Two volunteer firefighters who have served four decades with Ketchikan's South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department were recognized on Monday by the Borough Assembly. South Tongass Fire Chief Steve Rydeen praised Chuck Denny and Dennis Spurgeon's commitment to the department. "This is probably the highlight of my career – being able to recognize two vital parts of our department who have made it what it is today." He thanked them for their dedication, and for training and mentoring new members. "I can't say enough about these guys. They're there every Thursday night for drill. They're there every Saturday that we have a drill or a cleanup. They're there to help others. We can call them, and they show up without hesitation." Rydeen then presented them with a replica of a traditional firefighter's tool known as a "speaker trumpet." Those megaphone-like tools were once used to communicate and cut through the cacophony of a fire scene.  

The Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 600 block of N. Nordic Dr. Tuesday morning at about 7 A.M., according to PVFD Assistant Fire Chief Dave Berg. Fifteen volunteers responded to an OBI Seafoods bunkhouse on PFI Hill that was filled with heavy smoke. The source of the smoke was coming from under a couch in the center of the room, said Berg. Volunteers flipped the couch over expecting to find a burning cigarette or another source of the smoke, instead they found an approximately 15 to 18 inch hole burned straight through the floorboards, said Berg. The crew took a fire hose down into the basement and, using a thermal imager, found a section of the insulation beneath the flooring of the first story of the building that was radiating heat, said Berg.  

A firefighter suffered non-life-threatening injuries Wednesday morning at a blaze in a commercial building that houses a Chase Bank branch in the Hyde Park area and burned for 90 minutes before being extinguished. Part of the building collapses during the fire, reported at 12:24 a.m. at 4401 Crenshaw Blvd., near Vernon Avenue. Firefighters found fire burning through the roof of the two-story building, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The address corresponds to a Chase Bank branch inside the Bakewell Building. A total of 160 firefighters extinguished the Major Emergency fire in 90 minutes while protecting a nearby three-story building from fire damage. A knockdown was called at 1:54 a.m., Stewart said. The firefighter sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital, Stewart said.  

PHOTOS: Waterville firefighter Ryan Johnston embraces the fact that those in his profession cannot work remotely amid the coronavirus pandemic. Johnston, 48, founded MAINE-IAC Training a half-dozen years ago after local fire departments learned of his unique extrication class. Now, more than ever, the region's often short-staffed departments look to get the most out of whom they've got, and that's where Johnston's business comes in. "One of the things to remember during COVID is that the fires don't stop, emergencies don't stop," Johnston said. "We've got to keep our firefighter skills as sharp as we can, so we do it as safely as possible." In recent months, MAINE-IAC Training reached a countrywide audience. In November, Johnston published an article in popular outlet Firefighter Nation about firefighting while short staffed. In his article, Johnston wrote about the importance of training with ladder trucks in real-world settings with modern tactics.  

Firefighter Hunter Space left his Beemverville Fire Department in Wantage with a pick-up truck full of firefighting gear. After a 14-hour ride, he arrived at the firehouse in rural Vance, Alabama. The trip was to donate the gear his fire department in Sussex County could no longer use to the southern department in need. The gear included breathing apparatus, resistant hoods, turnout gear (pants and coats), flashlights and alarms to alert others when a firefighter "goes down" while battling a fire. "A lot of stuff which was expired up here was golden to them," Space said Tuesday after his return. A fourth-generation volunteer firefighter, Space is a member of the family that owns Space Farms and is the son of Assemblyman Parker Space, a former chief of the Beemerville Fire Department. The rural Alabama town's Fire Department was grateful for the equipment. "We have different standards down here than you have up there," said Vance Fire Chief Harold McAdory in a telephone call on Tuesday.  

VIDEOS: Clark County firefighters battled a three-alarm fire in the southwest valley near Fort Apache and Tropicana Monday night. According to Clark County Fire, crews responded to the intersection of south Fort Apache Road and west Tropicana Avenue around 11:50 p.m. for a reported fire at an apartment complex that was under construction. Upon arriving, crews elevated the call to a third alarm as the fire grew due to windy conditions. "Compounding the emergency, there were strong winds that was spreading the fire through the complex and sending embers to nearby neighborhoods," Clark County deputy fire chief Warren Whitney said. The fire was officially considered "knocked down" around 1:50 a.m. Tuesday but the scene remained unsafe later Tuesday morning.  

VIDEO: Amid the pandemic, it's been some time since the FDNY EMS Pipes and Drums band performed publicly. On Wednesday, that will change when members take part in this year's Inauguration Day festivities . "It was a great honor to be asked by the department to participate in this inauguration parade," said band manager and FDNY Captain Kevin Haugh. It's the opportunity of a lifetime for Haugh, who spoke with NY1 about the experience on Tuesday at EMS Station 18 in the Bronx. Haugh said it's the first time the band will participate in an inaugural parade. In 2017, their NYPD counterparts went to Washington D.C. to perform when they were asked participate in President Donald Trump's inaugural parade. Now, it's the FDNY EMS Pipes and Drums band that gets an opportunity to shine. "It's actually going to be nice for us," Haugh said. "COVID has affected a lot of things. We haven't been out to any parades. All the parades have been canceled."