In his more than 25 years as firefighter in Stamford, Connecticut, Capt. Jacques Roy thought he could handle anything – until the smoke cleared from a devastating fire that killed three children and their grandparents. “I was the guy who couldn't hack it. I was the guy who needed help. I never thought it would be me.
- PUB DATE: 2/23/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC New York

Washington state's first career female firefighter has died of complications from cancer at the age of 64, the Bellevue Fire Department announced Wednesday. Jeanette Woldseth, a retired fire captain with the department who became a professional firefighter in 1977, died Monday afternoon. “Captain Woldseth was truly a ground-breaker, not only in the Bellevue Fire Department, but within the larger firefighter community,” said Bellevue Interim Fire Chief Todd Dickerboom.
- PUB DATE: 2/23/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4

For the second time in three years, Cal Fire is cracking down on alcohol consumption at its training academy in Amador County. This time, it’s disciplining 14 firefighters who were supposed to stay sober during their six weeks of training at the Cal Fire Academy in Ione. Cal Fire Deputy Director Michael Mohler announced the discipline on Thursday.
- PUB DATE: 2/23/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Sacramento Bee

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday will consider for the second time in two years whether to choke off a critical funding stream for public-employee unions, potentially reducing organized labor’s influence in the workplace and at the ballot box. The nine justices will hear a challenge backed by anti-union groups to the legality of fees that workers who are not members of unions representing teachers, police, firefighters and certain other government employees must pay to help cover the costs of collective bargaining with state and local governments.
- PUB DATE: 2/23/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Reuters

A firefighter with the Peoria Fire-Medical Department received the National Medal of Valor award from President Donald Trump Tuesday. Stephen Gunn, a department engineer, received the award in a White House ceremony for rescuing a man from a burning house in April 2016. The Peoria Fire-Medical Department, along with other jurisdictions, responded to the house fire near 75th Avenue and Thunderbird Road.
- PUB DATE: 2/23/2018 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com & KPNX-TV NBC 12 Phoenix