VIDEO/PHOTO: An abandoned church fire is under investigation after crews spent six hours on scene extinguishing the blaze. Multiple fire crews responded to the fully engulfed abandoned church at the coroner of Eighth Street and Broadway Street at around 8 p.m. on Monday. Firefighters quickly started spraying water on the building and kept it contained to within the one structure. "Fortunately, there weren't any exposures anywhere near this one so we were just able to go defensive from that point and contain it to that building of origin," Metropolis Fire Chief Micah Tolbert said. Chief Tolbert said the fire crews had a number of duties, including keeping the public safe and away from the collapse zone, coordinating mutual aid, establishing water supplies and stretching out hoses.  

The Bloomington City Council on Monday OK'd the fire department's plan to ease hiring rules tied to paramedic licensing. Previously, the city mandated only licensed paramedics be considered for open firefighter positions. But that no longer is the case with Monday's vote. The Bloomington Fire Department still expects its first responders to be paramedics. But under the new policy, if a new firefighter doesn't have the paramedic certification, BFD staff will train them. The change builds a broader candidate pool in a climate where BFD, like many other U.S. fire departments, struggle to fill ranks.  

PHOTO: Two men have been charged in the stealing of a historic bell that went missing from a South Jersey fire department last week. The Pleasantville Fire Department in Atlantic County asked for the public's help in a social media post last Tuesday after discovering that the historic artifact had gone missing. The bell — which measures 3 feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds — had been stored in an alley behind the fire house as members of the department were preparing to create a memorial for it. Police arrested John Jordon II, 61, and Joseph Redd, 44, both of Pleasantville, on Monday after officers executed a search warrant and located a portion of the bell, according to a statement from the Pleasantville Police Department.  

National First Responders Day on October 28 recognizes the heroic men and women who make it their business to take immediate action when disaster strikes. Not sure what a first responder does? Just think about 9/11 for a moment. Firefighters, police, paramedics, and more — rushing into Lower Manhattan. Whether you've had your own emergency or not, it's not hard to understand and appreciate the dangerous and difficult work they do. Our brave paramedics, firefighters, emergency technicians, and others are appreciated on National First Responders Day on October 28. Congress designated October 28th as National First Responders Day in 2017. The resolution honors the firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and all those who are first on the scene in stressful situations.  

Over the weekend, a fire involving lithium-ion batteries lit up a warehouse in Brooklyn where hundreds of e-bikes and other mobility devices were being stored. The New York City Council is now trying to tackle the problem from a different approach - by going after third-party delivery companies. As the crisis from lithium-ion battery fires continues to swell, officials say it's time delivery companies share responsibility. New legislation proposed by Council Member Oswald Feliz would require delivery apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub to provide safe and certified e-bikes to workers who don't have one. "These delivery companies have their biggest market right here in New York City and we've seen a lot of fire safety issues caused by these e-bikes. So, not fair for them to simply just turn a blind eye on the issues that are being caused," said Feliz.  

PHOTOS: Portland Fire and Rescue's training center will receive a customized golf cart in memory of former Training Chief Ron Bender. The customized golf cart is being given to the training facility by the family of Training Chief Ron Bender. Officials say Ron loved to golf after his retirement from the Portland Fire Bureau and customized his golf cart to resemble a fire engine, complete with ladders, axes, a siren, a bell, and few other unique elements "only a true firefighter could envision." The family says the golf cart is too special to sell and too special to sit, dust-covered in a corner. The decision was made to offer the golf cart to PF&R as a vehicle to assist Portland Fire & Rescue training staff.