California’s firefighting agency is running out of money in the midst of a disastrous and deadly fire season and needs another $234 million to make it through the middle of next year, officials said Thursday. Ken Pimlott, director of the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said in a letter to legislators that the agency is down to its last $11 million after spending $432 million in July and August alone.
- PUB DATE: 9/7/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle

The Town of Surfside Beach denied allegations that fire officials discriminated against volunteer firefighter Christopher Gallagher after a captain and fire chief allegedly said, “We’re not hiring someone who can’t read.” Gallagher filed a lawsuit in June against the town alleging he did not receive a promotion to fire engineer due to having dyslexia, documents show.
- PUB DATE: 9/7/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: MyrtleBeachOnline.com

The assistant fire chief at the Kanosh Fire Department was charged with repeatedly sexually assaulting a firefighter under his command in Millard County for the past three years. Austin Corry, 26, appeared in 4th District Court in Provo on Thursday afternoon, facing two counts of rape and two counts of object rape, all first-degree felonies.
- PUB DATE: 9/7/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Daily Herald

On Sept. 10, a powerful regulatory agency will begin the process of deciding an issue that has split the community of Julian — whether to disband its 34-year-old volunteer fire department in favor of the County Fire Authority assuming control and staffing. The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), which has countywide jurisdiction but is independent of county government, will hear the pros and cons during what promises to be a lengthy hearing.
- PUB DATE: 9/7/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: San Diego Union-Tribune

A Tyler hospital, an affiliated ambulance company and an Oklahoma agency have agreed to pay about $21 million to settle a federal kickbacks lawsuit, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The former East Texas Medical Center, its former subsidiary Paramedics Plus and the Oklahoma agency Emergency Medical Services Authority agreed to settlements totaling $20,949,000, according to the federal government.
- PUB DATE: 9/7/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Tyler Morning Telegraph