Crews on Monday extracted the body of a firefighter from a steep ravine that his bulldozer had rolled into days ago as he fought a wildfire west of Yosemite. The body of 36-year-old Braden Varney, a 10-year-veteran with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, remained in a mesh of mangled metal for three days in a site near El Portal that was too remote for bulldozers and too precarious to allow an immediate extraction.
- PUB DATE: 7/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: SFGate.com

TargetSolutions, a Vector Solutions brand offering the leading operations and training management software for the fire service, and the International Association of Fire Chief’s (IAFC) Volunteer & Combination Officers Section (VCOS) are proud to announce Deputy Chief Josh Blum, of Loveland-Symmes (Ohio) Fire Department (LSFD), as the recipient of the 2018 VCOS Training Officer Recognition Award.
- PUB DATE: 7/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Firehouse

Two former presidents of Falls Township Fire Company No. 1 were charged on July 16 with stealing more than $46,000 from the volunteer organization. Christopher J. Carlin, 48, who served as president in 2017 and treasurer before that, is accused of taking $34,896.59. His predecessor, Gary Margerum, 61, president from 2009-2016, is charged with stealing $11,198.
- PUB DATE: 7/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Bucks Local News

A 52-year-old cleaning lady and four firefighters were hurt Monday after they were attacked by a swarm of Africanized bees, leaving the woman in critical condition. CBSLA’s Stacey Butler reported Monday night that the woman’s son said that it appears she will survive her injuries from the bee attack.
- PUB DATE: 7/17/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KCAL-TV Los Angeles

A unified Spokane City Council voted Monday to slow the push toward combining the region’s response to 911 calls. Lawmakers cited concerns from emergency responders and the continued lack of information from the mayor’s office about the shift. “I’m sure this will be a point of contention moving forward,” said City Council President Ben Stuckart, who took the rare step of suspending the rules to add the ordinance to Monday night’s agenda before garnering unanimous support for the proposal.
- PUB DATE: 7/16/2018 8:39:48 PM - SOURCE: Spokane Spokesman-Review