Sandy Springs is changing the inspection process for apartment communities. A new code of ordinances is requiring apartment complexes to hire a third party to inspect units annually. Before updating regulations, only 20% of apartment units were required to be inspected each year. The new policy will help the city better address water and structural damage, mold, fire hazards and other issues — particularly in older complexes that don’t have sprinkler systems for apartment fires, a statement said.
- PUB DATE: 9/19/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Metered Site

VIDEO: John Gasper spent 23 years as a volunteer firefighter and that’s what drew him to his unique current job title. Gasper, who is the owner of the namesake Gasper’s Automotive Restoration in Manchester, brings old firetrucks back to life for a living. “We do everything from an oil change to a full truck restoration,” said Gasper.
- PUB DATE: 9/19/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTIC-TV FOX 61 Hartford

In movies, when we see fiery car crashes or flaming planes on runways, we know they are not real. But in the real world, fuel fires must be quenched with special kinds of chemicals, and the ones that have been most commonly used are known as aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs). However, environmental and health concerns about AFFFs have launched widespread efforts to detect, monitor and eventually eliminate them.
- PUB DATE: 9/19/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: National Institute of Standards and Technology

The Seattle City Council will vote next week on a proposal to tighten restrictions on empty properties that are part of the city's Vacant Building Monitoring Program. The proposal comes as the city has seen an increase in unsecured vacant buildings since 2021. Representatives of the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) said unsecured properties pose an ongoing public safety risk.
- PUB DATE: 9/19/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

A gas leak in northwest Spokane prompted people to evacuate from multiple businesses in the area. The Spokane Fire Department said crews in the area were digging behind the Safeway at the Shadle Shopping Center on West Wellesley Avenue and ruptured a gas line with an excavator. SFD says their biggest concern is soil containment.
- PUB DATE: 9/19/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KXLY-TV ABC 4 Spokane