A 60-year-old New York firefighter/safety officer has died in his sleep of an apparent cardiac issue after responding to a technical rescue hours before. According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), Robert A. Fitch, a member of the East Herkimer Volunteer Fire Department, had responded to a rescue call involving a person who became stuck on some cliffs after attempting to rescue a pet.
- PUB DATE: 12/1/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Firehouse

After more than 10 years as Fort Worth's fire chief, Rudolph "Rudy" Jackson Jr. has announced his retirement effective in March. "He said he has had a long career here as a firefighter and he's moving on to retired life," said Kyle Falkner, Fire Department spokesman. Jackson, who was named chief in March 2007, has been with the department for more than 35 years.
- PUB DATE: 12/1/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

A Key Largo firefighter who came close to death trying in vain to save three underground utility workers felled by noxious fumes beneath a neighborhood street last January is suing those men’s employers for negligence. Leonardo Moreno, 32, an eight-year veteran of the Key Largo Volunteer Fire Department, did not hesitate before descending 15 feet into a manhole on Long Key Road in the Lake Surprise Estates subdivision Jan.
- PUB DATE: 12/1/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Miami Herald

Firefighters dealing with certain cancers will have more time to file for accidental disability retirement benefits under a bill signed into law late Wednesday by Gov. Cuomo. The bill extends the filing deadline to five years, up from two. It will retroactively apply to all disability retirement applications filed since Jan.
- PUB DATE: 12/1/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Daily News

Firefighting is an occupation that poses many hazards. In 2016, over 62,000 firefighters were injured while on duty. Thirty-nine percent of those injuries occurred on the fireground.1 Risk management is increasingly seen in many occupations as a proactive approach to mitigating potential injury risks.
- PUB DATE: 12/1/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: U.S. Fire Administration