Fire investigators recently reached out to my office regarding aggressive solicitors selling mitigation and repair services to confused and overwhelmed property owners immediately after a fire. Many Washingtonians aren’t aware that my office has staff dedicated to helping consumers resolve disputes with their insurance companies and answer questions about insurance.

In response to our conversations with fire investigators, we developed a handout for victims of house fires https://www.insurance.wa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/insurance-claim-fire.pdf It covers how to start an insurance claim, how to avoid being the victim of a scam, and other pointers about what to do and what not to do. It looks great printed in black & white and may be helpful for the fire victims you interact with. There is more information for consumers, including how to start the claims process and what to do if you have trouble with your insurance company, on our website at https://www.insurance.wa.gov.

You are a firefighter and you are the end of your rope, and you can't take it any much longer. You are suffering from anxiety, depression, guilt or some other fear-related issue and you feel there is no hope. Although things may seem difficult suicide is not the answer to your personal struggles.

Here are six reasons why suicide is not the solution to your problems.

A decorated Navy SEAL was rejected by the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) because he was too old, multiple reports say. According to the "New York Post," 37-year-old Special Operations Chief Shaun Donovan was told by FDNY he's six months and 25 days too old to join the department. Donovan passed the written exam for firefighters, scoring in the top 1 percent of nearly 44,000 candidates and passed the physical test.
- PUB DATE: 4/30/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: ABC 10 News

You’ve seen police body-camera video, but now we’re seeing similar videos from firefighters. The new videos are changing the way departments train their crews. “Kind of like what sports athletes do. They’re watching batting practicing or watching another football team. We’re doing the same thing. We’re reevaluating and seeing how we can get better,” Captain JD Flint, with Metro Fire of Sacramento, said.
- PUB DATE: 4/30/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CBS 13 Sacramento

Efforts are under way nationally to get communications officers, aka dispatchers, proper recognition for what they do. Rep. Norma J. Torres' House Resolution 1629, called the 911 Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services (SAVES) Act, seeks to reclassify communications officers nationally from a non-protective service occupation to a protective one in the Standard Occupational Classification system, giving dispatchers recognition as first responders.
- PUB DATE: 4/30/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Norman Transcript