VIDEO: Last July, an electric transit bus in Connecticut burst into flames while parked at a depot. A month later, an electric scooter sparked a fire inside a New York City apartment that killed a 5-year-old girl and 36-year-old woman. And last month, a fire believed to be caused by the batteries in an electric scooter engulfed a multifamily home in Brockton, Massachusetts.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC News

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Stepping away from full time service to retirement can be a big transition for firefighters, as they move away from the family they had at their station. No one at Olympia Firehouse 5 expected to be meeting for Monday morning coffee surrounded by a half dozen vintage firetrucks in their retirement.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Thurston Talk

VIDEO: Tulsa International Airport (TIA) has upgraded its phone system to alert first responders in the event of an emergency. It’s called a crash phone system. TIA firefighters told FOX23 they’ve waited a long time for this new system. It costs around $100,000, and firefighters said the equipment is vital.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOKI-TV FOX 23 Tulsa

Greene County will give volunteer emergency responders a break on property taxes in an attempt to recruit and retain firefighters and EMTs as their numbers continue to decline across the state. The move takes advantage of a law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in December giving counties a standardized way to give the breaks.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Times Union

COVID-19 vaccinations are no longer required for Seattle and King County workers outside of healthcare settings. For those who lost their jobs for refusing to get the vaccine, it's unclear whether they’ll get their jobs back. This guidance from public officials released Monday is based on wide availability of antiviral treatments and updated boosters, and because there are higher levels of immunity from vaccination and from many people having COVID-19 infections.
- PUB DATE: 2/8/2023 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle