The saying goes, where there is smoke there is fire. This may be true in most cases - and what happened on Day 2 of the Alaska Fire Conference caught firefighters off-guard as the unexpected unfolded at a hands-on training session. A fire training exercise took place on Tuesday at an abandoned structure next to the Sacred Heart Cathedral where firefighters practiced a technique of firefighting referred to as "aggressive interior firefighting." This type of fire suppression focuses on a specific situation that doesn't often occur. In order for the technique to work, a structure needs to be standing and in one piece, and also have a fire in it that hasn't fully developed. This allows the responders to go into the structure and perform various tasks such as search and rescue while using hoses inside the building to combat the flames and put the fire out.  

Weather conditions in Florida's Gulf Coast are dangerous due to Hurricane Ian -- and authorities are experiencing issues as rain and wind hammer the area. The Naples Fire and Rescue Department posted a video of a downed power line that sparked flames in the street on Wednesday. No one was hurt but authorities shared the footage to remind the public to stay off roads until the storm passes. The department also shared a video of flood waters pooling in the bay of the fire station. Footage shows firefighters hauling their equipment off the truck and into the fire station. They were also concerned because the truck was smoking. The department said everyone was safe, but they were concerned about their property. They continued to advise residents to stay home.  

The City of Overland Park now has a defibrillator available 24-7 at one of their parks, what they are calling their new "SaveStation". Jason Green, EMS Chief for the City of Overland Park, said this will help save more lives, with everyone being able to use it and follow its instructions. Green said the city's cardiac arrest save rate is around 42 percent, which is much higher than other Kansas City metro emergency services, and across the country. He believes this accessible device will help improve that. It's in a secured box they call a "SaveStation" that will set off an alarm when it's opened, to alert the police department. The device will speak to you to give you instructions, but first, users should call 911 so professionals can come to their location. Turn it on, apply the pads to the person needing help, and follow the voice commands..  

Just in time for Fire Prevention Month, Doylestown Borough and Doylestown Township have released a new video aimed at recruiting new members for the Doylestown Fire Company. Both the borough and the township ran the video spot at their September public meetings. The video will also be shown on their websites, at the County Theatre and through a variety of other avenues. The two minute seven second video introduces four volunteer firefighters to the community, including a cell biologist, the head of operations for a specialty pharmaceutical company, a student studying to become a veterinarian and a teacher and a professor, and encourages others to consider joining the Doylestown Fire Company team. It concludes with the tagline, "Your friends, your family and your neighbors count on us. Can we count on you?"  

On Wednesday, Tyler Fire Chief David Coble toured a recently-constructed fire station in Tyler's sister city of Jelenia Góra, Poland. Coble is traveling with a group of representatives from East Texas to deepen the partnership between the two communities. His Polish counterpart led the delegation on a tour of Jelenia Góra's main fire station, an expansive and modern facility that opened in the last two years. The multi-story main station also contains a community education center, where firefighters teach children about fire safety using an immersive, museum-style exhibit. Coble also proposed they discuss a possible exchange of personnel, inviting a Jelenia Góra firefighter to stay at a Tyler fire station for a month. The East Texas delegation also watched a demonstration of firefighting apparatuses, water rescue boats, and on-site housing and training facilities.  

Española Assistant Fire Chief John Wickersham will have a role as a Fire Chief on the upcoming comedy television series "The Curse." Filmed in Española, the show is set to star Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie. According to Wickersham, he was joined by several other local firefighters to film scenes on Sept, 20 and 21 at the Española Fire Department. "It was a good experience. I'm glad I did it. It was super fun and it was good for the department because ... it's going to bring in close to $20,000 that we wouldn't have without it," Wickersham said. The City of Española is paid for the rented station and equipment, and those funds are funneled back into the fire department, which is then capable of buying things it wouldn't be able to buy with other monetary resources such as the fire funds.