direction from the chief’s office.

The union also cited what it characterized as a pattern of voluntary budget reductions, alleging the department returned more than $2.5 million in personnel funds to the town between fiscal years 2015 and 2025, despite persistent staffing shortages. According to Albon, Chelmsford apparatus are generally staffed with two firefighters and no company officer — below the minimum recommended by National Fire Protection Association 1710 standards. The union noted that over a ten-year period, the department recorded six civilian deaths across 307 fire incidents, and that an arbitration award secured through contract negotiations now requires at least one apparatus to be staffed with three firefighters at all times.

A significant point of contention involves the April 7, 2026, injury of Chelmsford firefighter Nicholas Spinale, who fell 40 feet from a burn building at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy in Stow while working as a part-time training instructor. Spinale sustained life-threatening injuries but has since been discharged from the hospital and is recovering at home. Because the injury occurred while Spinale was working a secondary job, town leadership initially determined the town could not provide him with injury benefits equivalent to those available for on-duty injuries. Gov. Maura Healey subsequently filed legislation to grant Spinale full injury benefits during his recovery, and the town placed him on paid administrative leave in the interim, to be reimbursed by the state. The union alleged that Ryan issued no response to its request for a temporary staffing coverage solution following the injury and never addressed department personnel regarding the incident. Albon said a public records request confirmed the absence of any direct communication from the chief’s office to union leadership on the matter.

Acting Town Manager Sousa pushed back against the union’s claims in a phone call Monday afternoon, defending Ryan’s record on equipment upgrades, the provision of PFAS-free turnout gear, and efforts to replace two aging fire stations. Sousa disputed the union’s account of poor communication, citing monthly command staff meetings and an open-door policy maintained by Ryan. On the staffing issue, Sousa attributed a portion of the problem to high sick leave usage among firefighters, noting that between November and mid-May, 63 callback shifts were required due to leave, 25 of which went unfilled and four of which were only partially filled. Sousa also suggested the timing of the no-confidence vote may be connected to an ongoing collective bargaining impasse between the union and the town.

Chief Ryan was contacted for comment Monday morning but told The Sun it was the first he had heard of the union’s vote and that he would issue a formal response after reviewing the letter. No disciplinary action or administrative review of Ryan’s position has been publicly announced by town leadership. The matter remains ongoing.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• • An unidentified woman was fatally struck by an FDNY fire engine at approximately 11:15 p.m. on June 6, 2026, at the corner of Intervale Avenue and Chisholm Street in the Morrisania section of the Bronx, New York.
• • FDNY Engine 82 was traveling northbound on Intervale Avenue with emergency lights and siren activated, responding to a fire alarm call box activation several blocks away, when it struck the woman who was crossing the street.
• • The woman was transported in critical condition to St. Barnabas Hospital, where she was pronounced dead; her identity had not been confirmed as of the time of publication.
• • The 34-year-old firefighter operating the engine remained at the scene; no charges had been filed as of June 8, and the investigation by the NYPD is ongoing.
• • The intersection where the collision occurred has no marked crosswalk; the emergency call the engine was responding to was reassigned to another unit following the incident.

NEW YORK, N.Y. — An unidentified woman died after being struck by an FDNY fire engine responding to an emergency call in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx at approximately 11:15 p.m. on June 6, 2026, according to the New York City Police Department.

Engine 82 was traveling northbound on Intervale Avenue with its emergency lights and siren activated when it struck the woman at the intersection of Intervale Avenue and Chisholm Street. The engine had been dispatched to respond to a fire alarm call box activation located several blocks from the collision site. Police noted that the intersection where the woman was struck does not have a marked crosswalk.

The woman was transported by EMS to St. Barnabas Hospital in critical condition, where she was pronounced dead. Authorities had not publicly confirmed her identity as of the time of publication. No other individuals were injured in the collision.

The 34-year-old firefighter operating Engine 82 remained at the scene with the apparatus following the incident. The emergency call to which the unit had been responding was subsequently reassigned to another fire company. No charges had been filed against the firefighter as of June 8, 2026, and the investigation remains active.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• • A CAL FIRE engine operating with emergency lights and siren activated collided with a civilian vehicle at approximately 12:30 p.m. on June 6, 2026, at the intersection of State Street and Gibbel Road in Hemet, California, killing two occupants of the civilian vehicle and injuring three firefighters.
• • The driver of the civilian vehicle, a 43-year-old male from San Jacinto, was pronounced dead at the scene; a 10-year-old boy in the front passenger seat died from his injuries at Inland Valley Medical Center.
• • A third occupant — a young passenger in the rear seat — was transported to a hospital for precautionary evaluation; all occupants were believed to be wearing seatbelts.
• • The three injured CAL FIRE firefighters were transported to Inland Valley Hospital for evaluation and were subsequently released.
• • The engine was part of a CAL FIRE strike team from the Tulare Unit in Visalia responding to the Cranston Fire in the Valle Vista community of Riverside County; investigators do not believe alcohol or drugs were factors in the collision, and the crash remains under investigation.

HEMET, Calif. — Two people were killed and three CAL FIRE firefighters were injured on June 6, 2026, when a civilian passenger vehicle collided with a CAL FIRE engine that was responding under emergency conditions to a wildfire in Riverside County, according to the California Highway Patrol and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The collision occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. at the intersection of State Street and Gibbel Road in Hemet. The CAL FIRE engine was traveling northbound on State Street with its emergency lights and siren activated when a civilian Mini Cooper traveling westbound on Gibbel Road entered the intersection and the two vehicles collided.

The driver of the Mini Cooper, a 43-year-old male from San Jacinto whose identity had not been publicly released as of the time of publication, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 10-year-old boy in the front passenger seat was transported to Inland Valley Medical Center, where he died from his injuries. A third occupant — described as a young passenger seated in the rear of the vehicle — was transported to a hospital for a precautionary evaluation. All three civilian occupants were believed to have been wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, the CHP stated. Their identities were not released.

The engine’s driver and two additional firefighters were transported to Inland Valley Hospital for evaluation following the crash. All three were subsequently released. The CAL FIRE engine was part of a strike team dispatched from the agency’s Tulare Unit in Visalia to assist with multiple active fires in Southern California. At the time of the collision, the crew was en route to the Cranston Fire, a 2-acre wildfire burning in the Valle Vista community of Riverside County that was later contained.

The California Highway Patrol said investigators do not believe alcohol or drugs contributed to the collision. The crash remains under active investigation, and no further details regarding cause or contributing factors had been released as of the time of publication.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• • A commercial vehicle fire broke out inside the westbound tube of the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike on the evening of June 5, 2026, triggering a full tunnel evacuation and closure that lasted into the following afternoon.
• • Approximately 150 stranded motorists were evacuated from inside and near the tunnel and transported by charter bus to a nearby Turnpike maintenance facility; the commercial vehicle’s driver suffered a separate medical emergency and was airlifted for treatment.
• • Shanksville and mutual aid crews from multiple Somerset and Bedford County departments battled dense smoke, carbon monoxide readings of 20 parts per million in the staging tube, and more than 60 abandoned vehicles before locating and extinguishing a fully involved Ford F-450 and attached trailer.
• • The westbound tunnel tube was closed throughout the night and reopened at approximately 2:30 p.m. on June 6; the eastbound tube reopened at 3:20 a.m., with traffic from both directions using a single tube in the interim.
• • No firefighters, responders, or motorists were injured; Shanksville Deputy Fire Chief John Abramowich described the outcome as fortunate, noting the incident appeared to be only the second working vehicle fire inside the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel in 45 years.

BERLIN, Pa. — A commercial vehicle fire inside the westbound tube of the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike on the evening of June 5, 2026, forced the evacuation of approximately 150 motorists, closed both tunnel tubes to traffic for an extended period, and presented fire crews with a series of operational challenges including heavy smoke, elevated carbon monoxide levels, and more than 60 abandoned vehicles scattered throughout the tunnel interior, according to the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Company.

The incident was initially reported to Somerset County 911 as an explosion involving a commercial vehicle shortly after 9 p.m. Both the westbound and eastbound tubes of the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel were closed to traffic as fire companies from Shanksville and multiple neighboring departments in Somerset and Bedford counties responded to the scene. Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Richard Levan said charter buses were dispatched to transport approximately 150 stranded motorists to a nearby Turnpike maintenance facility. The commercial vehicle’s driver suffered a separate medical emergency that was not related to the fire; the driver was airlifted by medical helicopter for treatment. Turnpike traffic was detoured as far back as New Stanton during the closure.

Shanksville Deputy Fire Chief John Abramowich said arriving crews found a Ford F-450 and its trailer fully involved in fire deep inside the westbound tunnel tube. Locating the burning vehicle was itself a significant challenge — dense black smoke filled the westbound tube, and more than 60 vehicles abandoned by motorists during the evacuation were left scattered throughout the roadway. Compounding the difficulty, smoke funneled into the adjacent eastbound tube where crews had staged their apparatus, with carbon monoxide readings reaching 20 parts per million — a level sufficient to pose a serious health threat to firefighters and to impair combustion-dependent equipment. Crews were temporarily withdrawn to conduct ventilation operations before advancing a hand line from the eastbound tube into the westbound tube to locate and suppress the fire. Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission crews also assisted, positioning large ventilation fans to help clear smoke from the tunnel.

No firefighters, EMS personnel, or members of the public were injured during the incident. The eastbound tube reopened to traffic at approximately 3:20 a.m. on June 6, with both directions of traffic funneled through a single tube until the westbound tube was cleared of debris, damaged tiles, and compromised light fixtures and reopened shortly after 2:30 p.m. Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission officials confirmed that the tunnel’s structural integrity was not compromised by the fire.

Abramowich said the department has conducted tabletop exercises for tunnel incidents for years but acknowledged that no live-fire training inside the operational tunnels had previously been possible. He described the incident as only the second working vehicle fire inside the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel in approximately 45 years and credited the multi-department response for the absence of injuries. “You can plan and talk about it, but there’s no real-life practice situation for something like this,” Abramowich said. The cause of the vehicle fire was not publicly determined as of the time of publication.

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• • Approximately 150 members of the Greensboro Fire Department attended a June 2026 Greensboro City Council meeting to formally advocate for the inclusion of a special separation allowance for firefighters in the city’s upcoming fiscal year budget.
• • A special separation allowance is a retirement bridge benefit currently available to North Carolina law enforcement officers — including Greensboro police officers — that provides retirement income to eligible personnel who retire before age 62, when Social Security benefits become available.
• • Professional Fire Fighters of Greensboro President Dave Coker stated the benefit would cost less than 1% of City Manager Trey Davis’ $913 million recommended budget and would make the department a more competitive employer across North Carolina.
• • Only one council member, Councilman Adam Marshall, publicly declared support for the benefit during the meeting; Mayor Pro Tem Denise Turner Roth and Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter expressed appreciation for the department without committing to the request.
• • The Greensboro City Council is expected to vote on the FY27 budget on June 16, 2026.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Approximately 150 members of the Greensboro Fire Department filled Greensboro City Council chambers during a June 2026 meeting to publicly support the inclusion of a special separation allowance for firefighters in the city’s upcoming fiscal year budget — a benefit currently available to the city’s police officers but not its fire service personnel.

A special separation allowance is a retirement bridge benefit established under North Carolina law that provides retirement income to qualifying public safety employees who retire before age 62, at which point they become eligible for Social Security. Under the current state framework, the benefit applies to officers who have completed 30 years of service or have reached age 55 with at least five years of credited service. Greensboro police officers already receive this benefit; the firefighters’ push would extend equivalent coverage to fire department personnel.

Dave Coker, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Greensboro, said the estimated cost of adding the benefit would represent less than 1% of City Manager Trey Davis’ $913 million recommended budget. Coker characterized the allowance as a tool for positioning the department as a preferred employer and argued it would support the city’s ability to attract and retain qualified firefighters over the long term.

Martin Barrow, a recruitment coordinator for the Greensboro Fire Department, described the allowance as a significant recruitment asset and said its absence places Greensboro at a disadvantage relative to other fire agencies across the state that already offer the benefit. “Special separation allowance sends a clear message that Greensboro values the men and women who dedicated their lives to protecting this great community,” Barrow said.

During the meeting, Councilman Adam Marshall was the only council member to state clear support for the benefit. “I think this is a benefit we need to provide,” Marshall said, adding that firefighters who protect the community every day deserve equivalent protections for themselves and their families. Mayor Pro Tem Denise Turner Roth and Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter each expressed appreciation for the department’s service but did not publicly commit to supporting the budget request. The Greensboro City Council is scheduled to vote on the FY27 budget on June 16, 2026.