Who should lead the state department responsible for wildland fires? Someone who knows how to manage forests, or someone who knows how to put out the flames? The union that represents California state firefighters is leaning on Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom to appoint a fire chief to lead the state’s fire department.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Sacramento Bee

Firefighters at the scene of house fire found themselves in the middle of a firefight with people in two vehicles on Thursday. The Flint Fire Department responded just after 1 p.m. on Dec. 27 to reports of a structure fire in the 1100 block of Welch Boulevard, according to Battalion Chief Mark Kovach.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Michigan Live

A firefighter is receiving support from his colleagues in Allen after his own home was destroyed by fire. Jeremy West is grateful no one was injured, but his house is a total loss. He says the timing of it all has put a lot of things into perspective. “As a fireman, you just get toned out. You put the fire out and you go home, right?” West said.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Fox4news.com

The Youngsville Fire Department’s announced Thursday it will stop responding to most calls outside outside city limits, and other departments serving unincorporated portions of Lafayette Parish could follow suit. With parish funding dwindling and unincorporated voters rejecting a property tax for fire protection this month, municipal fire chiefs say they are concerned their departments will not be reimbursed for calls outside their boundaries.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Baton Advocate

As a critical network outage by CenturyLink lingered into a second day, still leaving several cities across Western Washington without reliable 911 service, the chairman of the FCC has announced a federal investigation. “When an emergency strikes, it’s critical that Americans are able to use 911 to reach those who can help," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced Friday.
- PUB DATE: 12/28/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000