VIDEO: The Hartford Fire Department continues to rebuild. It was short 100 firefighters after it lost more than that in 2016. Now, nearly 40 percent of the city's firefighters are new. "Five years ago, 19.5 [years] of experience was the average time for having a firefighter in the Hartford fire department," said Chief Reginald Freeman, Hartford Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 3/8/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFSB-TV CBS Channel 3

The union representing the city’s firefighters has filed a complaint against the city and state over unfair promoting practices, compensation and unpaid raises. International Association of Fire Fighters Local 198 filed the complaint Monday in state Superior Court alleging the city and the state Department of Community Affairs and Division of Local Government Services have failed to “act in good faith” when promoting firefighters to captains and failed to pay contractually mandated step raises.
- PUB DATE: 3/8/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Press of Atlantic City

Mike Nevin figured it was a prank. There's no way the city is now requiring firefighters and medics to clean up blood from crime and accident scenes without the proper training or equipment, the president of the Detroit Fire Fighters Association told himself. “I thought it was a joke when I first saw it,” Neven tells Metro Times.
- PUB DATE: 3/7/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Detroit Metro Times

An Atlantic City firefighter filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and the department’s chief and deputy chief after learning he would be suspended without pay unless he shaved his beard, which he has grown out for religious reasons. Alexander Smith, who has worked for the fire department for more than 15 years and makes $115,000 a year as an air mask technician, is a born-again Christian who began growing out his beard in December as an expression of his faith, according to a lawsuit filed last week.
- PUB DATE: 3/7/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NJ.com

The Pueblo Fire Department's newest class of firefighter recruits consists of six men who were selected to serve Pueblo residents based on their "experience, merit, and fitness for the position," but it's also making history for the department. Terrence Fantroy-Hankins will be PFD's first black firefighter when he completes the academy class, which started March 1.
- PUB DATE: 3/7/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KRDO-TV