While watching the flames leap up from the Chimneys condominium during October’s fatal fire, former deputy chief of the Bellevue Fire Department Marty LaFave was in awe. But not at the disaster, the likes of which he has seen many times during his 36-year career as a firefighter. “I really got to see how far the [fire] department had matured.
- PUB DATE: 12/9/2016 2:01:15 AM - SOURCE: Bellevue Reporter

Oakland, California's fire chief acknowledged Thursday the department's prevention efforts, which include conducting safety inspections of sites such as the Ghost Ship warehouse where at least 36 people died last week, have been hampered by years of budget cuts and hiring freezes. "Was it the best?" Chief Teresa Deloach Reed said in an exclusive interview with CNN.
- PUB DATE: 12/9/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CNN

One day after a fire chief resigns, amid controversy in his department, one of the firefighters is now on paid leave. Mark Blaquiere is under investigation by the town of Oxford. He declined to discuss the subject of that investigation. But he says he was handed a packet by Interim Town Manager Rebecca Lippencott, which he thinks has the reason why he’s been put on leave.
- PUB DATE: 12/9/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WGME-TV 13 Portland

The Dallas Police and Fire Pension System's Board of Trustees suspended lump-sum withdrawals from the pension fund Thursday, staving off a possible restraining order and stopping $154 million in withdrawal requests. The system was set to pay out the weekly requests Friday. Pension officials said allowing the withdrawals would leave them without the liquid reserves required to sustain the $2.
- PUB DATE: 12/9/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Dallas Morning News

NFPA was recently awarded an Assistance to Firefighters Grant to develop a national fire data system (NFDS) that meets the priority needs of the U.S. fire service for quality local and national data for both operational and community risk reduction decision making. NFPA’s focus is on helping local agencies in the collection, management and utilization of their data to make decisions where they count most—right in your community.
- PUB DATE: 12/9/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: National Fire Protection Association