Capital City Fire and Rescue responded close to 5000 calls in total last year. That was the word from Fire Chief Rich Etheridge while a guest on Action Line. "The total that we came up with is 4937, was a little bit lower than we were anticipating because it was a computer glitch that we were having. Some of our sleep-off numbers were migrating into our regular data. So we got that mined out, came out to 4937 calls," he said. "It's still up there and probably our top three or four years." 4174 calls were medical-related. "That's anywhere from a big trauma call to 'you know I don't feel good,' or 'I've got COVID and you need somebody to come out and assess me,' but medical calls is the bulk of what we do." The second most type of call CCFR responded to was fire alarms at 430.  

PHOTOS: The Firth fire station, part of the Shelley-Firth Fire District on Firth's main street, suffered heavy losses Monday morning in a blaze which totaled equipment and sent one firefighter to the hospital where he was treated and released, with any apparent injuries mostly involving smoke inhalation. Firth Fire Chief Dale Mecham said an electrical problem was an apparent cause of the fire. The state Fire Marshal's office was on the scene investigating, and Mecham said the 21-man volunteer department would have to wait for its insurance company to investigate. Mecham said two engines, one brush rig, and two pumpers were all totaled with damage to other trucks. He said they were able to save all brush rigs but one.  

PHOTOS: The City of Shakopee's Zamboni just got a red hot upgrade. Last Thursday, the city debuted its firetruck-wrapped Zamboni at the Shakopee girls hockey game. Complete with a fire engine red design and details, the Zamboni also features the message "Become a Firefighter" across the side. On top of giving first responder firefighters a well-deserved shoutout at games, city officials hope the design, which was created in partnership with SignPRO, helps raise awareness about the fire department's recruiting program. Speaking at the Zamboni's unveiling, Shakopee Mayor Bill Mars said the decked out ice resurfacer "celebrates the rich and meaningful contributions of the brave firefighters who serve our community at the Shakopee Fire Department."  

PHOTOS: An apartment high-rise fire in the Bronx that killed 17 people and injured dozens of others on Sunday was one of the deadlier building fires in the city's history. Some lists of New York City's most deadly fires include the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center. Two commercial airline flights crashed into the towers, leading to fires and collapses of both buildings that killed about 2,750 people. Before 9/11, the deadliest fire in the city's history was aboard the General Slocum excursion boat in the East River in 1904, when 1,021 passengers died. The fire swept through the Brooklyn Theatre on Dec. 5, 1876, near the end of a performance of "The Two Orphans," killing at least 278 people. Media reports said a gas lantern ignited some scenery, and many of the victims were trampled trying to get out of the building, which had no fire exits.  

Comedian and actor Bob Saget passed away over the weekend in Florida. The ‘Full House' star died at the age of 65. Tributes have poured in from everywhere including one fire department in Louisiana. St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1 put together a touching video in honor of Saget and posted it to their Facebook page. The video was accompanied with this message, "RIP Bob Saget! Your show must have had an impact on the crew at Station 13. Today they made this short video in your honor." Saget had returned to the stand-up circuit before his passing including a show on Saturday. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of death for the comedy legend.  

VIDEO: The team efforts at a harrowing 2021 fire in a Vernon tenement are being featured on a national documentary. The fire took place at 80-82 Union Street last March. A raging inferno trapped residents on the third floor and the building was engulfed in smoke. A rescue team that sprang to action spared no title — in addition to firefighters and police officers, a registered nurse from nearby Rockville General Hospital, an Air National Guard sergeant who lived next door and Vernon's town administrator and emergency management director sprang into action and the two people trapped on the third floor were rescued. The efforts that day are being showcased in a documentary television series called "Hearts of Heroes." The show airs Saturday mornings on ABC television stations and can also be viewed on YouTube. The show "showcases the stories of men and women braving natural disasters with one goal: to rescue the victims and help restore their lives."