Nearly two dozen Palm Beach County firefighters are suing a publicly-traded company claiming a siren it produces for emergency vehicles robbed them of their hearing. In the lawsuit filed this week in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, current and former firefighters for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and West Palm Beach and Boca Raton fire departments say Federal Signal Corp.
- PUB DATE: 8/10/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Palm Beach Post

Five firefighters were hospitalized after battling an electrical fire in the borough Wednesday afternoon. At 3:30 p.m., Fame Fire Company was dispatched to North Darlington Street at the corner of West Gay Street for a report of an odor of smoke. Fire crews arrived to find an active house fire. After firefighters entered the building, a distress call was sent out because Assistant Chief Mark Scanlon had collapsed and lost consciousness due to what is believed to be carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
- PUB DATE: 8/10/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Coatesville Daily Local News

One firefighter recruit has been fired and three others resigned because of a noose found hanging over a black firefighter’s seat, Pompano fire officials say. An investigation into the noose, which was found at the Pompano Beach Fire Training Center, concluded Wednesday. Pompano Beach Fire Chief John Jurgle said he acted as soon as he heard last month about the racist symbol, which was directed at the only black recruit in a class of six.
- PUB DATE: 8/10/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Sun Sentinel

Dealing with difficult people just goes with the territory in emergency response. Events that precipitate a 911 call often do not bring out the best in people. Every firefighter has had to deal with the obnoxious drunk at closing time, the angry person with mental health issues, or the entitled person who demands to know: why did this happen to me? All emergency responders have slightly different ways of dealing with such people.
- PUB DATE: 8/10/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FireRescue1

Despite growing concerns about a nuclear strike on the U.S. by North Korea, emergency management officials in Washington state say they are prevented from forming an evacuation plan in the event of a nuclear attack. An effort is underway to change that. Multiple reports on Tuesday indicated U.S. intelligence believed North Korea had reached the capability of miniaturizing a nuclear warhead to make it small enough to load onto a missile.
- PUB DATE: 8/10/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KING-TV NBC 5