City officials ordered flags flown at half staff to honor former fire Chief John B. Stewart Jr., a 40-year veteran of the Hartford fire department, who died Sunday morning. Stewart was the first African American fire chief in New England when he took over the department in 1980. He remained chief for 12 years before getting into politics, and eventually became majority leader of the city council.
- PUB DATE: 10/19/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: hartford courant

The International Association of Fire Fighters is a small union of just under 300,000 members with political influence far beyond its size. The obvious reason for this is the respect many Americans have for firefighters, who consistently rank as some of the country’s most admired professionals. The less obvious reason is Harold A.
- PUB DATE: 10/19/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: the new york times

The state association that handles workers’ compensation claims for cities is appealing a decision last month to award benefits to a cancer-stricken Bedford firefighter. Lt. Keith Long, who has stage 4 colon cancer, has fought the city and the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool for lost wages for two years, saying his illness was caused by on-the-job exposure to carcinogens.
- PUB DATE: 10/19/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: star-telegram

A high-ranking Cal Fire Academy official fired during a drinking-and-sex scandal that roiled the department has lost his appeal to return to work. Lawyers representing former Assistant Chief Mike Ramirez says he is now prepared seek a rehearing by the State Personnel Board or take the case to civil court.
- PUB DATE: 10/19/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: sacramento bee

Some Kansas City blazes that claimed the lives of firefighters over the past half-decade have led to safety innovations that became commonplace nationally. Two Kansas City firefighters were killed last Monday when the wall of a burning, multi-story brick building collapsed onto them and two others. A rapid intervention team, or RIT team, rushed in and pulled the four men from beneath the rubble.
- PUB DATE: 10/19/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KCTV-TV CBS 5 Kansas City