Firefighter Close Calls

As emergency service communications dig deeper down into the digital realm, exposure to disruption increases. A number of recent cases highlight the vulnerability of these networks to external attack, and to the need for increased attention to protecting them from outside interference. The following link will bring you to some important information and resources on […]

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) – A Wausau firefighter was injured while responding to a structure fire on Tuesday afternoon. Crews were called to the fire at the Wesley United Methodist Church on the 1100 block of Elm Street in the city of Wausau just before 4 p.m. While fighting the fire, one firefighter sustained severe injuries. […]

On the evening of July 18, 2023, the Baltimore County (Maryland) FD responded to a commercial building fire at the Advance Auto Parts store in Reisterstown. Literally from the first 9-1-1 call to dispatch to turnout to arrival and operations, the department faced numerous and very significant challenges.  During this working fire, Fire Lieutenant Michael Dennis became disoriented […]

  The Intercontinental Terminals Co. fire that broke out March 17, 2019, did not just lead to a massive black plume of smoke lingering for days over east Harris County, before spreading 20 miles to downtown Houston and other parts of the city. It also led to Harris County officials rethinking their emergency notification systems, after hearing […]

  Thousands of Honeywell System Sensor L-Series Fire Alarms installed in residential apartments and office buildings have been recalled, due to a risk that the sounders and strobes may malfunction, potentially failing to alert those nearby of a fire. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the Honeywell fire alarm recall on March 14, following at […]

    OHIO COUNTY, WV (WTRF) 911 dispatchers in Ohio County, West Virginia are suing the county commission because of pay issues with their on-call policy and safety issues in the work place. Ohio County dispatchers say with their current policy that at least one dispatcher has to be on-call for 24 hours a day […]

    NEW CUMBERLAND — Two Hancock County 911 dispatchers have filed a complaint against the county commission, alleging disparities in the way certain benefits are provided under the county’s employee policy manual. The complaint was filed in Hancock County Circuit Court on Monday by Joshua D. Miller of Toriseva Law on behalf of Sierra […]

One man was arrested Wednesday night after stealing a Coffee Regional Medical Center ambulance and crashing it, according to police. Douglas Police Chief Brannen Pruette said around 7:45 p.m., a psychiatric patient who was being treated at the hospital stole an ambulance and drove away. The patient later crashed the ambulance in the area of […]

On 3/21/1996 two arson fires in an occupied operational general merchandise warehouse in New Orleans, Louisiana destroyed the 1,134,770 square-foot facility. A combination of 65-foot-high bay racks and 30-foot-high low bay racks was protected by 30 overhead and 17 in-rack sprinkler systems supported by two 2,500 GPM fire pumps. The fire started in an area […]

MT. MORRIS, Mich. (WNEM) – Multiple Mt. Morris Township firefighters are injured after responding to an injury crash on I-75 on Wednesday morning. According to a Facebook post made by the Grand Blanc City Fire Department on Wednesday, March 20, five Mt. Morris Township firefighters were involved in the rollover crash. Crashed fire truck© Grand Blanc City […]

COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Two crash victims escaped with minor injuries after a vehicle driving highway speeds collided with a Mifflin Township Fire Department firetruck on an east Columbus interstate early Sunday morning. According to the Gahanna Police Department, officers and a Mifflin Township Fire Department battalion chief were assisting a disabled vehicle on Interstate 270 […]

On 3/20/1905 in Brockton, Massachusetts a boiler explosion and fire claimed fifty-eight lives at the R. B. Grover & Company, a four-story wooden (heavy timber) shoe factory. There were 360 of the 450 employees working when the old out-of-service fire-tube boiler was reconnected. The faulty boiler erupted with a force comparable to 661 pounds of […]

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – On Monday, Atlanta fire officials confirmed that five firefighters have been injured while on the job in the last two weeks. “Every day that we go out, we train for the worst. We expect the worst, but we hope for the best. And five injuries in two weeks is […]

On March 18, 2024 at approximately 8:45 a.m. Darke County Deputies along with Arcanum Fire and Arcanum Rescue were dispatched to the 6700 block of State Route 49 in reference to an accident with injuries. Preliminary investigation revealed a Ford pickup driven by John Means (80) of Greenville was southbound on Arcanum Bears Mill Road […]

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Emergency crews responded to an accident involving an EMSA ambulance on Monday. Officials say the accident happened near SE 89th St. and Peebly Rd. when the ambulance drove off of the road. It is unknown if any other vehicles were involved in the accident or if anyone is hurt. No more […]

Highly skilled firefighters are the last line of defense against wildfires, but that line is fraying because the government decided long ago that they’re not worth very much. Black Butte is an inactive volcano that rises from the high desert in eastern Oregon. In May 2022, a turboprop plane approached its pine-blanketed slopes, carrying about […]

On 3/19/1896 insurance groups formed a committee that met in New York, New York with the stated purpose of standardizing the new and burgeoning market of fire sprinkler systems, which would later become the National Fire Protection Association. “The NFPA was formed in 1896 by a group of insurance firm representatives with the stated purpose […]

Four Baltimore County firefighters were injured while battling a structure fire in Lansdowne Monday afternoon. A Mayday was called when firefighters needed assistance during the operation, according to WBAL. A second-alarm was requested as additional manpower was required. Firefighters remained at the scene Monday evening. The cause is under investigation.

All, FDIC is coming up. I remember my first in 1977-I was blown away and that was in Memphis with maybe a dozen rigs and a few dozen vendors. How times have changed. If you haven’t planned and registered for FDIC 2024 yet-don’t delay-you will not regret it.  Some very exciting stuff this year including […]

On 3/18/1951 Sparky® the Fire Dog was born; Happy Birthday Sparky!  “The legend of Sparky the Fire Dog began with a small Dalmatian puppy sitting outside a fence surrounding a school. The Dalmatian pup loved to watch the children at play. One day he decided to follow two of the children home. Tired from the […]