VIDEOS: While foreign aid remains in Washington D.C. gridlock, one local partnership continues to ship assistance across the world. It started with a March 2022 question from Chris Manson's daughter: How can we help those in Ukraine. Nearly two years later, Manson – alongside US Ambulances for Ukraine, OSF HealthCare and numerous local communities and departments – is preparing for his tenth shipment to the war-afflicted nation. Manson, working through US Ambulances for Ukraine, relies on donations of emergency vehicles and supplies. After securing those, the OSF HealthCare Vice President of Government Relations finds ready partners in those such as the Consulate General of Ukraine in Chicago. "My goal was 1, so you know. And then it was 20," says Manson – reflecting on the beginning.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: The Office of the State Fire Marshal is investigating after the Decatur Fire Department extinguished a house fire on Tuesday. At 8:10 a.m., firefighters arrived at the scene near South 20th Street and Indiana Court. They found heavy smoke and fire coming from the vacant home. Fire crews responded to the same address in the past and knew of unsafe entry conditions. They elected to attack the flames from outside, and were able to ventilate the roof. Openings were made through the walls to access the basement, where the fire had started. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire in 30 minutes. After it was brought under control, they realized the floor to the house's front room had collapsed. The job was completed once the home was determined to be clear of any remaining hot spots.  

Two shooting victims - a male and a female - were rushed to the hospital after they hit a Birmingham fire station while they were seeking help. One of the victims, the male, was pronounced a short time later at UAB Hospital. In what police called a "chaotic scene," the ordeal began about 6:40 p.m. when gunfire erupted at the Shell station on the corner of Old Springville Road and Brewster Road. Those inside the sedan fled the scene and were believed to have been seeking medical attention when they crashed into one of the bay doors at Station 30, which is about a half block away. The impact did not break down the door. Because it wasn't immediately clear what was taking place, an alert was issued indicating a potential threat or danger to a firefighter.  

VIDEO: The CAL FIRE Butte County volunteer program finished its last day of training for its latest group of volunteer firefighters. 19 new volunteer firefighters are expected to serve Butte County and 75-year-old Mary Jarschke is excited to be one of them. "I keep thinking 'man if I started when I was 30 I would be' excuse the expression but badass. I mean it's still pretty badass at 75 but, really I wish I had done it sooner," said Mary Jarscke. Jarschke is a retired registered nurse and Camp Fire survivor living in Concow. She says she joined the program to continue to give back to the community. "We do a lot of medical calls in Concow, the volunteers do, so I decided that this is something that I can do. I'm clearly not gonna be the one dragging somebody out of a burning building most likely."  

A Grant County grand jury has indicted U.S. Forest Service burn boss Ricky Snodgrass on a Class A misdemeanor count of reckless burning. Grant County Sheriff Todd McKinley arrested Snodgrass on Oct. 19, 2022, while the fire he was supervising was still burning. It is believed to be the first time a Forest Service firefighter has been arrested in the course of doing their job. On that day, the Forest Service was conducting a prescribed burn just north of the Izee-Paulina Highway and west of Highway 395. Embers from the planned burn area blew across the Izee-Paulina Highway and charred about 20 acres of timbered ground belonging to an adjacent private ranch before the blaze could be put out.  

Firefighters are first responders trained primarily in controlling and extinguishing fires, as well as responding to emergencies involving life, property, or the environment. They work closely with other first responders and may have responsibilities that overlap with those services, such as investigating the cause of fires or providing first aid services. And yet, firefighter pay varies widely from state to state. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the demand for firefighters is expected to grow by around 4% in the next decade, about the same as the average for all occupations. Most firefighters receive 100 hours of training at a fire academy. The average hourly pay per was less than $25 in 2022, or almost $51,700 annually. Most professional firefighters work full time.  

New Hampshire's population is getting older, and the "Silver Wave" is having an impact on emergency services and town budgets. New Hampshire has the second oldest population in the nation, with a median age of 43 years old, according to World Population Review. Only neighboring Maine has an older population, and Florida, known for its retirement communities, is behind New Hampshire with a median age of 42. Maine and New Hampshire aren't unique in the Northeast. Every New England state is among the 15 oldest in the nation. But median age doesn't tell the whole story. According to estimates from the U.S. Census, in 2023, New Hampshire had about 1,395,000 people, with more than 20 percent over 65.