Capt. Karen Bureker didn’t know whether she wanted to have children when she first became a firefighter paramedic nearly 20 years ago. But after getting married, Bureker and her husband decided to start a family. It was during her first pregnancy, after six years on the job, that Bureker realized just how difficult the transition from firefighter to mother would be while rising through the ranks of her male-dominated profession.
- PUB DATE: 9/29/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC News

The trio were just kids 20 years ago when their FDNY fathers died: Two during the 9/11 terrorist attack, and the third only a few days earlier while on the job. Sons Jonathan Otten, Gary Watson and Andrew Gorumba will proudly join the Class of 2021 in graduating Wednesday from the FDNY Fire Academy, with each inspired by their heroic dads and determined to follow in their footsteps as members of the department that embraced all three in the dark days after their fathers passed away.
- PUB DATE: 9/29/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Daily News - Metered Site

Some of our county's biggest wildfires started in October, but as we head into this potentially dangerous time, local fire departments are struggling to fill shifts. Exhausted firefighters are turning down overtime. This past weekend, an engine company at Fire Station 20 was shut down for 24 hours. The reason? A lack of staffing.
- PUB DATE: 9/29/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KFMB-TV CBS/CW 8 San Diego

With the steady rhythm of a nice long run, Robert Duval of Wauregan finds peace. “I just go out and it just allows me to, like, unravel a lot of things,” he said. And in his four decades in the fire service, the chief of Atwood Hose Fire Company and president of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association has seen a lot of things.
- PUB DATE: 9/29/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WVIT-TV NBC 30 New Britain

A Spokane County firefighter is fighting to keep his job even though his religious COVID-19 vaccine exemption was approved. Firefighters licensed by the state of Washington as EMTs or paramedics fall under Governor Jay Inslee’s vaccine mandate. While they can apply for an exemption, they are also entitled to a reasonable accommodation assessment.
- PUB DATE: 9/29/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KXLY-TV ABC 4 Spokane