Firefighters responding to reports of an explosion and house fire near La Center found a body inside the burned down building. Fire crews were called out to 1505 N.W. 379th Street at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. They arrived to find a home fully engulfed in flames. After putting out the fire, investigators said the body of an adult was discovered inside the destroyed home.
- PUB DATE: 3/22/2016 10:43:03 AM - SOURCE: kptv

Exton, PA – USSC Group, a global leader in safety and survivability solutions for niche transportation markets, today announced that Joe Mirabile, VP Business Development and Corporate Counsel, has been named President.

“Over his past 5 years at USSC, Joe Mirabile has proven to be an innovative, hard-working addition to our Executive Team.  Holding multiple positions, Joe has been instrumental in directing the expansion of USSC into new markets. Under his leadership USSC has developed tremendous opportunities in the First Responder and FMNA Distributor markets. These efforts compliment the work done by Ray Melleady in the transit markets, Rick Klotz in the International and Rail Markets and David Kiernan in the Military Markets. Effective immediately Joe will be taking over as President of USSC. In this capacity he is responsible for all divisions and company operations. I’m confident that Joe will not only expedite our expansion, and with his staff improve operations, but will also improve communications and teamwork throughout the entire organization. ” said CEO Christian Hammarskjold.

“I look forward to engaging with the dedicated and passionate group of employees at USSC as we continue to expand our offerings and grow across our product group. The executive team will continue to be focused on supporting our rapid expansion. We have hired key personnel including Steve Toren as VP Sales First Responder, and Frank Rzeznikiewicz as COO. We are implementing key process improvements and will continue to invest in new equipment and tooling to support our growth,” said Joseph Mirabile.

http://www.usscgroup.com/

In April 2015, St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue received a FEMA grant from AFG (Assistance to Firefighters Grants) to install a vehicle exhaust removal system. The primary goal of the AFG is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire-related hazards by providing direct financial assistance to eligible fire departments. This grant assisted in paying for critically needed resources to equip and train emergency personnel in order to enhance operations efficiencies, foster interoperability, and support community resilience.

Now that the vehicle exhaust systems have been installed and the fire personnel have been trained, these systems went into use on Friday, March 18, 2016. The system that is being used is the MagneGrip Vehicle Exhaust Removal System, which will remove harmful emissions produced when fire apparatus engines are engaged inside the engine bay area. It will provide added protection in the stations when vehicles move in and out of the engine bays. This is accomplished by the direct capture and removal of harmful vehicle exhaust fumes that otherwise would be released into the open air while the engines are operating. This system will help ensure the highest quality of indoor air possible.

MagneGrip system meets NFPA 1500 for "no less than 100 percent effective capture of exhaust emissions." MagneGrip effectively protects the health of the firehouse personnel and it is fully automatic. When a fire apparatus starts up inside the engine bay, a wireless sensor automatically switches the MagneGrip exhaust fan on. Then all of the toxic exhaust soot and gases are extracted through sealed ductwork and safely dispersed outside the building, making a cleaner and safer working environment.

Photo by: Lt. Steven Lawrence, Deputy Fire Marshal

Former IFD Chief Brian L. Sanford died Monday at the age of 59 following a years-long battle with Lou Gehrig's disease. Sanford served as a firefighter in Indianapolis for 32 years He served as chief of the Indianapolis Fire Department from 2008-2014. Doctors diagnosed Sanford with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2011.
- PUB DATE: 3/22/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WRTV-TV ABC 6 Indianapolis (The Indy Channel)