VIDEO: Santa arrived early at UVM’s Children’s Hospital Thursday, hitching a ride with members of the Burlington Fire Department as part of Operation Fire Cuffs.

Burlington Assistant Fire Marshal Philip Edgerley helped come up with the idea for the annual event. “At the time, we had some co-workers — both of us that had children in the hospital at the time — and we just went with the idea and it kind of stuck,” Edgerley said.

Standing in for Santa’s elves, the Burlington Fire Department worked alongside businesses and dozens of police and fire agencies from across the state to collect new toys and gift cards for kids spending Christmas at the hospital.

The hospital’s Dr. Lewis First says the goal is to provide joy and a sense of normalcy during a time when it’s anything but normal. “Our goal is to have as few numbers of children as possible spend their time in the hospital, but right now, we’re pretty full, and we have a lot of children who are going to be here over the holidays,” he said.

WCAX-TV CBS 3 Burlington

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NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Greg Biffle was reportedly killed in a plane crash Thursday morning, according to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Around 10:15 a.m., an aircraft crashed at Statesville Regional Airport, they confirmed in a post on their Facebook page.

Biffle and members of his immediate family were on the plane, according to an NCSHP news release. Troopers say they will be able to say who all seven people on the plane were after getting confirmation from the medical examiner’s office.

Biffle’s family, alongside other families, shared a joint statement about the loss of their loved ones on Thursday afternoon. The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office is assisting the investigation alongside the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the FAA. They described the aircraft as a small passenger jet.

The NCSHP said that the plane had taken off from the airport and then turned back to land. The plane that crashed appears to be a Cessna Citation that is owned by the former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, according to FAA paperwork.

WGHP-TV FOX 8 Greensboro

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VIDEO: Fire agencies from across the region gathered in Kennewick to participate in a new type of hands-on training aimed at preparing firefighters for real emergencies. The Kennewick Fire Department and Benton County Fire District #1 have introduced a new fire simulation system during this week’s training. This year’s training features the new Class B system that uses clean-burning propane instead of wood. The live-fire training started on Monday and will continue through Saturday, focusing on communication and relationships among various departments.

Brian Cole, Kennewick Fire Department’s training captain, highlighted the benefits of this system. “It’s so easy for us to flare the fire back up. And so if they (firefighters) knock the fire down, they think it’s out. They move on. We can hit a button and all of a sudden the fire is back up again,” Cole said. This clean-burning fuel produces less smoke and fewer carcinogens while simulating realistic fire conditions. Cole said that in the past, they used a flashlight in a cone to simulate fire or would burn wooden pallets. This new system allows firefighters to work with real fire and observe how it reacts.

KNDO-TV NBC 23 Yakima

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Part 3 describes the processes of developing and implementing performance measures systems within the fire department fleet division.

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Pierce Manufacturing Inc. announced upgrades to its Appleton, Wisconsin, facility to enhance fire apparatus production and reduce lead times, part of a $150 million investment across multiple states.

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