VIDEO: Twenty-five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, fire and police departments say the lessons learned that day continue to shape emergency response, with a greater focus on specialized training, technology, coordination, and first responder safety.

At the Cherry Hill Fire Department’s Central Command, agencies from across Camden County regularly train together for special operations rescues, including building collapses.

“New York, Philly, they all had collapse training. Cherry Hill, we didn’t have any of that before 9/11,” said Lt. Sean Carlin of the Cherry Hill Fire Department. Rescue tactics and equipment have evolved significantly since then.

Teams now use respiratory protection during operations, and specialized tools help stabilize damaged structures. “These are aluminum struts. We use this in a variety of ways. We stabilize vehicles,” Carlin said. “But the bread and butter for this is structural collapse.”

WPVI-TV ABC 6 Philadelphia

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: Firefighters rescued one person and three dogs from an RV fire in West Oakland on Tuesday morning as flames were seen underneath the tracks of the West Oakland BART train rushing by. The fire started around 6:30 a.m. The plume of smoke from the RV was visible for miles, as the motor home went up in flames.

Firefighters could be seen wrangling three dogs after the large flames had been put out. Fire department radio traffic indicated one of them had been tied up when the fire started, but crews were able to rescue it along with the other two dogs.

The dogs appeared to be in good spirits, playing with firefighters who were on scene as crews worked to put out the flames. According to radio traffic, one dog suffered minor burns, but it’s unclear how badly it was hurt.

After the fire was out, one person wrapped in a blanket could be seen staring at the wreckage. It’s unclear if they were the person who lived in the RV.

KTVU-TV FOX 2 Oakland

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PHOTOS: A cannabis warehouse in Vancouver was damaged during a two-alarm fire late Tuesday morning. The Vancouver Fire Department says firefighters responded to a commercial structure fire at Cedar Creek Cannabis near NE 121st Ave and NE 56th St just before 11:15 a.m. Crews arrived to find an active fire with a large amount smoke coming from the building.

Clark County Fire District 3 assisted during the incident as crews attacked the fire from three sides inside the building, bringing the fire under control within about 20 minutes. No one was hurt during the fire, and the cause remains under investigation. Cedar Creek Cannabis owner Mark Michaelson says the fire is devastating for the small business.

KPTV FOX 12 Portland

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Officials are investigating after a fire burned down a shed and several cars at a property in rural Franklin County, but was stopped before it could threaten other structures including a shed with pet rabbits inside last Friday.

According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, at about 1:47 p.m. on September 5 firefighters and deputies responded to a reported fire at a rural property in Franklin County. Firefighters arrived to find a fire had spread to a shed and several nearby cars.

Deputies said that thanks to some nearby good Samaritans, firefighters were able to stop the fire before it reached the home and a second shed containing many pet rabbits. Although the shed and cars were lost, deputies said no injuries were reported from the fire.

Deputies said charges in relation to the fire are being forwarded to the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office for review. Deputies said the fire should serve as an important reminder that, despite recent cooler temperatures, a statewide burn ban is still in effect. The ban on outdoor burning is scheduled to last until September 30 or until it is explicitly lifted by state officials.

Apple Valley News Now

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This year’s wildfire season in Washington is one of its worst on record. Nearly 900,000 acres have burned as of early September, including the Spokane fires that devastated entire neighborhoods. All of this comes as the state faces an unprecedented fourth consecutive year of drought.

But there have been worse years for fire in Washington. And state officials have worked to improve their response. KNKX environment reporter Bellamy Pailthorp spoke with the head of the state Department of Natural Resources and his chief forester to learn more about lessons learned from increasingly severe wildfires.

KNKX-FM 88.5 Tacoma

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