A city firefighter's decision to alert the state that volunteers are behind on mandated training prompted the fire chief to forbid the crew of 18 volunteers from rushing into burning buildings. "The training will be upgraded," Mayor Daniel Dwyer said. "We will do it in a couple of weeks." Dwyer said a "disgruntled" firefighter contacted the state's Public Employees Safety Health Bureau to complain about the lack of training, which led to Chief Bill Hummel's decision to sideline the volunteers.
- PUB DATE: 9/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Albany Times-Union

Sixteen years after the 343 New York City firefighters who died in the collapse of the twin towers on 9/11 were honored at an annual ceremony in Colorado Springs, another wave of victims of the terrorist attack is being added to the memorial wall. Nineteen of the 271 union firefighters whose names were read out at this year’s Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial on Saturday in Memorial Park died of illnesses or conditions associated with the aftermath of the attack when firefighters were called upon to dig through the toxic rubble at what came to be known as ground zero, at first hoping to rescue survivors, then hoping to at least find remains.
- PUB DATE: 9/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Colorado Springs Gazette

A Utah firefighter battling the largest wildfire in California history was killed last month when thousands of gallons of flame-suppressing liquid were dropped from a Boeing 747 mistakenly flying only 100 feet (30 meters) above the treetops, according to an official report Friday. The pilot and a supervisor flying ahead in a small guide plane led the giant modified jetliner nearly into the trees on Aug.
- PUB DATE: 9/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Salt Lake Tribune

It's one of the few bright spots to come out of Thursday's disaster in Lawrence. As his neighbors were evacuating, off-duty Lawrence firefighter Lt. Dave Amero ran house to house, shutting off the gas. Amero said he realized there was a problem when his wife told him their house reeked of gas. "I just started running around, shutting off meters.
- PUB DATE: 9/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Boston 25 News

Few Californians will have any idea why they’re being asked to vote this fall on workplace conditions in the private ambulance industry. But the backstory is a reminder of how ballot measures are the ultimate Plan B for those who don’t get satisfaction from the Legislature. The track record for such efforts is mixed.
- PUB DATE: 9/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Los Angeles Times