One of the first firefighters on the scene when two planes slammed into the Twin Towers has died, the 124th first responder to die from a 9/11 related disease. Ireland-born Brian J. Masterson succumbed to a two-year battle with esophageal cancer on Jan. 22, the Longford Leader reported. The 61-year-old father-of-three and avid marathon runner, originally from Longford, Ireland, spent months working at Ground Zero after the attack, the Daily Mail reported.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Post

Several of Darien’s volunteer firefighters quit in protest after the new city manager replaced the fire chief last week. Timothy Sweezey characterized the move as a cost-cutting measure for the city’s always-tight budget, but he assured residents this week that there are plenty of firefighters to cover Darien in case of fire.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Golden Isles News

NFPA has issued a firefighter protective hood safety bulletin as the fire service grapples with PPE contaminants and increases in job-related cancer. Firefighters and their PPE are exposed to a wide range of toxins. According to a study by the CDC and NIOSH, firefighters have a higher chance of developing more than a dozen different cancers than the general population.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: National Fire Protection Association

VIDEO - A lame-brained FDNY emergency medical technician drove without his hands as he goofed around inside a city ambulance — and his partner was dumb enough to record the dangerous shenanigans. The 25-second clip shows medic Eric Stone bopping and singing to the rock band Bowling For Soup’s song “1985,” as his partner, Sebastian Vazquez, shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head in mock disgust.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Post

Hours after the son of San Bernardino County’s fire chief was found dead in Lake Arrowhead early Sunday morning, a hashtag emerged to remember the 20-year-old’s love of the outdoors, adventure and his family and friends. “Dawson was a man among men. His love of others made the world a better place. Family loved him deeply & will miss him dearly #LoveLikeDawson,” tweeted his father Mark Hartwig late Sunday night.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: FireRescue1