In these uncertain times, come new mandatory measures for Beloit Fire Paramedics. The first responders are now required to wear bullet proof vests on disturbance calls. "Our guys have been attacked, they've been assaulted on calls," Deputy Chief Joe Murray said about why they are making the change. "Nowadays, across the country with different threats, we have to have that level of protection," he said.
- PUB DATE: 1/30/2017 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WKOW-TV ABC 27

Germantown (TN) Fire Department pumper. Inferno cab and chassis; Cummins ISX15 500-hp engine; Waterous CSU 2,000-gpm pump.

La Conner is ending a 13-year agreement to share a fire station with Skagit County Fire District 13, and is buying out the district’s share of ownership of the building. The move comes a month after the district, which has been transitioning into a professional 24/7 department over the past several years, announced plans to keep two overnight firefighters in the Chilberg Road building, said District 13 Chief Roy Horn.
- PUB DATE: 1/29/2017 4:11:20 AM - SOURCE: Skagit Valley Herald (GoSkagit.com)

Three people were found dead in a home that caught fire late Friday night near Seabeck. The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office has identified two of the bodies as male and one of them as female. The identities and ages of the victims are unknown. Investigators are treating the case as a homicide. "We’re handling it as a homicide investigation," said Scott Wilson, Kitsap County Sheriff's deputy.
- PUB DATE: 1/28/2017 8:14:52 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 and Radio 1000

The Olympia Fire Department retired its carrier pigeons this year, and is using a new kind of bird to send out information: Twitter. The city announced the change Friday morning with a fun, old-timey video. It features Deputy Chief Greg Wright pulling up to the station in an antique firetruck, then attempting to send out messages using a typewriter and carrier pigeon.
- PUB DATE: 1/28/2017 5:52:23 AM - SOURCE: Olympian