Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña said Thursday his firefighters deserve raises, but he would be hard-pressed to maintain his department budget without reducing his ranks if voters approve a measure granting firefighters “pay parity” with police. “This is not a scare tactic,” Peña told a city council committee.
- PUB DATE: 7/27/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Houston Chronicle

A city firefighter who was fired after being involved in a deadly hit-and-run will soon get his job back. An arbitrator decided Edward Ackerman violated the Fire Department's code of conduct, but that a lengthy, unpaid suspension is punishment enough. Ackerman was fired 15 months ago and will not be awarded any back pay for that time.
- PUB DATE: 7/27/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Syracuse.com

City Hall and the union that represents its firefighters are at odds over an ordinance that could change the way public safety employees are compensated after an injury. At the crux of a lawsuit filed this week in Peoria County Circuit Court by the International Association of Firefighters Local 50 is the definition of a catastrophic injury.
- PUB DATE: 7/27/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Journal Star

Cadie-Marie Stapleton, 18, of Galena, has changed the course of history, becoming the first female volunteer firefighter with the Galena Fire Department since its establishment in 1877. Ever since Cadie-Marie was a young girl, she dreamed of following in her family’s footsteps in hopes of becoming a volunteer firefighter.
- PUB DATE: 7/27/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Joplin Globe

The Yakima, Naches and Tieton rivers seem like ideal spots to cool off and find respite from the summer heat. Inevitably, people see the shallow, cold waters and overlook the ever-present risks, which can be invisible to those without proper training. When emergency situations arise, local water rescue teams quickly spring into action.
- PUB DATE: 7/26/2018 11:43:09 PM - SOURCE: Yakima Herald-Republic