In the 10 years since Charleston lost nine firefighters in the June 18, 2007, Sofa Super Store fire, the department has seen significant changes from the ground up and members say they are proud of the progress. Following the tragic fire, investigations conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and an independent review panel led by Gordon Routley—who wrote the Routley Report, laid the framework for changes that the department needed to consider.
- PUB DATE: 6/16/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Firehouse

The branch of the Houston Fire Department responsible for ensuring building safety keeps inadequate records, does not examine buildings on a regular schedule and inflated its inspection numbers, all while blowing past its overtime budget, according to an audit released by the city controller's office Thursday.
- PUB DATE: 6/16/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Houston Chronicle

The government’s building safety experts warned last year that the drive for greater energy efficiency meant more and more buildings are being wrapped in materials that could go up in flames. In a report compiled before the Grenfell Tower disaster on Wednesday, the Building Research Establishment, which works for the Department of Communities and Local Government on fire investigations, said attempts to innovate with insulation were leading to an “increase in the volume of potentially combustible materials being applied” to buildings.
- PUB DATE: 6/16/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Guardian

Barrow Neurological Institute unveiled a mobile treatment vehicle Wednesday stocked with emergency-room and communications equipment that will be used to provide faster intervention for stroke victims in the Phoenix area. Officials with Barrow, which is partnering with the Phoenix Fire Department in the effort, said their goal is to reduce deaths and long-term disabilities from strokes through quicker intervention.
- PUB DATE: 6/16/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com & KPNX-TV NBC 12 Phoenix

How do you improve the relationship between police, firefighters and the public? The city of Columbus is trying something new. People from the community are helping make the next hires in the police and fire department. The city has hired nine community evaluators; a diverse group from across the city.
- PUB DATE: 6/16/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WCMH-TV NBC 4 Columbus