Cumberland Times-News, Md.
(TNS)

Mar. 4—CUMBERLAND — Strong winds that moved through the region early Saturday downed trees and power lines and left thousands without electricity. The winds also toppled a section of the Frostburg Fire Department’s South Water Street station.

By 3:30 p.m., according to Potomac Edison, outages in Allegany County were down to about 3,300 from a high of more than 7,500 earlier in the day. Most of the remaining outages were in the Frostburg area.

There were about 800 without electricity in Garrett County and 1,825 in Mineral County, West Virginia, after more than 3,300 had been without power earlier Saturday. Most of those were in the Keyser and New Creek areas. Another 1,000 were reportedly without power in Grant County, West Virginia.

In a statement, Potomac Edison said it hoped to have service restored to those remaining without electricity by Monday evening. “With additional crews on the way to assist in the restoration effort, we hope to have many areas restored sooner,” the statement said.

Volunteer firefighters across both counties were busy clearing trees and checking electrical hazards. Numerous roads were blocked prompting the Allegany County 911 center to activate its Emergency Call Mode just after 8 a.m. Firefighters at all stations in the county were called to staff their stations due to the large number of emergency calls dispatchers were receiving.

The Frostburg Fire Department Station No. 1 suffered damage. The south end of the structure was damaged. Firefighters, including the county structural collapse team, were called there at 8:50 a.m.

A high wind warning issued by the National Weather Service remained in effect until 4 p.m. Gusts of 30 to 40 mph were reported with some reaching more than 50 mph.

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Police say a drunk driver stole a fire department pickup truck and ultimately sparked a house fire on Long Island, abc7ny.com reported.

Surveillance video from Inwood shows Wilson Ulloa, 22, entering the firehouse at Doughty Boulevard. Firefighters say he then hopped inside the pickup and drove it through a set of closed doors, the report said.

Police say Ulloa crashed the truck in East Atlantic Beach, striking a utility pole, which then caused the house fire, according to the report.

Responding officers found him on foot and gave him a sobriety test, which they say he failed, the report said.

Michelle Marchante
Miami Herald
(TNS)

A new health and wellness center for firefighters has opened as part of Miami Fire Rescue’s efforts to curb, detect and treat cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder and other medical conditions that adversely impact firefighters.

Cancer is a leading cause of death among firefighters, with fire crews more at risk for certain types of cancers compared to the general population due to exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. In 2022, 75% of the firefighters whose names were added to the National Fallen Firefighters monument died from cancer, said Miami Fire Rescue Chief Joseph Zahralban during a Thursday news conference outside the new center, 1502 NW Fourth St., next to loanDepot park, the home of the Miami Marlins.

“We need to control our own destiny,” Zahralban told the Miami Herald after the conference, noting that the new center, created in partnership with Miami-Dade’s public hospital system Jackson Health, will help the department “work toward identifying early signs of cancer, heart disease, stroke and even emotional illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder.”

“We know that early recognition is the key to helping them [firefighters] to live a long and healthy life,” he said.

Firefighters at higher risk for cancer

Firefighters are often exposed to known and suspected cancer-causing substances, including liquids, gases, fumes and other chemicals and toxins while on the job. Many buildings contain synthetic and plastic materials, which create more smoke than natural materials, according to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The man-made materials often release cancer-causing agents when they burn.

And the foam firefighters use to extinguish fires emits chemical compounds known as PFAS. Studies have shown that high levels of exposure to certain PFAS can lead to increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer, changes in liver enzymes and increased cholesterol levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fire crews are also at risk for other health conditions, including heart disease, lung disease and stroke. And like other first responders, firefighters can experience trauma from the tragedies they respond to, such as 9/11, the Haiti Earthquake of 2010 and the Surfside condo collapse in 2021.

Most recently, crews responded this week to a murder-suicide involving a 3-year-old boy in Coconut Grove.

“Despite all of their training and all of their education, our firefighters could do nothing to save this child. These emergency calls have life-lasting effects on our firefighters,” said Zahralban. “They become memories — nightmares. They haunt you forever…”

Center latest in health initiative

At the center, firefighters will have access to peer counselors and clinicians. Staff will provide physicals and a variety of services including X-rays, ultrasounds, blood work, stress tests and cardiac exams to the more than 800 firefighters of Miami Fire Rescue. Eventually, the center will expand its services to retired firefighters and the families of fire service members, said Dr. Paul Adams, the medical director for Miami Fire Rescue and the new health and wellness center.

The center is the latest initiative stemming from Miami Fire Rescue’s comprehensive cancer prevention program, an effort the department created several years ago to identify and eliminate risk factors and hazards that can affect the health and safety of fire crews.

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