Robert K “Bob” Johnson, former chief of the Auburn Fire Department and sometime Santa for legions of kids, died on Dec. 28 in hospice care in northern Idaho. He was 81. According to a message posted by his family on social media, Johnson had suffered from Parkinson’s disease and ankylosing spondylitis.
- PUB DATE: 1/3/2019 1:44:27 AM - SOURCE: Auburn Reporter

Jan Rader, the first female fire chief in West Virginia, is making a big impact on Huntington's fight against the opioid epidemic. In her Ted Talk released Wednesday, Rader said Huntington's overdose deaths are down 50 percent. "This epidemic is far from over, but each and every one of us has a part to play in this epidemic.
- PUB DATE: 1/3/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CBS News This Morning

A new law taking effect in 2019, will help first responders dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder get coverage through workers’ compensation. Brian Cristofono landed his dream job as a firefighter in Maplewood and eventually moved to a St. Paul department. It was the job he always knew was in his blood.
- PUB DATE: 1/3/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Fox 9 News

VIDEO: In an emergency, we depend on the swift actions of firefighters. But what happens if the firefighters turn on each other? An incident in Prince George's County between two fire departments led to two people on leave.
- PUB DATE: 1/3/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: ABC 7 News

Cranston’s deputy fire chief asked last week to seal a case documenting a disorderly conduct charge linked to his dispute with a fellow firefighter in September 2017. Deputy Chief Paul Valletta Jr., 60, on Dec. 11 entered a not-guilty filing to one count of disorderly conduct, meaning the case will be expunged from the court record if he obeys the law for a year.
- PUB DATE: 1/3/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Providence Journal