Over budget and hurting for money: That's the concern coming from Springfield city officials regarding the money going toward the fire department. The city budgets about $1 million in overtime for the Springfield Fire Department, but they are about $800,000 over that. Some of that was due to COVID-19 and more than 70 firefighters having to quarantine recently. Yet, City of Springfield Budget Director Bill McCarty said they were already on track to have significant overtime charges within the department before that happened. "It's just very concerning because from a budget standpoint, it ties our hands quite a bit," McCarty said. "Those are resources that could be going elsewhere to other services and they can't because they have to go to overtime." The overtime money comes out of the corporate fund, which pays for city services, like fire and police.  

One person died and another was injured in a massive house fire early Wednesday. Jacksonville firefighters were called to the blaze at a residence in the 300 block of Sandusky Street shortly after midnight. When they arrived, the house was fully engulfed, according to a Jacksonville Police Department report. A man in his 60s died at the scene. A woman in her 60s was taken to Passavant Area Hospital; her condition was unavailable Wednesday morning. Jacksonville police, Lifestar Ambulance and South Jacksonville firefighters were called for assistance. Authorities are still investigating.  

When the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in March, Niles firefighters were quick to institute extra safety protocols, added protective gear, and have dispatchers ask more detailed questions about who might be infected with the virus. Firefighters continue to respond to homes, sometimes knowing — other times not — if a patient might be positive for COVID-19. "These past four weeks have been difficult," Niles Fire Chief Marty Feld said Tuesday. "As of today, there have been a total of eight (fire department) individuals testing positive for the virus since March 16. Six of the eight tested positive in the past three weeks." COVID-19, "is wearing us down," said Niles Deputy Fire Chief Robert Greiner. Add to that a culture where Greiner said, "Sometimes we put up a wall. We're the strong ones. Sometimes we don't know to rescue ourselves."  

The Canton Fire Department shared a video on Facebook of their crews responding to a fire at a warehouse Tuesday. The fire broke out at 2206 12th St. NE around 4:30 p.m. A plume of smoke could be seen hundreds of feet in the air. According to the Canton Fire Department, people could see the smoke from miles away. The defensive attack included an unmanned drone to help firefighters find hotspots when visibility was limited. No one was hurt. The cause of the fire is under investigation.  

As the COVID-19 vaccine begins to be available in the United States, the federal government largely has left distribution up to the states. One of the biggest challenges facing states is to decide who should receive the vaccine first. The IAFC has developed a chart which lists the priority tier to which firefighters and EMS personnel have been assigned in each state. It is important to note that the priority level for firefighters and EMS personnel is extremely fluid and likely will change as states continue to develop their plans. IAFC members are also encouraged to contact the IAFC if they learn any of changes to the priority classification for firefighters in their respective state. All fire chiefs are encouraging to review their state's plan and see how firefighters and EMS personnel in their state have been prioritized for access to the COVID-19 vaccine.  

An 18-year effort to get Flagler County to recognize former county firefighter John R. Keppler's line-of-duty death in 2002 finally ended Monday evening with the county commission's decision to rename the fire rescue training facility on Justice Lane after Keppler. Until then, Keppler had been honored on two state memorials, including the the Florida Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Ocala, the Florida's Fallen Firefighters Memorial on the grounds of the state Capitol, and the national firefighters' memorial in Emmitsburg, Md., but Flagler recognize what had been–and remains–the county's only line-of-duty death. But Flagler has never recognized it as such. On March 21, 2002, Keppler responded to an attempted suicide call in the Mondex, started feeling chest pains, asked his wife to drive him to the hospital, and died within sight of the emergency room door.  

The Muskegon County "Yellow Dot" program started small in 2019 with money from Mercy Health and took a big step forward in 2020 with additional funding from the Muskegon County Senior Millage. But due to COVID-19, police and fire departments around Muskegon County weren't able to hold open houses and community safety events to introduce community members to Yellow Dot. So the 10 police and 14 fire agencies in Muskegon County participating in Yellow Dot are using social media to let drivers know about the program. Yellow Dot is explained by members of Norton Shores Police and Fire in a video recently posted to YouTube. "The information can mean the difference between life and death," said Norton Shores Police Sergeant Dan Hibler in the video.  

VIDEO: A mother and her two young daughters rescued two weeks ago from a two-alarm fire at their home in Boston's South End were reunited with their heroes Tuesday. "Thank you so much Boston fire for your help and bringing my family to safety," Alicia Soto told her rescuers. On the morning of Dec. 2, thirty-one-year Soto and her two children, Annabelle and Amelia, were trapped in their third-floor apartment on West Newton Street when a fire broke out. "I thought for a minute that we might die. I really did. Before we got out. I was very scared," Soto said. Soto, who is deaf, speaks through a translator and said that she woke to a special alarm that alerts her when her 6-month-old baby cries but realized something was very wrong when her dog Candy kept barking. "All I could see was the smoke. It was very black and dark," she recalled. "I couldn't see much far in front of me at all. We started going down the stairs and I couldn't see so we had to turn back."