A Seattle duck boat that swerved into an oncoming charter bus, killing five people and injuring dozens, did not have an axle repair that was recommended for at least some of the amphibious tour vehicles in 2013, federal investigators said. Ride the Ducks International, which refurbished the vehicle in 2005, warned its customers two years ago about potential axle failure and recommended a specific repair or increased monitoring, National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener said at a Sunday news conference.
- PUB DATE: 9/28/2015 9:04:33 AM - SOURCE: CBS Seattle KSTW-TV and KPTK-AM

A Seattle duck boat that swerved into an oncoming charter bus, killing five people and injuring dozens, did not have an axle repair that was recommended for at least some of the amphibious tour vehicles in 2013, federal investigators said. Ride the Ducks International, which refurbished the vehicle in 2005, warned its customers two years ago about potential axle failure and recommended a specific repair or increased monitoring, National Transportation Safety Board member Earl Weener said at a Sunday news conference.
- PUB DATE: 9/28/2015 9:04:33 AM - SOURCE: CBS Seattle KSTW-TV and KPTK-AM

Employees of a rural water district confiscated equipment from the Beaver Lake Fire Department after discovering some of its firefighters tapping into a fire hydrant to fill swimming pools, an official with the water district said. The department hadn't notified the Benton County Water District it planned to tap the hydrant or arranged to pay for the water, said Eddie Cooper, water district manager.
- PUB DATE: 9/28/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NWAOnline - Northwest Arkansas News

The firefighters collapse in driveways and fields to steal a moment’s rest. They sleep in their engines, sprawled across fire hoses or slumped over steering wheels. After they spend days hacking dead brush and setting defensive fires across flaming mountains, their 24-hour rest breaks are cut short when a new fire rears up.
- PUB DATE: 9/28/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: new york times

Zoning battles aren’t unusual when developers propose high-rise buildings amid single-family homes, but some Montgomery County residents are fighting the development plans of an unusual opponent: their local fire department. The Bethesda Fire Department’s board of directors says it needs to replace or renovate its 46-year-old headquarters to keep pace with emergency calls as downtown Bethesda continues to transform from a leafy suburb into an urban hub.
- PUB DATE: 9/28/2015 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: the washington post