Petersburg Fire Chief Dennis Rubin sharply disputed a story — first reported by NBC Channel 12 on Friday — that he was resigning. Citing unnamed sources, NBC reported that Rubin, who has been fire chief in Petersburg for almost a year now, was planning on resigning. Rubin disputed the report, saying it was a “non-story.
- PUB DATE: 5/16/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Progress-Index

A firefighter is going after fellow smoke-eaters who he says slimed him with media leaks painting him as unfit for the job, the Daily News has learned. Michael Johnson — an African-American "priority hire" who joined FDNY ranks in the wake of a fiery legal battle to diversify the department — is targeting fellow firefighters who teed up tabloid stories saying he ran away from his job when things got too hot.
- PUB DATE: 5/16/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Daily News

Firefighters doused the blazing Tesla Inc. Model X’s battery pack, and then company engineers removed about one-quarter of its power cells before the vehicle was deemed safe to tow off a California freeway. That didn’t prevent the powerful and highly flammable lithium-ion battery cells from reigniting.
- PUB DATE: 5/16/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Detroit News

Spokane Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer responded Tuesday to allegations of bullying, sexual harassment and hazing within the department that were exposed recently in a lengthy investigative report. “We take these allegations very seriously, that’s why we launched a thorough and complete investigative process which has not yet been completed,” he said in a written statement.
- PUB DATE: 5/16/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Spokane Spokesman-Review

Investigators believe a house fire at N. 6th Avenue was set intentionally. Firefighters are investigating a suspicious house fire at the 600 block of N. 6th Avenue. Crews with the Yakima Fire Department (YFD) responded and found flames at the outside of the home spreading to the alley, around 2:15 p.
- PUB DATE: 5/15/2018 7:08:08 PM - SOURCE: KIMA-TV CBS 29 Yakima