PHOTOS: Alan “Gus” Gustafson was on a mission.

The energetic 80-year-old strode through Kalispell’s Public Safety Building on a damp April morning, looking for the 2,200-pound bell that once hung from the Fire Department’s hose tower, ready to summon firefighters in an emergency.

The retired firefighter’s first stop was the first floor offices of the Kalispell Police Department. When that proved fruitless, he headed across the lobby, where he said the bell was once put on display, to question the staff at Kalispell Municipal Court. They couldn’t remember a bell either.

A few minutes and one flight of stairs later, Gustafson was in Fire Chief Jay Hagen’s office, asking if he knew of the bell’s whereabouts. Hagan shook his head. He did not.

“OK, I’m going to find it,” Gustafson replied. Hagen agreed that he would. “When he sets his mind to it, it’s going to happen,” Hagen said from behind his desk.

Gustafson, who still serves as the department’s historian, more than 20 years into his retirement, had a personal connection to the bell (he later located it around the corner at the Northwest Montana History Museum). Firefighters were still ringing it when he joined the department in 1971, just not for its original purpose.

“After I started, the bell was used to call curfew,” he said. “Every night at a certain time we would ring the bell.” The bell isn’t the only piece of the department’s history that Gustafson enjoys a personal connection with. The crown jewel of its historical collection, a 1925 American LaFrance fire engine, was still in service when he first donned turnout gear.

Daily Inter Lake

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PHOTOS: An apartment fire at a student housing complex in East Lansing has left nearly 50 people without homes. On May 9, around 8:20 p.m., a building at The Village at Chandler Crossings caught fire and quickly spread across the entire roof.

When 6 news arrived on scene, over one hundred people were standing in the parking lot watching firefighters work to put out the flames. Will Dryer, the project manager for the Choice Group, says the fire started from a grill on the third floor.

“Received a phone call from our fire alarm system at about 8:24. Fire department responded probably about 10-15 minutes later,” he says. “I showed up for the fire department along with our maintenance tech or our maintenance supervisor to clear out the building, get crews on site.”

While firefighters worked to clear flames and smoke, staff set up a table to help displaced residents find temporary housing.

“I have a crew over by building 8 here at the village making sure that these kids have a home to go to tonight, or hotels, whatever the situation might be, or what we need to do, just trying to resolve anybody that needs a house, their apartment to get into. We’re here for them. We’ll be here all night until we find everybody an apartment.”

WLNS-TV CBS 6 Lansing

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VIDEO: Two people suffered life-threatening injuries in an apartment fire in Sammamish, according to Eastside Fire & Rescue. Crews responded to the two-alarm fire in the 3000 block of 230th Lane Southeast and found heavy fire conditions inside one apartment unit. Firefighters pulled two victims from the unit, both with life-threatening injuries. Deputy Chief Kara Putnam said crews driving nearby on their way to training spotted smoke coming from the building and rushed to the apartment complex.

“Crews just happened to be driving by there on their way to some training, and they saw it and got right into action,” Putnam said. Firefighters say one victim was found outside the apartment while crews entered the burning unit in “rescue mode” to search for a second victim. Putnam said both victims are believed to be adults in their mid-20s. One was initially taken to Overlake Medical Center and the other to Harborview Medical Center. Officials said the fire was contained to a single apartment unit.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

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A window-mounted air conditioning unit reportedly exploded during a fire at a duplex in Yelm, according to the SE Thurston Fire Authority. Fire officials said crews were told a candle caught a bedroom on fire before flames involved the AC unit, which exploded.

Firefighters from SE Thurston Fire Authority, Lacey Fire District 3, South Thurston Fire & Rescue, and East Olympia Fire Department responded to the scene near 103rd Avenue. The Yelm Police Department also helped evacuate residents from a neighboring unit.

When crews arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from one side of the small duplex. The fire had spread slightly into the attic area before firefighters were able to put it out. The Red Cross was called to assist the displaced family. No residents or firefighters were injured, but some pets died in the fire.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

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VIDEO: For Executive Director Joy Throndsen, the work is close to home. “I personally have a soft spot for the EMTs,” she said, “My father having gone through a personal thing…my heart goes out to those particular first responders.” That kind of personal investment — knowing exactly what it feels like to need help and not know where to turn — is woven into the fabric of Lionhardt. The organization prides itself not just on what it provides, but on how fast it moves.

“We pride ourselves on being nimble and quick,” Laidlaw said. “We have a lot of flexibility in what we do.” For a family suddenly navigating a devastating diagnosis or a traumatic injury, that speed can mean everything. Every dollar donated to Lionhardt flows directly to first responders and their families — filling the gaps that even good benefits can’t always cover, in the moments when everything else has already been stretched too thin.

Financial help can come in the form of paying for medical bills, groceries, home repairs, utility bills, counseling, burial or memorial ceremonies, and other needs, according to Laidlaw.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

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