California's increasingly deadly and destructive wildfires have become so unpredictable that government officials should consider banning home construction in vulnerable areas, the state's top firefighter says. Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Director Ken Pimlott will leave his job Friday after 30 years with the agency.
- PUB DATE: 12/12/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Last-minute changes to the city of Yakima’s 2019 budget left the city with nearly $200,000 to put into its depleted general fund reserve, but it came at a price. After going back and forth for months on whether the Yakima Fire Department’s public education captain position would be eliminated, the Yakima City Council’s final decision Tuesday was to make the cut and put the $160,000 in savings toward the reserve.
- PUB DATE: 12/11/2018 11:39:51 PM - SOURCE: Yakima Herald-Republic

Fire districts across the Tri-Cities rely on volunteers. It allows districts to save money and still provide top-notch care to the community Volunteers are always needed, but you don't have to become a firefighter in order to volunteer. "I'm not a firefighter. I have no firefighter background," said Bill Leach, volunteer for Benton County Fire District #4.
- PUB DATE: 12/11/2018 6:34:39 PM - SOURCE: YakTriNews

Many remember when two Boise Police officers were injured during a shooting on the Boise Bench about two years ago. Ada County Paramedics TacMed team were dispatched as well as swat to tend to the officers, but SWAT's armored vehicle is not equipped to transport patients who need traumatic life support.

Hundreds of unionized emergency medical technicians (EMTs) in Seattle have set a deadline of Dec. 21 to go on strike, calling into question how the city plans to respond to people in medical crisis if they walk off the job. City officials say they are working on a plan, but won’t say what it is until a strike is called.
- PUB DATE: 12/11/2018 6:07:43 PM - SOURCE: Seattle Times