While Congress drags its heels on renewing the Zadroga Act, a hero former FDNY battalion chief was buried on Wednesday after succumbing to World Trade Center-related cancer, officials said. Manhattan Battalion Chief James Costello, 52, died the day before Thanksgiving and was buried in New Jersey after a Catholic funeral mass, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.
- PUB DATE: 12/3/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: new york daily news

Akron and the plaintiff firefighters in a long-pending promotions lawsuit have reached a settlement that avoided what would have been a third trial. The city must pay $1.04 million in back pay and pre-judgment interest to the firefighters. “This allows them to look in the rear view mirror and say, ‘God, that decade is over,’” said Bruce Elfvin, an attorney for the firefighters.
- PUB DATE: 12/3/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: akron beacon

It is official, the 2015 Assistance to Firefighters Grant application period will open at 8 a.m. Dec. 7, and close Jan. 15 at 5 p.m. A number of us aren't too happy with the idea that we may be wrapping our presents while wrapping up our AFG application. So here are a few simple tips to ensure that you can begin the day the application period opens and complete it with time to still enjoy the holidays.
- PUB DATE: 12/3/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: firerescue1

An assistant fire chief facing charges for having sex with an underage girl who applied to be a junior firefighter is back on duty before his case is heard in court. New Florence Volunteer Fire Company Assistant Chief Kenny Steiner is facing 12 counts related to the alleged sexual contact involving Steiner and a girl who had applied to be a junior firefighter in 2013.
- PUB DATE: 12/3/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WTAE-TV ABC 4 Pittsburgh

There wasn't anything different about Tuesday's fire call to Selden Road, according to LeRoy Acting Fire Chief Tim Hogle."It was our typical, should've been a normal fire scene that we've been on numerous times in my numerous years with the fire service," Hogle said. But as we already know, that call was anything but normal.
- PUB DATE: 12/3/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WROC-TV CBS 8 Rochester