A federal jury has rejected an Oakland firefighter's claim that he was harassed and retaliated against by his supervisors because he was black. Ronald El-Malik Curtis sued the city in 2010, accusing his supervisors of failing to take action after his fellow co-workers began harassing him. Curtis said other firefighters tampered with his food, stole his car keys and even placed a dead bird under his bed.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: inside bay area

When firefighters approached the two-story brick warehouse early Monday morning, they did not know the building's elevator shaft was an unprotected abyss, part of ongoing construction at the site. The owners of the structure at 9213 S. Baltimore Ave. did not have proper permits for the work, the city's building department says, and a complete removal of the building's elevator was underway without authorization.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: chicago tribune

The deadline to apply for the IAFC’s Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI) has been extended to January 8, 2016. Developed by the IAFC and funded by Motorola Solutions Foundation, FSEDI provides new and aspiring fire chiefs with the tools they need to have a successful and productive tenure.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: International Association of Fire Chiefs

A New Haven firefighter was arrested Monday, accused of stealing approximately $125,000 from a 95-year-old city woman, according to police. Kenneth Burgos, 41, was charged with first-degree larceny and tampering with a witness, according to police spokesman Officer David Hartman. An investigation into the alleged theft began in September, when the victim notified police that several thousand dollars was missing from her bank accounts, Hartman said.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: new haven register

PHOTO - Firefighters told children not to expect a visit from Santa this year after pretending their fire truck had run over and killed him. Daily Mail reported that the Saltash (England) Fire Station posted an image of Santa on the front of their fire truck on their Twitter page. In the photo, Santa is seen hanging above the engine’s bumper as if he has just been smashed.
- PUB DATE: 12/15/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: firerescue1