VIDEO: Maryland firefighters no longer have to pay out-of-pocket for cancer health screenings thanks to a new law that went into effect this year.

House Bill 459 and Senate Bill 374 also known as the James “Jimmy” Malone Act, named after a former Maryland state delegate and lifelong firefighter who died of cancer in 2024, eliminates co-pays for cancer prevention screenings for career firefighters covered by county self-insured health benefit plans.

“The law allows for people that have county covered self insured health benefits plans to have free access without co-pays to cancer preventing screenings so we think that early detection is the best prevention so we fully support that legislation,” Deputy Fire Chief Gordon Wallace of Howard County said.

Firefighters face higher cancer risks than the average person due to repeated exposure to toxins during fires. The carcinogenic byproducts of combustion put first responders at significant health risk throughout their careers.

WMAR-TV ABC 2 Baltimore

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A pregnant woman and her children were able to escape a house fire early last Tuesday in Moses Lake and were taken to the hospital as a precaution, according to emergency dispatch records. Crews were dispatched around 5:54 a.m. to a reported structure fire in the area of West Pheasant Street. During the incident, the woman—who was approximately seven months pregnant—fell onto her stomach while escaping the home and had smoke exposure to her face and mouth. Her children were also exposed to smoke during the incident.

Emergency responders assisted at the scene, and the woman and her children were transported to Samaritan Hospital for medical evaluation. No further information on their conditions was released. Fire officials said the blaze originated in an area of the home where a phone and phone charger were located, though the official cause of the fire remains undetermined. The residence is approximately 1,500 square feet. A damage estimate was not available at the time of the report.

The incident remains under review, and officials have not released additional details.

Source One News

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PHOTOS: The Union Gap Police Department confirmed Wednesday they have arrested a man in connection with a spree of fires in the city. The first call for help came in just before midnight. Witnesses reported seeing a warehouse on fire in the area near Rudkin Road and Lilac Lane. This fire destroyed the warehouse, three semi trucks and two trailers.

While firefighters were responding to this call, another fire was reported at a building in the 1800 block of Rainer Place. Firefighters were able to put the fire out quickly, but it severely damaged the building.

Officers with the Union Gap Police Department said they began searching for suspicious people in the area after it was determined the fires seemed suspicious in nature. While looking for potential suspects, officers came upon a third fire just before 2 a.m. in a dumpster behind a grocery store in the 1400 block of East Washington Avenue. A Yakima police officer was able to put the fire out quickly.

Apple Valley News Now

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On New Year’s Eve, both off-duty and on-duty police officers, along with local fire personnel, worked together to rescue a woman from a burning vehicle. The crash occurred around 7:20 p.m. on eastbound Highway 12 near Rees Avenue. According to the Walla Walla Police Department (WWPD), off-duty Detective Daschofsky and Deputy Daschofsky from the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office were the first to arrive at the scene. They began life-saving efforts before emergency responders reached the site.

The driver, a 32-year-old woman, was trapped inside the vehicle, which was actively burning. As more officers arrived, they worked together to remove the driver from the vehicle, suppress the flames, and confirm there were no other occupants. Shortly after the driver was rescued, the Walla Walla Fire Department arrived and extinguished the fire completely. The driver received advanced medical treatment before being transported to the hospital.

KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

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The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation grant application opened on January 8, 2026, with a maximum request of $40,000 and a limit of 600 applications accepted quarterly for U.S. applicants.

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