Capital City Fire Rescue is looking to start up its next Cadet Program this Fall. Two of the program's new coordinators, Firefighter Paramedic Andrew Wheeler and Firefighter Emergency Medical Technician Shale Palmer, were guests on Action Line. The program is aimed at training high school aged students. Wheeler said previous plans were postponed due to the pandemic and they have people still interested. He said they're hoping to get into the high schools within the next month to gauge interest in the program. Palmer said the cadets will be doing all sorts of things in the program. She said they will be learning how to work as a team, how to communicate, and problem solving. In addition to learning how to be a fire fighter, she said the cadets will learn about working with the community  

At least four fires were ignited near North Park overnight, according to San Diego police. The costliest of the fires, most of which were sparked between 1-2 a.m., involved a Tesla parked near Utah and Capps streets. In that fire, someone lit a car cover on fire, resulting in the destruction of the vehicle. That fire was caught on video and was believed to have begun shortly after 1:30, with the car burning for several minutes before firefighters could extinguish the flames. The video captured a series of small explosions, at one point creating a fireworks-like burst of white-hot material. Investigators think the series started about 10 minutes earlier in the 3800 block of Pershing Avenue, when the arsonist lit a pair of trash cans on fire, causing some minor damage to a nearby fence.  

Many pet owners teach their dogs how to sit, roll or shake hands, but rarely do they ever train their pets to guide firefighters out of a burning building. A group of doctoral students led by Eric Jing Du, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Florida, have trained and developed robotic dogs with the intent of helping first responders virtually see through walls in situations that they would otherwise be blindsided by. Firefighters who have trouble navigating through fires in an unfamiliar environment would be able to escape these situations with the help of the dogs. Since 2015, Du has aimed to understand how the robotic dogs can impact human interaction and possibly prevent unnecessary deaths of future first responders. "Human beings cannot go into these dangerous rooms with fire and hazardous substances, but they can send this robotic dog there," Du said.  

It was an honor that was years in the making on Tuesday for one special local hero. On Aug. 3, 1939, John Harris — who served in the latter part of the 19th Century as the first Black firefighter with the Kokomo Fire Department — died and was buried on a small plot of land at Crown Point Cemetery, just north of Carter Street. And for 82 years, no one but cemetery record keepers even knew where Harris' final resting place was, as there was no headstone or grave marker highlighting the exact location. But that's not the case anymore, thanks to a group of local historians and first responders. It all started earlier this year when KFD Division Chief Glenda Myers was doing a bit of background research on Harris and went out to the cemetery to look for his burial site.  

My name is Lieutenant Roger Bayne, Jr. I have been a firefighter/paramedic with Addison Fire Protection District No. 1 for 25 years. Giving back to my community has always been something I have been very passionate about. About 10 years ago, I knew I wanted to do something more, something bigger than only supporting my local community. I was asked by a friend to get involved with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which honors firefighters who have paid the ultimate sacrifice of laying down their life while in the line of duty. I knew this was my calling to support not only my local community, but to also be involved in helping my firefighter family that crosses state lines. I signed up that day, and for the past 10 years I have had the honor and privilege to be a volunteer as an Honor Guard Commander, representing the Addison Fire Protection District No. 1 and the Associated Fire Firefighters of Illinois Honor Guards.  

Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber's lockdown-inspired single, "Stuck With U," has now raised over $3.5 million for the First Responders Children's Foundation, going directly to thousands of first responders' families around the U.S. The single, which released on May 8, 2020, was recorded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and donated 100% of its profits from streaming and sales to the foundation. A collaboration between Grande, Bieber, Scooter Braun's SB Projects (which manages both Grande and Bieber), Republic Records and Def Jam Recordings, the song's profits will be used to help the families of first responders — healthcare workers, EMTs, paramedics and firefighters — who remain on the front lines of the pandemic.