After a rash of devastating fires over the past year, including one that claimed the life of an 89-year-old woman, some city residents are calling for a career company to take over the local volunteer fire department. But the city is standing behind its crew, arguing a career department isn’t necessary with mutual aid agreements already in place.
- PUB DATE: 6/17/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Press of Atlantic City

The Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York has come out in strong support of state-level legislation aimed at limiting the ability of real estate developers to use "mechanical void spaces" to game zoning codes into allowing them to construct taller buildings. In a strongly-worded memo, circulated by the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts group, the Fire Department of New York union says, "Void spaces, often entire floors in buildings put hazardous equipment such as High Voltage Air Conditioning and heating equipment in the middle of buildings, many floors above street level.
- PUB DATE: 6/17/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Archinect News

The Bath Fire & Rescue Department has adopted a high-tech solution to protect their firefighters from carcinogens. By adding the “FireLinc” app to its new extractor system, Bath becomes the first department in the state to track detailed information about every wash. “In the past few years, cancer has been recognized as one of the major killers of career and volunteer firefighters,” said Bath Fire Chief Lawrence Renaud.
- PUB DATE: 6/17/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: City of Bath

Forty-one first responders were killed by distracted drivers while on the side of the road in 2018, a 60% increase from 2017 according to the Emergency Responder Safety Institute. As of May 2019, 21 firefighters have died due to people driving distracted in areas where firefighters are responding to incidents.
- PUB DATE: 6/16/2019 10:30:51 AM - SOURCE: KAYU-TV Fox 28 Spokane