With fire season starting earlier each year and lasting longer, the state’s fleet of firefighting helicopters is being prepared for deployment across Washington. The Department of Natural Resources’ eight Vietnam-era Bell UH-1H helicopters are older than the crews that fly them, but the acquisition price to the state is good, a no-cost loan from Uncle Sam.
- PUB DATE: 5/2/2018 10:20:37 AM - SOURCE: Yakima Herald-Republic - Metered Site

The U.S. Fire Administration has announced the official on-duty death of First Captain Michael Godzak, 60, of the Rostraver Township Volunteer Fire Department on April 29, 2018.

While operating a fire engine as it returned to the station from a fire call, First Captain Michael Godzak died from a nature and cause of fatal injury still to be reported. 

Tribute is being paid to First Captain Godzak at http://apps.usfa.fema.gov/firefighter-fatalities/

To date, 34 firefighter fatalities have been reported to USFA in 2018.  Year-to-date and annual USFA firefighter fatality reports are posted online at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics/ff_fatality_reports.html

Fatality status is provisional and may change as USFA contacts State Fire Marshals to verify fatality incident information.

Seattle firefighters were busy in Seattle's South Park neighborhood overnight, as two separate homes caught fire over the course of a few hours early Wednesday morning. The first fire incident began just before 2 a.m. at an abandoned home at 12th Ave. S. and S. Cloverdale St. A couple of hours later at 3:30 a.
- PUB DATE: 5/2/2018 6:26:42 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000

A Tucson Fire captain was attacked Monday while trying to give aid a patient, according to the Tucson Fire Department. At about 9:20 a.m., officials were called to the 1500 block of West St. Mary’s Road for a possible fall injury. As they treated the patient, two bystanders who offered advice were told to leave, according to a TFD news release.
- PUB DATE: 5/2/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KVOA-TV NBC 4 Tucson

Five women, all paramedics, filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday accusing their superiors of sexual harassment and alleging that the Chicago Fire Department “directly encourages” the illegal behavior by failing to “discipline, supervise and control” its officers. Mayor Rahm Emanuel famously acknowledged a “code of silence” in the Chicago Police Department in the unrelenting furor that followed release of video played around the world of white Police Officer Jason Van Dyke firing 16 shots that killed black teenager Laquan McDonald.
- PUB DATE: 5/2/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Chicago Sun-Times