VIDEO: With the fires in western Nebraska over the past few weeks, much attention has been placed on the role of firefighters — both paid and volunteer. But a bill to change how they obtain compensation for job-related cancers stalled in the state’s Unicameral on Monday.

“Those fires are a vivid, painful reminder of what we are actually talking about when we debate this legislation,” said Fremont Sen. Dave Wordekemper, who introduced the legislation. “The men and women who answer the call, no matter the scope of the emergency.”

Nebraska’s 49 state senators spent three hours Monday morning debating LB 400, which would have changed the burden of proof for workers’ compensation when a firefighter gets cancer — presuming any cancer they’re diagnosed with is work-related until proven otherwise.

It wouldn’t have changed any eligibility for those firefighters, but would have moved the burden of proof to the employer. “Right now, a firefighter notifies their employer that they have cancer and has to prove it on their own, while sick, while fighting for their life, that the cancer came from the job,” Wordekemper said. “Right now, the deck is stacked against them.”

KOLN-TV CBS 10/KGIN-TV CBS 11 Lincoln-Grand Island

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South Kitsap Fire and Rescue (SKFR) says one person died in a house fire in Port Orchard late Sunday night. Crews responded to the home off of Glenwood Road Southwest and found heavy fire and smoke coming out of every opening of the structure. They learned one person was unaccounted for as they arrived.

Firefighters went in to search the home but due to quickly spreading fire and deteriorating conditions, they were forced to leave, SKFR posted. Officials say there were no fire hydrants in the area and the fire took 90 minutes to extinguish with water tenders arriving at the scene. SKFR says one person died in the fire. The Kitsap County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.

KIRO-TV CBS 7 Seattle

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: The public was asked to avoid the area near Sullivan Road and 16th Avenue after a crash involving a school bus and a car on Monday morning at around 8:43 a.m. No major injuries were reported, according to the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD). All passengers on the bus and in the car were examined by SVFD. The school bus was carrying students from Central Valley School District.

Washington State Patrol was at the scene and will be handling the incident, according to SVFD and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. The driver of the bus was evaluated on scene and the driver of the other car was not hurt. The Spokane Valley Police Department gave an update on a crash involving a school bus Monday, saying no students were hurt in the crash.

KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

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The Walla Walla Fire Department is partnering with the American Red Cross to launch a smoke detector installation blitz in neighborhoods surrounding Fire Station No. 1 this April. Following a local fire analysis that identified high rates of missing or malfunctioning detectors, officials are targeting a specific zone to provide residents with life-saving equipment. According to fire officials, properly functioning smoke detectors can reduce the risk of death in a residential fire by 50 percent.

The initiative covers a residential area bounded by West Rose Street to the north and South Ninth Avenue to the east. The southern boundary extends along Emma Street and Lowden Street, while the railroad tracks and South 14th Avenue define the western edge. Teams will walk the neighborhood between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7 to distribute information. The actual installations are scheduled for Saturday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Elk Horn Media Group

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The department recently took possession of a 2024 Seagrave Marauder rescue-pumper. Engine 35-75 is a stainless-steel 141-inch tilt cab pumper with a raised roof and includes seating for eight firefighters on H.O. Bostrom seats.

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