March 17, 2023 A Waterbury firefighter stayed put until the line was de-energized.
Source Firehouse.com News
A power line came down on a Waterbury fire truck at the scene of a house fire Thursday night.
No one was injured. But the Waterbury firefighter on the turntable couldn’t move until the line was de-energized, WFSB reported.
Fire officials said the house that was vacant is a total loss.
The cause remains under investigation.
March 17, 2023 St. Andrews Fire Chief Charles Lamoreaux said the location in West Ashley will reduce response times.
Source Firehouse.com News
Plans are well underway to build a new fire and EMS station in an ever-growing area in West Ashley
St. Andrews Fire Chief Charles Lamoreaux told reporters the extra space is needed.
“Our crews are really excited to partner with Charleston County and welcome them into this new fire house. They really believe that this is going to just enhance the professional relationships that we already have with Charleston County EMS,” he said.
Charleston County has partnered with St. Andrews Public Services District to build the station.
Charleston County EMS District 3 covers the City of Charleston and the St. Andrews Public Services District. Crews in District 3 handle incidents in a 62-square mile area and respond to the most 9-1-1 calls out of all 14 stations.
Councilman Brantley Moody believes the facility will fill a void.
“That’s why it’s such a win-win is that the fire station is going to be a state-of-the-art fire station. It’s going to improve the conditions of Church Creek as well and then, give us the EMS presence out there that we surely need.”
He added: “It’s got to cut down response times because, you know, you just don’t know when people are going to have emergencies and where our trucks are going to be at the time. So, having a physical presence there couldn’t hurt. It could only help.”
March 17, 2023 Firefighters rescued nine people trapped by the flames.
Source Firehouse.com News
A chaotic scene unfolded in Old Montreal early Thursday morning when a fire tore through a historic building.
Firefighters rescued people trapped on the roof and hanging from windows, according to CBC
Nine people were taken to hospital in stable condition but one person is still accounted for. However, a fire officer said others may be missing. It was difficult to determine the exact number because some of the units were rented.
The building was built in 1890.
March 17, 2023 Members of the Buffalo Hand Crew, armed with snow shovels, all have criminal backgrounds.
Source Firehouse.com News
A group of firefighters have been shoveling driveways and digging vehicles buried under feet of snow in California mountains.
This team — the Buffalo Hand Crews — is different from others helping residents dig out from the record-setting snowfall. All have criminal records, KCAL reported.
“I did three years and ten months,” said Superintendent Dalton Harris Jr. explaining that poor choices landed him behind bars.
He went for the inmate firefighter program after learning he would get time off his sentence. But, he soon learned to love the grueling work and set his sights on becoming a career firefighter once he was released.
“I went to every station, and they laughed at me,” said Harris. “They told me I was never going to be a fireman.”
Crew Capt. Jonala Vann had a similar story about bad choices when she was younger.
“Pretty much 10 years behind bars,” she said, adding that joining a fire camp inspired and pushed her.
“Having people thank you for saving their homes, regardless of the color of the uniform I was in, regardless that I was an inmate. It meant something to me. It sparked a passion within.”
They decided to follow that calling and got in touch with the forestry and fire recruitment program, a nonprofit that helps former inmates find careers in firefighting. That’s how they became leaders.
And, their future looks even brighter now since Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in 2020 that allows former inmates who served in prison fire camps to petition to get their records expunged.
Harris’ slate is wiped clean. “Upon me getting my record expunged, now I’m able to get my EMT and probably take it even further and get my paramedic.”
Vann is in the process of getting her sentence off her record. “I can’t erase the past. I can’t take it back. I can’t change what I did. But I can move forward and be a better person, better mother, better servant.”
Wendy Otto appreciated the firefighters’ work to clear her vehicle and driveway. “It was stressful. To have this help, it’s just a blessing.”
March 17, 2023 San Antonio firefighters said the victim suffered a leg injury.
Source Firehouse.com News
San Antonio Fire Department firefighters rescued a homeless person from a manhole near downtown.
A battalion chief told reporters said the man likely slipped and then fell into the manhole. Homeless people often go into the ditch to get out of the elements.
Crews worked for more than an hour to get the man out. He was transported for a leg injury.
March 17, 2023 Greensboro firefighters say it’s unusual to respond to a working house fire during the day.
Source firehouse.com News
Two children were killed, and an adult was seriously injured in a house fire
A ring camera from across the street showed heavy smoke, WFMY reported.
Greensboro Deputy Chief Dwayne Church said it was strange for crews to respond to a fully involved house fire in the middle of the day.
The incident went to two alarms as extra crews were needed.
March 16, 2023 Funeral services will be held March 17 for Brady Fire Technician William ‘Bill’ Fore.
Source Firehouse.com News
A Texas firefighter died earlier this month of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while on duty.
Brady Engineer/EMT William ‘Bill’ Fore died of his injuries on March 9, the U.S. Fire Administration reported Thursday.
When Fore, 38, missed roll call, fellow colleagues found him injured severely with a gunshot wound.
He was treated and transported to Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo where he died.
Fore had been with the department for 13 years.
March 16, 2023 Without enough firefighters, Santa Fe County has had to close a station at times.
Source Firehouse.com News
Santa Fe County is so short of firefighters one station is often shut down.
Firefighters in Station 62 made the difference in 2021 when the restaurant across the street caught fire, Manager Hannah d’Errico told KRQE.
IAFF Local 4366 President Eutimio Ortiz told the reporters: “They are our first response in the Las Campana’s and Tesuque area,” Ortiz continued; but it’s frequently shut down because there aren’t enough firefighters. Now surrounding areas will suffer as response times are expected to double. “The national standard is 6 minutes to respond to an emergency. They might be able to accomplish that when 62 is open most of the time, but when it’s closed it’s not going to happen…”
Ortiz added that with wildfire season just around the corner, firefighters are gearing up. “It starts to play a big role in the amount of work that a firefighter has to do on a fire. We have some key areas that we’re worried about…the eastern side of Santa Fe County there’s really no great way to fight a fire out there with all the houses and lack of fire hydrants.”
Also, a state bill that would have created a new fund for career firefighter health care failed to get out of committee.
It would have allowed firefighters to access up to $5,000 annually to pay for deductibles. Volunteer firefighters were not included.
March 15, 2023 The City of Oswego Fire Department used a drone to spray water on a commercial building fire after firefighters were forced to exit the building.
By Rylee Kirk Source syracuse.com (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Oswego, N.Y. — A drone was used to spray water on a downtown Oswego building that was on fire for almost two hours Wednesday, firefighters said.
At 3:11 a.m. firefighters arrived at 39 West Bridge St. to find a fire at the back of the second-story apartment building, according to a news release from the City of Oswego Fire Department. The building has a bar called Raven in it, according to a Facebook post from Mayor Billy Barlow.
One person was home at the time of the fire but managed to get out, firefighters said. People in neighboring buildings were evacuated by the fire department.
The fire was heavy in the attic and cockloft, or area between the ceiling and roof, firefighters said. The firefighters were forced to exit the building and fight the fire from the outside, they said.
For 90 minutes firefighters fought the fire with a large quantity of water, firefighters said. A drone was used to spray the building with water from above, firefighters said. At 5 a.m. the fire was finally controlled, firefighters said.
The building had heavy damage to the second floor and roof. Nearby buildings had water damage, firefighters said.
March 15, 2023 A car caught fire at a San Francisco International Airport long-term parking garage early Wednesday, igniting a blaze that spread to two other cars.
By Nora Mishanec Source San Francisco Chronicle (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Mar. 15—A car caught fire at a San Francisco International Airport long-term parking garage early Wednesday, igniting a blaze that spread to two other cars and emitting “noticeable” smoke, fire officials said.
Firefighters called to the scene worked to extinguish the flames shortly after 7 a.m., the San Francisco Fire Department said on Twitter. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.
The three-car blaze did not interrupt airport operations, but did produce “noticeable smoke” in the vicinity, officials said.