VIDEO: A suburban auto body shop owner and a retired firefighter are teaming up to honor New York firefighters on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Together they restored a vintage fire truck, but the reason behind their bond goes much deeper. John Tobin arrived at a fire station on Staten Island to return a piece of history.

“FDNY really embraces their history,” he said. “It’s the love of the fire service and the respect that one tries to give back.” The special moment was captured on cellphone video on Tuesday ahead of the 25th anniversary of September 11.

The retired Elgin firefighter spent two years restoring the front of this vintage fire truck for Ladder Company 81. The truck served several communities before ending up at a dealer in Shorewood. His friend reached out to him about the truck.

WMAQ-TV NBC 5 Chicago

The post Retired Illinois firefighter, auto body shop owner restore fire truck to honor FDNY appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

VIDEO: The entire nation wanted to help the New York City Fire Department in the days following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The then-Puyallup Fire Department answered that call and ensured the support continued after that year.

After 343 New York City firefighters died in the attacks, the FDNY put a call out to agencies across the country for backup so surviving firefighters could attend the funerals of their fallen colleagues. Jeff Pugh, who is now a captain with the agency today known as Central Pierce Fire & Rescue responded, traveling to a station in the Bronx, where he filled in on shifts for a week.

“The devastation that I saw, and the firefighters that I met, it’s without words,” Pugh said. He managed to attend “many” of the funerals, even though he didn’t know any of the deceased. “They were brothers, sisters,” he said. Almost a year later, Pugh and the others who helped the NYFD wanted to give something back: a memorial carving crafted at the Puyallup Fair.

To get it across the country, firefighters reached out to departments nationwide to help carry it in a relay. “Let’s call fire departments across the country, and let’s form our own bucket brigade, and get this statue back there,” Deputy Chief Adam Jackson said. Departments carried the 6-foot-tall wooden carving across their respective states.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

The post Puyallup firefighters reflect on NYFD bond, 25 years after 9/11 appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

With wildfires continuing to affect parts of Mount Rainier National Park, park officials say their focus is on safety, protecting historic buildings and preserving the surrounding landscape for the long term. To help shield historic structures, fire management teams have created defensible space around key park buildings, including the Sunrise Visitor Center. Visitors and community members may see crews removing some trees and dense vegetation immediately around these historic buildings.

Officials said fuel removal is essential because clearing select vegetation around wooden structures can reduce wildfire risk. During an active wildfire, dense tree canopies and heavy underbrush can provide a path for flames, heat and embers to reach buildings. Thinning vegetation around structures reduces available fuel and can lower fire intensity, increasing the chance that historic buildings will survive a passing fire, officials said.

KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle

The post Wildfires affect parts of Mount Rainier as crews prioritize safety and historic sites appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

First responders assisted a motorist who crashed into a watery ditch along state Route 203 Saturday afternoon.
According to Eastside Fire and Rescue, the driver of the Ford Bronco crashed near 10000 block of Carnation Duvall Road Northeast outside Duvall around 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

The ditch was steep and filled with water, which began to sink as first responders rushed to the scene. The water was up to the car’s window when crews arrived, according to Washington State Patrol trooper Rick Johnson.
The driver was rescued without injury and crews are working to extract the vehicle. State troopers will investigate the incident and evaluate whether inebriation or distracted driving was a factor in the incident.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

The post Driver rescued from ditch as car sinks into water appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

Boulder seeks voter approval for a $400 million bond to repair or replace aging city buildings, including a new public safety center.

The post Boulder (CO) Says It Needs $170M to Replace a Failing Public Safety Building. Here’s Why. appeared first on Fire Apparatus: Fire trucks, fire engines, emergency vehicles, and firefighting equipment.