Amid warnings that Chicago Fire Department paramedics are "taking a literal beating at the hands of their patients," a City Council committee on Monday answered the alarm. The Committee on Public Safety unanimously approved an ordinance championed by Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) at the behest of the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WLS-TV ABC 7 Chicago

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Apiece of Albany history is out for public viewing after being hidden away for 20 years. The restoration of the 1925 Seagrave engine was an arduous process that took gallons of paint and even more patience. Inside what was once the old museum at Fire Station 12, Larry Allen and Brian Vorderstrasse put the finishing touches on the fire engine.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Albany Democrat-Herald - Metered Site

The International Association of Fire Fighters called on Monday for the elimination of protective gear that contains “forever chemicals,” saying swift regulatory action is needed to address the toxic substances. The union — which has more than 333,000 members — announced that it has retained the services of three nationally recognized law firms to pursue these goals, and to help members and their families seek compensation for related illnesses.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WDAF-TV FOX 4 Kansas City

President Joe Biden intends to end the Covid-19 national and public health emergencies on May 11, the White House said Monday. That means that many Americans could have to start paying for Covid-19 testing and treatment after the declarations cease. The White House, in a statement of administration policy announcing opposition to two House Republican measures to end the emergencies, said the national emergency and public health emergency authorities declared in response to the pandemic would each be extended one final time to May 11.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CNN Health

In a single day, Puget Sound Fire said squatters caused fires at two abandoned homes in Kent. The structures were next door to one other. The first fire occurred early Sunday morning at an abandoned home in the 26000 block of 116th Avenue Southeast. Less than 24 hours later, a similar fire gutted an abandoned home next door.
- PUB DATE: 1/31/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle