A trio of Palmer City Councilwomen got a better understanding of what it takes to work at the Palmer Fire Department, which will welcome in a new Fire Chief in 2021. On Monday night, Chief John McNutt announced that he will be taking a job in the Lower 48 and depart the Palmer Fire Department at the end of the year. Palmer Fire Department Captain Trey Lindstrom had invited every member of the Palmer City Council to attend one of their weekly Monday night training sessions. Councilwomen Julie Berberich, Sabrena Combs and Jill Valerius participated on Monday as well as City Manager John Moosey at a separate date. "I think a lot of people when they dial 911 because their house is on fire assume that there are firefighters sitting in the station waiting like Anchorage has, and we don't have that here, and so these guys are getting called from their homes and whoever responds responds. So the fact that they have 40 or so people on rotation that are covering this is pretty amazing," said Combs.  

VIDEO: Hundreds of firefighters battled a six-alarm fire at a warehouse in the Tioga-Nicetown section of Philadelphia Sunday morning. Fire Commissioner Adam Theil said that about half of all on-duty firefighters were at the scene battling the blaze at a warehouse on the 3300 block of Stokley Avenue. The fire, which started around 2 a.m., quickly grew so large that it could be seen from miles away. Flames could be seen shooting from the roof as part of the building collapsed. Officials said one firefighter suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is being treated at the hospital. No other injuries were reported. The city-block long building reportedly houses a paper company called Treco Fibematics. The opposite end of the building is said to be owned by Temple University and houses administrative offices. "I open up my bedroom window (and) my curtains, and I was like, 'you've got to be joking,'" said Wanda Compton of the moment she saw the flames.  

PHOTOS: IMPD is investigating after a woman was killed when her car collided with an IFD fire engine at the intersection of Shelby Street and Southern Avenue Sunday morning. Around 10:45 a.m., the IFD truck was responding, with lights and sirens activated, to a possible residence fire on Sumner Avenue. On the way to the fire, the IFD truck collided with a Silver Jeep Liberty driven by a 71-year-old woman at the intersection. IFD officials say, "the car collided with the engine at the intersection, affixed itself on the engine windshield and traveled about 100 feet before disengaging from the windshield and sliding another 100 feet to a stop." The engine sustained significant damage to the front and side, with equipment ripped from its holders and windshield glass strewn throughout the interior, according to officials. There were four IFD firefighters on board who were all wearing seat belts. One of the firefighters was transported to Methodist for cuts to their face from the windshield glass.  

VIDEO: A group of DeKalb County firefighters showed off their musical skills during a recent jam session. In a video posted to Twitter, DeKalb County Fire Company 23C jammed together to Carlos Santana's "Maria Maria" in a "post workout jam session." A group of DeKalb County firefighters showed off their musical skills during a recent jam session. In a video posted to Twitter, DeKalb County Fire Company 23C jammed together to Carlos Santana's "Maria Maria" in a "post workout jam session." "All instruments and voices are authentic. The apparatus bay creates a great acoustic setting," officials said.  

The budget Austin City Council approved on Aug. 23 for the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year comes with a number of different investments in Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services. Much of the discussion around Austin's new budget revolved around the ways the budget begins a process of transitioning around $150 million dollars from the Austin Police Department into other areas of public health and safety over the course of the next year. But the budget encompasses many areas outside of policing. While funding for medics may not have been the topic most residents weighed in on during public comment, the dollars set aside for ATCEMS represent another key theme in this budget. Jasper Brown, the Chief of Staff for ATCEMS, said that based on his 23 years of experience working with the department, ATCEMS can have good years and bad years when it comes to how well the approved budget meets the needs the department has expressed.  

New York's first responders were given an unusual warning this week, a first since the Sept. 11 terror attacks: skip this year's in-person anniversary events. In a letter addressed to members of the FDNY, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro cautioned against the department's members attending anniversary events this year as the coronavirus pandemic continues to threaten the safety of everyone, especially retired members and families of 9/11 victims that are at a greater risk due to health and age. "From a health and safety perspective, the FDNY strongly recommends that our members forego participating in 9/11 gatherings and events this year," Nigro said. "However, the Department respects our traditions and will authorize certain events if currently accepted protective conditions can be adhered to." The commissioner outlined guidelines required for FDNY members sponsoring memorial events at or nearby FDNY facilities.