Austin, Texas firefighter William Cook broke his silence about a near-miss that nearly claimed his life in 2015 following Thursday’s tragic line-of-duty death in nearby San Antonio. Cook, a 16-year veteran at the time, responded to a three-alarm condominium fire in October … [Read more...]
New Zealand firefighters who went to the roof of a 21-story high-rise to attack a cooling tower that had caught fire found they had no water from their FDC system. When the building’s broken pump did not deliver water, firefighters dragged hose up the 21 stories and pumped … [Read more...]
The growing popularity of residential solar panels and the inability to de-energize them between the panel and the breaker makes life dangerous for firefighters. It was this treat that spurred the U.S. Fire Administration to develop a device to test for energized solar … [Read more...]
When a Warsaw, N.C. firefighter fell through a roof during a Sunday residential fire, it prompted the chief to take a closer look at how the roof was built. And after doing so, he’s warning other fire departments to beware. What they found was a roof built with 3/8-inch or … [Read more...]
In November, a Neodesha, Kansas gas plant explosion shook the entire town. It also threw firefighter Landon Woodward face first into the side of the engine. It took crews from 22 fire departments bring the blaze under control. While Woodward came away from the fire … [Read more...]
A 22-year-old firefighter was charged with arson in connection to a March fire at an unoccupied home. A 22-year-old female was also charged; there is no indication she is affiliated with the fire department. Cody Plummer was a member of the Lappe (Ontario) Fire Department when … [Read more...]
Since this past winter, Bangor, Maine officials have been marking vacant or otherwise unsafe structures with a red and white metal X in an effort to protect firefighters. The move, reports the Bangor Daily News, comes on the heels of the spike in foreclosed and abandoned homes … [Read more...]
Two Antioch, California, firefighter suffered minor injuries from an electric shock while fighting a two-alarm house fire Sunday night. The shock came after firefighters had cut the structure’s main power. Capt. George Laing, spokesman for the Contra Costa (Calif.) Fire … [Read more...]
Two proposed laws that would alter how firefighters in Michigan are trained have been approved by the state’s senate. One bill would establish improved training standards, something that’s not been updated for 30 years, and allow flexibility for training requirements to be set … [Read more...]
An unoccupied structure of balloon-frame construction with a fire in the basement can be a recipe for disaster. Fifty-two firefighters responded to such a blaze at 10:25 p.m. May 6 in Northport, N.Y. Two firefighters from the Northport Volunteer Fire Department suffered … [Read more...]