Austin City Council members on Thursday will consider an ordinance that would require most of the city’s fire vehicles to be staffed with a minimum of four people, a move decades in the making that supporters say will improve safety and efficiency at the Fire Department. The ordinance would essentially bring into law a policy that the Fire Department has already been implementing to make sure that first responders are able to act immediately during a critical fire incident.
- PUB DATE: 12/13/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Austin American-Statesman

The attorneys for the Ghost Ship defendants are asking the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for an unusual move — to arrest the warehouse landlords and fire department officials for the deadly fire. Attorneys for Derick Almena and Max Harris announced the motion to compel the arrests on Tuesday, asking for a laundry list of arrests that includes the Ghost Ship warehouse landlord Chor Ng and her two children, Eva and Kai, who served as building managers.
- PUB DATE: 12/13/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: East Bay Times

The head of the city council's investigations committee has requested an independent probe of the events leading up to the suspension of a top Fire Department chief accused of abusive behavior. Councilman Ritchie Torres, (D-Bronx), sent Department of Investigation Commissioner Margaret Garnett the request Tuesday, days after FDNY Chief of Department James Leonard was relieved of his command and put on desk duty.
- PUB DATE: 12/13/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Daily News

Mitch Crocetti's job pays pretty well, but his old job pays him even better. The Pingree Grove & Countryside Fire Protection District chief receives $117,500 a year in his current role, but his pension after his previous 30-year career with the Wood Dale Fire Department also pays him $124,037 annually.
- PUB DATE: 12/13/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Illinois Daily Herald

The Spokane Valley Traffic Unit is investigating how a vehicle wound up in the south side of the Spokane River Wednesday morning, leaving one woman dead. Spokane Valley Fire Water Rescue and the Spokane County Sheriff's Office dive team responded to the scene at the 17600 block of E. Montgomery after a caller reported seeing a vehicle in the Spokane River between Flora Rd.
- PUB DATE: 12/12/2018 4:31:33 PM - SOURCE: KHQ-TV NBC 6