A man was charged with stealing brass valves from 43 St. Louis fire hydrants, leaving them inoperable and causing at least $215,000 in damage, police said.

The post Man Stole 43 Brass Valves From St. Louis Fire Hydrants, Charges Say appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Several Niagara County fire departments received federal grant funding for protective gear, training, and supplies through FEMA programs.

The post Four Niagara County (NY) Fire Companies Win Federal Equipment Grants appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Ricochet and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) want to help volunteer departments improve safety and effectiveness by providing the right gear for the real world demands of the calls they run. The October application period for the Ricochet PPE Award Program is now open, and eligible departments can apply for five sets of Ricochet […]

The post Apply for Ricochet Wildland + Technical Rescue Dual-Cert Gear appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.

Two firefighters escaped without injury Wednesday morning after falling eight feet through a floor into a basement fire while responding to a residential structure fire.

Crews were dispatched at 6 a.m. Wednesday to a fire at Alcazar Street and Marquette Avenue, near Louisiana Boulevard. The building was a vacant structure that showed signs of human occupancy.

“There’s always a debate about searching vacant building . Even though there might be boarded-up structures, there’s always that risk and reward. If you take a look in any of those windows, people are staying in there. And so if we have a building that we can search, we’re going to do that every time. This is a reminder of what’s at stake when we do go inside these structures,” said Lt. Jason Fejer with Albuquerque Fire Rescue.

During the response, crews split up, with Engine 13 working on the first floor and Engine 5 operating in the basement. “There wasn’t much fire involvement here. The roof isn’t collapsed. This building is not burned through. It’s a small fire in the basement that got into the trusses and our guys fell through it,” Fejer said.

“We carry thermal imaging cameras and he could see the heat in the floor, which was about the time that the floor collapsed.”

The collapse triggered an immediate call: “Mayday, mayday, mayday, Engine 13 with a mayday, firefighters fell through the floor.”

KOAT-TV ABC 7 Albuquerque

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VIDEO: An Oklahoma firefighter is honoring first responders who have died by suicide while encouraging others to seek help through a cross-country road trip, he told News 9 on Wednesday.

After nearly two years of serving as a first responder, Quenton J. decided it was time to take a break to process the traumatic calls and refresh from the burnout.

“About a month ago, I started taking hikes with my son on my off days- just to take the load off my mind of the calls. If I had a really bad call, I’d just go to the hiking trail with my son,” said Quenton. Quenton said being in touch with nature helped to alleviate some of his work stress.

“I’ve actually noticed the last several months, he’s been very quiet about discussing certain calls that have happened,” said Kylie J., Quenton’s wife. Kylie said her husband came up with the idea of taking a mental health trip.

“So, I can process all the stuff that I’ve dealt with on the calls and in the service– and just try and reset myself, come back to my normal and find my why again,” Quenton shared. He said he plans to make 13 stops in the next week.

“So, I’m starting here in Oklahoma at Washita Battlefield. Ultimately, going through the panhandle of Texas, and then up through New Mexico; up to Utah and Idaho,” and ending the trip with a visit to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, he explained.

KWTV-DT CBS 9 Oklahoma City

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