VIDEO: A gas explosion in a San Francisco neighborhood shot flames into the air Wednesday and burned five buildings, sending panicked residents and workers fleeing into the streets. Utility crews put out the fire about three hours after private construction workers cut a natural gas line, igniting the towering flames, San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said.
- PUB DATE: 2/7/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Fox6Now.com

VIDEO: The Hillsborough County Firefighters Union is calling for one new fire station per year until there are enough to keep up with the growth in the county. Travis Horn, with the union, spoke before county commissioners on Wednesday saying that only one new fire station in the past decade is not enough to meet increase demands.
- PUB DATE: 2/7/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: ABCActionNews.com

VIDEO: A man who was seriously injured by two off-duty Los Angeles firefighters who beat and choked him on Halloween night in 2015 has been awarded more than $7 million. After being falsely accused of giving children drug-laced candy, Samuel Chang was held down and choked. Cellphone video captured the firefighters and other party-goers harassing Chang and telling him he came to the wrong place to give out his candy.
- PUB DATE: 2/7/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CBSLA

Gov. Larry Hogan stepped up his calls to the General Assembly to measures that would reduce the tax burden on public safety officials’ retirement benefits at a press conference at the Eastport Volunteer Fire Company Wednesday. Surrounded by firefighters from across the state, the governor announced the introduction of two pieces of legislation that he said were a necessary way to protect firefighters in the state.
- PUB DATE: 2/7/2019 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CapitalGazette.com

In less than a week, Spokane County voters will decide whether to add additional police officers and retain more than two dozen firefighters. Proposition 1, which appears on the Feb. 12 special election ballot, would fund the hiring of 20 Spokane police officers and retain 30 of the 48 firefighters hired thanks to the SAFER grant two years ago.
- PUB DATE: 2/6/2019 7:40:52 PM - SOURCE: KHQ-TV NBC 6