VIDEO: Firefighters are responding to a large multi-structure fire in South Sacramento. According to Sacramento Fire, the incident is at 3400 La Grande Boulevard. The 5 alarm fire has spread to multiple structures including a body shop, mattress factory, and pallet storage facility. The fire chief said firefighters are running into a major issue with water pressure, making the firefight more difficult.
- PUB DATE: 6/2/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOVR-TV CBS 13 Sacramento

The city of Youngstown says it is moving forward with a plan to brown out fire stations after the fire department's overtime budget has been wiped out. Finance Director Kyle Miasek told the city council finance committee Monday night, through the first five months of 2020, $116,000 has been spent on non-holiday overtime.
- PUB DATE: 6/2/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFMJ-TV NBC/CW 21 Youngstown

For the first time in memory, Florida is about to start hurricane season with its emergency operations center already up and running, and already at its highest alert level because of the coronavirus. And the prospect of managing overlapping natural disasters has state and local officials, emergency managers, first responders, hospital executives, utility officials and restaurant and lodging executives in high anxiety mode.
- PUB DATE: 6/2/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Tallahassee Democrat

Four days and nights of protests, some of which turned violent, tested the training, planning, and safety equipment of Denver Health paramedics and EMTs. By Monday, first responders had treated more than 100 people involved in the protests, despite being attacked several times, Denver Health reported.
- PUB DATE: 6/2/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KCNC-TV CBS 4 Denver

With every new headline about a mass shooting, terrorist attack, hate crime or natural disaster, many of us fear for our safety and that of our loved ones. In 2020, though, by far the biggest safety concern on Americans' minds is the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed around 100,000 Americans and infected nearly 1.
- PUB DATE: 6/2/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Wallet Hub

VIDEO: A huge fire broke out in several residences in South Boston early Saturday morning, and five of the firefighters trying to contain the blaze were hurt. The seven-alarm fire erupted about 3:30 a.m. on Columbia Road and Douglas Street and tore through about seven homes, the Boston Fire Department said.
- PUB DATE: 6/1/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WBTS-TV NBC 10 Boston

“Peaceful protests by our neighbors exercising their first amendment rights across America are being interrupted by violence and unrest. In the middle of the challenges and turmoil, I am proud of our IAFF fire fighters, paramedics and EMTs who are once again proving their dedication to keeping their communities safe when they are needed most.
- PUB DATE: 6/1/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: IAFF.org

A coalition of national EMS organizations announced a joint fundraising effort to honor EMS providers who died from COVID-19 through the sale of a custom-designed memorial coin. The coin and fundraising effort were conceived by Paramedic Alan Lieberman, and the coin goes on sale starting June 1, 2020 through June 15, 2020.
- PUB DATE: 6/1/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: EMS1

A disagreement surrounding COVID-19 quarantine protocols has sparked a dispute in Cranston, after the mayor's office ordered firefighters exposed to infected co-workers to return to work while waiting for test results. Four Cranston firefighters have tested positive and at one point about 40 coworkers were in quarantine.
- PUB DATE: 6/1/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WPRI-TV CBS 12 Providence

They often find interesting things, and sometimes uncover an object of historical value. Recently, artifact hunter Axel Macon and two of his friends fired up their metal detectors at a site near Spring Street in Charleston and aimed their electromagnetic bursts at a promising area in the backyard of the property.
- PUB DATE: 6/1/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Post & Courier

The simplest way to track the progress of any outbreak is by seeing how many new cases and deaths are reported in a given area each day. And in the United States, falling numbers in some of the hardest-hit places have offered glimmers of hope. Totals for the country have been on a downward curve, and in former hot spots like New York and New Jersey, the counts appear to have peaked.
- PUB DATE: 5/29/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New York Times

PHOTOS: Audra Carter has a simple message for any young woman or girl who asks her about becoming a firefighter: “Please. We need more.” The 48-year-old Hoboken native is providing a shining example for future female firefighters. She was promoted Thursday, becoming the first woman battalion chief in the 171-year history of the Hoboken Fire Department in a ceremony at City Hall.
- PUB DATE: 5/29/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NJ.com

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to take action that would avoid potential layoffs of America's experienced firefighters. Specifically, Rep. LaHood and U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) called on FEMA to temporarily expand the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program to include firefighters already on payroll.
- PUB DATE: 5/29/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Ripon Advance

VIDEO: Mayor Jacob Frey said he made the call to evacuate police officers from the 3rd Precinct before rioters set the building on fire Thursday night as protests continued to boil over in Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd. Police said officers were able to safely evacuate as rioters breached the perimeter and started a fire that spread through the building.
- PUB DATE: 5/29/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KMSP-TV FOX 9 Minneapolis

The FDNY on Thursday hosted a ceremonial sendoff to medical response teams that traveled to New York City to assist with the coronavirus pandemic. For 60 days, American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance crews, Network Providers and support staff from across the country have worked in New York as part of the urgent response to the COVID-19 crisis.
- PUB DATE: 5/29/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WABC-TV ABC 7 New York

A temporary restraining order was filed against the city of Maumee to prevent Mayor Richard Carr from imposing a 5 percent pay decrease for all city employees to offset millions in financial loss because of the pandemic. A complaint was filed Friday in Lucas County Common Pleas Court. The plaintiff, Dawn Sniadecki, is the former president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 4536 and a paramedic employed by the city, but Andrew Mayle, Ms.
- PUB DATE: 5/28/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Blade

Tennessee will soon stop providing the names and addresses of COVID-19 patients to first responders, after initially arguing that doing so would protect those on the front line. Gov. Bill Lee's administration decided on the change this week, conceding that the data may have created a false sense of security to those responding to emergency calls.
- PUB DATE: 5/28/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: ABC News

With a loud whir and a whoosh, a fixed-wing drone slingshots out of a medical warehouse, zips through hazy skies at 80 mph, pops open a belly hatch and drops a box of medical supplies. Slowed by a little parachute, the box drifts downward and lands with a plop, less than 8 minutes after launch. For North Carolina Department of Transportation's Basil Yap, it is a eureka moment.
- PUB DATE: 5/28/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: North State Journal

Doctors, scientists and epidemiologists have made strides in their research to learn what they can about SARS-CoV-2 and the illness it causes, COVID-19. Multiple vaccines are in different stages of development as institutions scrutinize the effectiveness of existing drugs to treat coronavirus patients in clinical trials.
- PUB DATE: 5/28/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: USA Today

The New York City Fire Department Pension Fund, with an assets-to-liabilities ratio of 63 percent, has enough money on hand to pay beneficiaries for 10.1 years, according to a new ranking of public retirement funds from the Wirepoints website. The retirement system ranked 32nd on a list of 148 state and local retirement funds nationwide with at least $2 billion in assets, the website reported.
- PUB DATE: 5/28/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Center Square

Police and firefighters weren't forgotten when Congress passed a $2 trillion coronavirus relief package in March. Within a week of the law's enactment, aid began flowing to states and cities through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, run by the Justice Department. Much of that aid goes to police departments across the country, which have received more than $143 million so far, according to a CQ Roll Call analysis of grant recipients.
- PUB DATE: 5/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Roll Call

VIDEO: A tenacious fire fueled by an estimated 1,000 plastic crates containing tomato products burned for at least seven hours Tuesday in east Stockton, growing to five alarms as it sent a massive black plume of smoke into the clear morning air visible for miles in all directions. No structures were involved and no injuries were reported at the Mizkan America tomato-processing plant known for its Ragu and Bertolli pasta sauces near the southwest corner of Waterloo Road and D Street.
- PUB DATE: 5/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Record

New Hampshire was the first state to offer all first responders “hazard pay” bonuses for being on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. But unlike Gov. Chris Sununu's other relief initiatives, few states or the federal government have followed this one. And the $300-per-week bonuses for New Hampshire's firefighters, police, EMS and corrections officers have drawn controversy.
- PUB DATE: 5/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: New Hampshire Union Leader

Weeks after learning there is a federal Arizona-specific model, Arizona's top public health official released the model in an online blog post on Tuesday. Dr. Cara Christ posting in a blog post, that FEMA has authorized them to share the models publicly. The report release May 7 has a number of graphs and data charts that are specific to Arizona.
- PUB DATE: 5/27/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KNXV-TV ABC 15 Phoenix

A huge fire that tore through a warehouse on San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf has destroyed fishing gear used to deliver about two-thirds of the city's fresh seafood, threatening to disrupt the upcoming Dungeness crab season, local fishermen said Sunday. The fire erupted before dawn Saturday and wiped out the warehouse the size of a football field near the end of Pier 45.
- PUB DATE: 5/26/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KNTV NBC 11 San Jose

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold, Iowa's first responders say the state should no longer hold off on declaring Emergency Medical Services an essential service. That status is something EMS workers in Iowa have sought long before COVID-19. Being declared "essential" would require ambulance service across the state, instead of relying on a patchwork of volunteers, agencies and providers.
- PUB DATE: 5/26/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Public News Service

VIDEO: A fire truck, adorned with a large American flag, tipped over shortly before 11:30 a.m. Monday in Plumstead Township, Bucks County. The view from Chopper 6 showed the truck on its side in a parking lot. The extended ladder was on the ground, stretched across the roadway in the area 4040 Ferry Road.
- PUB DATE: 5/26/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WPVI-TV ABC 6 Philadelphia

The spread of the novel coronavirus has not slowed in 24 states, according to a new model by Imperial College London that forecasts infection spikes as more people travel and leave their homes in the coming weeks. Why it matters: Nearly every state across the U.S. has taken steps to reopen their economies partially or completely, including some regions and industries that are deemed "low-risk" for spreading the virus, per a New York Times analysis.
- PUB DATE: 5/26/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: AXIOS

National EMS Week is an annual event throughout the United States which celebrates and recognizes the hard work that all EMS providers do on a daily basis – from emergency medical technicians (EMTs) up to paramedics. These EMS providers can be paid, volunteer or a both (but at different agencies). No matter what the level, just remember that this person made a conscious decision to help someone in need, even while putting themselves (and/or their loved ones) at increased risk.
- PUB DATE: 5/22/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Journal of Emergency Medical Services

Jeremy Emerich, a critical care EMT on the ground for Lehigh Valley Health Network's MedEvac, died Thursday following a battle with COVID-19, friends and coworkers said on social media. Emerich was also a U.S. Armed Forces veteran and an active firefighter in Fleetwood, the Berks County community where he lived with his companion, Shana Konek.
- PUB DATE: 5/22/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: LehighValleyLive.com

For decades, the backbone of the nation's disaster response system — and a hallmark of American generosity — has been its army of volunteers who race toward danger to help shelter, feed and counsel victims of hurricanes, wildfires and other calamities. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a critical weakness in this system: Most volunteers are older people at higher risk from the virus, so this year they can't participate in person.
- PUB DATE: 5/22/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The New York Times

The McKinney Fire Department will be at Belterra Health and Rehab on Friday morning, testing 200 residents and staff members for the novel coronavirus in an effort to curb its spread. This is the first testing related to Governor Greg Abbot's Strike Force Plan to Open Texas, according to the department.
- PUB DATE: 5/22/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Dallas Morning News

In new guidance for mathematical modelers and public health officials, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is estimating that about a third of coronavirus infections are asymptomatic. The CDC also says its "best estimate" is that 0.4% of people who show symptoms and have COVID-19 will die, and the agency estimates that 40% of coronavirus transmission is occurring before people feel sick.
- PUB DATE: 5/22/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CNN

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Wednesday, May 20, that he backs a bill moving its way through the Assembly that would make it a crime for first responders in California to take photos of dead bodies at emergency sites unless for an investigation. Assembly Bill 2655 would make it a misdemeanor for police officers, sheriff's deputies, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency personnel responding to disasters to take such photos.
- PUB DATE: 5/21/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: San Gabriel Valley Tribune

VIDEO: Six homes were destroyed early Thursday morning in a roaring apartment fire in Tomball. The fire started around 4 a.m. at the Cobble Creek Apartments on Lawrence Street near Medical Complex Drive. Tomball police officers helped neighbors evacuate the building as flames tore through the roof, firefighters said.
- PUB DATE: 5/21/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Courier

The fear is still there, but some first responders have somewhat mastered coping with that fear of COVID-19. “You push it back so that you can maintain your mission,” Parma firefighter and department spokesperson T.J. Martin said. But the fear of unknowingly carrying the virus is hard to ignore. Martin says no one on his team has tested positive, but it would be comforting to know for sure.
- PUB DATE: 5/21/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WEWS-TV ABC 5 Cleveland

VIDEO: The more than 20,000 paramedics, EMTs and 911 dispatchers in Massachusetts were honored Wednesday as part of National EMS Week as a large convoy of ambulances traveled from Worcester to Boston. The "Convoy of Champions" set off from UMass Memorial Medical Center about 1:15 p.m. and made the 40-mile drive in about an hour, with a state police escort and a UMass Medical Life Flight helicopter.
- PUB DATE: 5/21/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WBTS-TV NBC 10 Boston

As the world continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of focus has been on the health risks to healthcare workers due to the infectiousness of the virus and the insufficient amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) available. However, another health risk to these providers that is just starting to get attention are the physical and mental health effects from their constant exposure to the trauma of this disaster.
- PUB DATE: 5/21/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: In Public Safety

Since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the United States on Jan. 21, over one million people in the U.S. have confirmed cases of COVID-19. On April 12, the U.S. became the nation with the most deaths globally, but there are early signs that the U.S. case and death counts may be leveling off, as the growth of new cases and deaths plateaus.
- PUB DATE: 5/20/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: National Public Radio

The Memphis Fire Department spent more than $2 million on items related to COVID-19 during a two-month period to protect first responders during the pandemic. FOX13 investigated to find out how it is possible to spend that much tax money in such a short time. In just one week, Memphis Fire spent more than $240,000 on its coronavirus response.
- PUB DATE: 5/20/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WHBQ-TV FOX 13 Memphis

Greeley's unfortunate status as the center of one of the state's larger COVID-19 outbreaks has led to a high volume of pandemic-related work for the city's first responders. However, in spite of the potential for exposure, Greeley Fire Department, Police Department and Emergency Medical Services personnel have managed to largely avoid significant spread of the virus within their ranks.
- PUB DATE: 5/20/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Greeley Tribune

Behind a nondescript strip mall in Carmel, Indiana, a short line of cars gathers mid-afternoon next to a large tent. Medical professionals stand out front, dressed head to toe in blue medical coveralls. People in the cars — many of them first responders — drive up to be tested for COVID-19. The test involves a really long swab placed deep into the nose, toward the back of the throat.
- PUB DATE: 5/20/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Kaiser Health News

On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, outbreak a National Emergency. Since then, life has inarguably and most drastically changed for all of us. Global travel restrictions grounded all international travel. State-regulated stay-at-home orders suspended non-essential in-person business operations.
- PUB DATE: 5/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Chillicothe News

EMS Week, which takes place in 2020 from May 17-23, is an annual time to recognize the life-saving efforts of emergency medical services personnel. While celebratory events won't take place in person this year, EMS personnel are getting more recognition than usual: even before EMS week, virtually and during daily cheers for healthcare workers, they are widely hailed as heroes on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- PUB DATE: 5/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Time Magazine

VIDEO: Two firefighters were injured while battling a fire on the city's South Side. The fire started just before 6 a.m. Tuesday on the first-floor of Vincennes Food Mart in the 7900 block of South Vincennes Avenue in the Gresham neighborhood. The building houses a business and apartments. The fire was upgraded to a 3-11 and spread to a second building, according to fire officials.
- PUB DATE: 5/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WGN-TV 9 Chicago

A new mobile app, 1-Check COVID, has been launched by the University of Nebraska as a screening guide for individuals to use as reference if they are concerned that they might have the coronavirus. The app will also help first responders and other health care providers determine a person's likelihood of carrying the disease.
- PUB DATE: 5/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KFXL-TV FOX 51 Lincoln

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans a nationwide study of up to 325,000 people to track how the new coronavirus is spreading across the country into next year and beyond, a CDC spokeswoman and researchers conducting the effort told Reuters. The CDC study, expected to launch in June or July, will test samples from blood donors in 25 metropolitan areas for antibodies created when the immune system fights the coronavirus, said Dr.
- PUB DATE: 5/19/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC News

VIDEO: Twelve firefighters were injured in a fire and explosion in the Toy District of downtown Los Angeles on Saturday evening. As of Sunday afternoon, three have been discharged and eight remain hospitalized. The incident began with a fire that was first reported around 6:26 p.m. on Saturday. As firefighters were responding to the blaze inside the building at 327 East Boyd Street, the site of a butane honey oil supplier called Smoke Tokes, there was a “significant explosion,” said LAFD Captain Erik Scott.
- PUB DATE: 5/18/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KCAL-TV CBS 9 Los Angeles

Police and fire investigators launched a criminal probe Sunday into the cause of an explosion at a hash oil manufacturer in downtown Los Angeles that sent firefighters running for their lives. Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's major crimes division were working with the city Fire Department's arson investigators to determine what might have sparked the blast that shot a ball of flames out of the building Saturday night and scorched a fire truck across the street, police spokesman Josh Rubenstein said.
- PUB DATE: 5/18/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTLA-TV 5 CW Los Angeles

Sunday is the beginning of National EMS Week when the U.S. recognizes those who serve in emergency medical services. According to the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), National EMS Week was started in 1974 by then-President Gerald Ford. This year in particular, the week is a good opportunity to honor the service that EMTs and paramedics provide to society in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, "one of the most daunting and demanding challenges our country has ever faced," a proclamation signed by President Trump on Friday said.
- PUB DATE: 5/18/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Fox Business

A Virginia 911 center is combining remote solutions with FirstNet connectivity as part of a multi-pronged strategy to ensure operational continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic today and to evaluate new technological options for the center in the future. Doug Campbell, deputy director of the Department of Emergency & Customer Communications (DECC) for the city of Alexandria, Va.
- PUB DATE: 5/18/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: IWCE's Urgent Communications

Early in the novel coronavirus pandemic, Nick Fugate figured he would probably get infected sooner or later. As a paramedic with King County Medic One, he and his colleagues were transporting gravely ill patients every day, amid an atmosphere of uncertainty and urgency. Even now that hospitalizations have declined, Fugate puts his odds at 50-50.
- PUB DATE: 5/18/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Seattle Times

VIDEO: Firefighters battled a blaze that spread through an El Monte strip mall and resulted in a partial roof collapse Thursday night. Crews raced to the scene after getting a report of smoke coming from the strip mall in the 10100 block of East Valley Boulevard about 8:10 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
- PUB DATE: 5/15/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTLA-TV 5 CW Los Angeles

St. Louis County has nearly $175 million in federal grant money to spend in response to the coronavirus, but the county has been charging local first responders for masks. As some St. Louis County police departments and fire districts have found themselves shorthanded on masks and other personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 outbreak, the County Council approved $1.
- PUB DATE: 5/15/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Call Newspapers

The nationwide public safety wireless network that Congress created in 2012 because of failures seen during and after the 9/11 attacks is helping connect first-responders and public safety experts across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. The law created an independent authority called FirstNet, provided $7 billion for it, and allocated 20 megahertz of bandwidth within the 700 MHz spectrum to create a nationwide interoperable broadband network.
- PUB DATE: 5/15/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Roll Call

Following House Democrats' proposal of the HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) on Tuesday, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) outlined possible impacts of the latest coronavirus aid package, and called upon fire and EMS professionals to contact their congressional representatives to support the legislation.
- PUB DATE: 5/15/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: EMS1

There might be no year where it is more vital to recognize the work of emergency medical services and paramedics, those on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. National EMS Week is May 17-23. Whether they work at a hospital, with a fire department, for a private service or a med-flight operation, these brave men and women put their lives on the line with every call they respond to, never knowing if the person they help might be infected with a virus they might catch and take home to their own families.
- PUB DATE: 5/15/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Seacoast Online

When the first U.S. case of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, was confirmed on Jan. 21, it appeared to be contained — the patient was a man living near Seattle who had recently returned from Wuhan, China and immediately isolated himself, and the local health department had conducted contact tracing to make sure that anyone he had encountered was now quarantining at home.
- PUB DATE: 5/14/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: People

Police Chief Eric Clifford fears the city could again become addled by gangs, drugs and double-digit homicides if the department is forced to lay off about 40 cops because of a deepening fiscal crisis brought on by the coronavirus. “Quite frankly, we go to the bare bones minimum of what we do – protect life and property – and we have to start scaling back on what we do as a department,” he said.
- PUB DATE: 5/14/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Albany Times-Union - Metered Site

Minneapolis' police officers and firefighters deserve a “significant portion” of emergency federal COVID-19 aid, union officials said, arguing that an infusion of potentially millions of dollars is needed to avoid cutbacks or layoffs. In a letter to lawmakers, the unions made their pitch for a bigger cut of funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act — with Minnesota receiving $2.
- PUB DATE: 5/14/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Star Tribune

The opioid epidemic is getting worse, and the COVID-19 pandemic could be to blame. For many folks who may be struggling, times of social isolation drive feelings of stress, anxiety and depression, and drug abusers use opioids to relieve this stress. Sara Goldsby, the director of the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, says they have seen about a 30% increase in EMS response to overdose in the last few months.
- PUB DATE: 5/14/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WRDW-TV CBS 12 Augusta

VIDEO: One artist is using his talent to create a reimagined version of iconic American images to honor essential workers amid the coronavirus pandemic. Scott LoBaido is popular for his murals of the American flag across the country. For more than 25 years, he's painted renditions of the flag on police stations, homes, cars, veterans buildings and more in all 50 states.
- PUB DATE: 5/14/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The University of Nebraska Medical Center has signed an agreement with a New York-based testing company to provide large-scale antibody testing, the kind intended to determine whether a person has been infected with the novel coronavirus. The partnership between UNMC and COVAXX, a subsidiary of United Biomedical, launched with last week's testing of Omaha firefighters.
- PUB DATE: 5/13/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Daily Nonpareil

What is red and white and shows up with flashing lights and sirens sounding in times of need? The answer is York Ambulance Association, celebrating its 48th year serving the communities of York, South Berwick and Rollinsford, New Hampshire. May 17-23 is national EMS Awareness Week, which, according to the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians' website, “brings together local communities and medical personnel to honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine's ‘front line.
- PUB DATE: 5/13/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Sea Coast Online - Metered Site

The call comes over their radio — the patient is having trouble breathing, they need an ambulance. Then, “call the center for special patient information,” says a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The paramedics know it's likely they're heading toward the invisible threat that everyone else is trying to stay away from — the coronavirus.
- PUB DATE: 5/13/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Facing criticism from the Mansfield firefighters union, the city announced Tuesday that two fire stations will not be closed at the same time when not enough personnel are available to work. "Speaking to the mayor, he would prefer to have one maximum closed," said Safety-Service Director Lori Cope, referring to Mayor Tim Theaker.
- PUB DATE: 5/13/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Mansfield News Journal

As one of the country's first cities impacted by COVID-19, Kirkland was initially given the undesirable distinction of being the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States. Yet, the way in which the city has handled the crisis has garnered positive press, launching Kirkland into the spotlight as a role model.
- PUB DATE: 5/13/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Seattle Refined

In the middle of a pandemic that has taken the lives of 26 firefighters, the nation is losing more firefighters. COVID-19 related budget cuts -- in communities large and small – have resulted in the layoff or furlough of at least 935 fire department employees, including front-line firefighters, EMTs & paramedics.
- PUB DATE: 5/12/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: IAFC.org

The Olathe Fire Station is the first EMS departments in the country to begin remotely monitoring coronavirus patients. The department has teamed up with a global tech company, Masimo SafetyNet. "There have been some hospital systems using it, but we are the first EMS agency," Olathe Fire Department Medical Director Dr.
- PUB DATE: 5/12/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WDAF-TV FOX 4 Kansas City

A New Jersey Assembly panel advanced a bill that would help first responders and their families financially in the event that they are disabled or injured by COVID-19. Local law enforcement officers, state troopers, firefighters, and emergency medical responders enrolled in one of the three retirement systems associated with these professions are eligible for accidental disability benefits if they sustain a permanent and total disability resulting from a traumatic event that occurred on the job.
- PUB DATE: 5/12/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Hudson County View

Some of the names are written in small, cropped print, others in swooping cursive. A few are flanked by hearts, and some accompanied by short notes scrawled in permanent marker. Each name written on the Berea Fire Department's pink truck is different, and each one has its story. "Stories of hope and courage," they're called by Assistant Fire Chief Alan Myers, whose own name appears a few feet above the truck's pump discharges.
- PUB DATE: 5/12/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Greenville Online

Fort Lauderdale and Broward fire-rescues' newly released numbers confirm what many have suspected: More people are afraid to go to the hospital and, as a result, are dying at home. Records released Monday from Fort Lauderdale Fire and Rescue and Broward County Fire and Rescue found twice as many people were already dead when responders arrived at their home in April than a year earlier, and the pattern appears to be continuing in May.
- PUB DATE: 5/12/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: South Florida Sun Sentinel - Metered Site

Deborah Coughlin was neither short of breath nor coughing. In those first days after she became infected by the novel coronavirus, her fever never spiked above 100 degrees. It was vomiting and diarrhea that brought her to a Hartford, Conn., emergency room on May 1. “You would have thought it was a stomach virus,” said her daughter, Catherina Coleman.
- PUB DATE: 5/11/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Washington Post

Nearly 60 people were displaced after a six-alarm fire tore through a Paterson neighborhood on Saturday night. The blaze was reported around 8:40 p.m. on Beech Street and spread to six houses, according to Paterson Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale. No injuries were reported among the residents, but a firefighter and police officer suffered minor injuries, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office.
- PUB DATE: 5/11/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NJ.com

VIDEO: What do you get when you combine a lamp stand, a timer and a germicidal bulb? According to a self-admitted "tinkerer", it's another weapon to protect firefighters and the public during the pandemic. Lt. Tom Carano, a veteran firefighter with the Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department, came up with the idea and built five of the devices-- one for each of the city's five fire stations.
- PUB DATE: 5/11/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WEWS-TV ABC 5 Cleveland

U.S. regulators have approved a new type of coronavirus test that administration officials have promoted as a key to opening up the country. The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday announced emergency authorization for antigen tests developed by Quidel Corp. of San Diego. The test can rapidly detect fragments of virus proteins in samples collected from swabs swiped inside the nasal cavity, the FDA said in a statement.
- PUB DATE: 5/11/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC News

According to a report from The Associated Press, a state agreement allows for the names and addresses of those who test positive for the novel coronavirus to be released to first responders, law enforcement, and paramedics. News Channel 11's Anslee Daniel spoke to the Washington County 911 director, Greg Matherly, who said that the list will be updated daily, with names regenerating every 30 days after testing positive.
- PUB DATE: 5/11/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WJHL-TV CBS/ABC 11 Johnson City

Early numbers show how significantly the coronavirus is devastating states' revenue streams — and could force choices between raising taxes or gutting services and laying off public employees. Why it matters: Even as some states move toward reopening, the economic ramifications of having shut down will haunt them far into the future.
- PUB DATE: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: AXIOS

The state of Texas is using lessons learned from hurricane response efforts to combat COVID-19, and UT Health EMS crews are training to be part of the state's solution. On Thursday, UT Health EMS provided training at its headquarters for their employees and Hopkins County EMS crews, both of whom are part of the state's Rapid Assessment Quick Response Force.
- PUB DATE: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Athens Daily Review

PHOTOS: High winds on Thursday spread fire and embers across a pallet factory, vacant homes, occupied buildings and a bus garage in downtown Detroit, requiring 60 firefighters to battle flames for seven hours and injuring one on the crew. Then, power was knocked out in the area as the fire raged. Dave Fornell, deputy fire commissioner for the Detroit Fire Department, said the fire started Thursday in a palette factory near Pulford and Beaufait.
- PUB DATE: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Detroit News

Artist Dwight White II has seen a nurse who lives in his University Village apartment building coming and going recently at late hours. He's talked to her from opposite sides of the elevator, pleasantries mostly, but never got her name. She has no idea she's the inspiration for a mural White just painted on the side of Lulu's Hot Dogs, 1000 S.
- PUB DATE: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Chicago Sun Times - Metered Site

When minutes could mean the difference between life and death, first responders and public service agencies require access to the latest offerings in technology and wireless equipment to close that gap. Adding to a diverse list of products and services, Sourcewell has awarded contracts to AT&T and Sprint in its Wireless Voice and Data Services category; meaning participating agencies can purchase from these world-class vendors for voice, data, and messaging.
- PUB DATE: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Sourcewell

If the federal government does not come to the rescue with financial assistance, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says that the city may be forced to lay off city employees like police officers, firefighters, and healthcare workers. “They found $58B effortlessly for the airline industry, why are they not helping America's cities and states get back on their feet,” de Blasio asked.
- PUB DATE: 5/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WNYW-TV FOX 5 New York

On a cold Sunday night in March, Long Beach firefighter and paramedic James Dolas began to feel the first tingle of illness. The next day, as the 34-year-old came down with a fever, sore throat and muscle pain, his supervisor delivered the bad news: He feared that Dolas and other firefighters at Station 11 had been exposed to the novel coronavirus.
- PUB DATE: 5/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Los Angeles Times - Metered Site

As the United States enters its third month fighting the coronavirus pandemic, between 20,000 and 30,000 new cases have been diagnosed every day since the start of May. Even as data` remains highly limited, trends are beginning to emerge about which groups and parts of the United States are being hit the hardest — by the disease as well as economically.
- PUB DATE: 5/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: 24/7 Wall St.

Researchers at Ivy League schools are looking into a theory that dogs can detect the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, with their noses. Man's best friend has a sense of smell that is tens of thousands of times more sensitive than humans and CBS's Chip Reid reports that it's a tool that could be helpful to monitor the spread of the virus.
- PUB DATE: 5/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WHP-TV CBS 21 Harrisburg

VIDEO: Bailee Bonick isn't crafty, but she is creative. When the 9-year-old Palm Beach Gardens resident saw her friends creating masks, cards and posters to support others during the coronavirus crisis, she decided to assist in her own, unique way. A longtime singer and theater veteran, Bailee created a YouTube video that pays tribute to first responders around the country.
- PUB DATE: 5/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Palm Beach Post

Right now, the families of first responders who die of the coronavirus must first prove that they were infected on the job before they can collect federal death benefits. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators say that's unfair, and they've introduced legislation to automatically declare that first responders who die of COVID-19 gave their lives in the line of duty.
- PUB DATE: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NJ.com

Due to the highly infectious nature of the coronavirus, robots can provide contact-free alternatives. From decontaminating hospitals and public spaces to delivery services, robots are a game-changer in pandemics. A cylindrical robot rolls into a treatment room to allow health care workers to remotely take temperatures and measure blood pressure and oxygen saturation from patients hooked up to a ventilator.
- PUB DATE: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: World Economic Forum

VIDEO: The Boston Pops is summoning the heroes to honor health care workers and first responders for how they've responded to the coronavirus pandemic. Conductor Keith Lockhart and nearly 80 members of the Pops performed John Williams' “Summon the Heroes” from their homes. Williams wrote the song for the 1996 Olympics, and it premiered at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Atlanta.
- PUB DATE: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WCVB-TV ABC 5 Boston

The M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing at Villanova University has launched the national COVID-19 Caring About Health for All Study (CHAMPS) of health care, first responder and service workers for the health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Managing the health care needs of COVID-19 patients has had a tremendous impact not only on the lives of those delivering health care directly but on those who support that effort, from ambulance drivers to maintenance and housekeeping staff whose service has been essential to maintain the health care enterprise.
- PUB DATE: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Eureka Alert

On April 8, 2020 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that T-Mobile could not meet the public safety requirements that were established in a Request for Qualification (RFQ) that was issued by Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency which is an independent Federal entity. This RFQ for cellular services had as a requirement “enhanced priority-type features” which the agency identified as “AT&T FirstNet or equal”.
- PUB DATE: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: All Things FirstNet

Information about the coronavirus is changing day by day, and that is why the state of Alabama has a team of state agencies working side by side to gather information and compile data about COVID-19 as the worldwide pandemic continues to unfold. Located in the RSA Tower in downtown Montgomery, Alabama's Unified Command for COVID-19 Response is a team comprised of four state agencies - the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA), Alabama National Guard, and Alabama Forestry Commission.
- PUB DATE: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSFA-TV CBS 12 News Montgomery

When Chase Sherrard completed field training ride-alongs for the Frederick County fire academy in February, the novel coronavirus was far from the major global threat it has become when his class graduated last week. “Things are a lot different now than when we were doing ride-alongs, especially on [medical/sick person] calls,” the probationary firefighter said.
- PUB DATE: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Frederick News Post - Metered Site

Recently published results of a survey of EMS providers from across the U.S. revealed inconsistent protocols, policies and training related to COVID-19 response could be contributing to the spread of the virus. Cody Vaugh Gibson and Dr. George Donald Collier of the Calhoun Community College Biological Sciences Research Group; and Christian Ventura, a researcher at the Center for Mind and Brain Studies at Bard College, published preliminary results of their study this week, with the goal to “investigate available resources, PPE availability, sanitation practices, institutional policies and opinions” of EMS providers through a self-reported survey.
- PUB DATE: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: EMS1

Police officers, firefighters and emergency medical services workers will be given an additional $300 weekly stipend to acknowledge their key role during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Chris Sununu said in a news conference on Monday. Part-time employees in these categories will receive $150 stipends. Eligibility for this extra pay began Monday and will continue through June 30.
- PUB DATE: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Lacoina Daily Sun

New York has formed a partnership with six other northeast states, including New Jersey and Connecticut, to purchase personal protective equipment, tests, ventilators and other medical equipment, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday. The Governor said the agreement between New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, will increase the state's market power.
- PUB DATE: 5/4/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WABC-TV ABC 7 New York

On May 4, 2020, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) will be joining in the celebration of International Firefighters' Day which began on May 4, 1999, after the deaths of five Australian firefighters in a wildland fire. New this year, the NFFF is asking members of the public to light their homes in “red” on May 4-5 to celebrate International Firefighters' Day.
- PUB DATE: 5/4/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WGNO-TV ABC 26 New Orleans

A mixture of salt and water with a splash of vinegar and a jolt of electrochemical activation is supplying Waco firefighters with a safe but powerful disinfectant as they work to keep their equipment and quarters free of COVID-19. Crews at Waco Fire Station No. 11, where the department's hazardous materials unit is housed, have also developed a new spray system for the disinfectant using their air tanks and other common firehouse equipment.
- PUB DATE: 5/4/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Waco Tribune-Herald

The first wave of emergency medical technicians who contracted COVID-19 and survived are now returning to the job, armed with a first-hand understanding of the disease and a new empathy for the patients. "I was able to be more in touch with my patients who called, because I knew exactly how they were feeling," said firefighter/EMT Shantice Samuels, who has just returned to work in Washington, DC, after recovering from a case herself.
- PUB DATE: 5/4/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CNN