The Fairbanks North Star Borough is encouraging residents of Fairbanks to sign up for the Smart911 database. Users enter information about their household, medical conditions, medications, pets and other information to the website or app. Then when they call 911, the dispatcher sees all of the information on their screen and can give the information to emergency services or the hospital so they can provide better care. Borough Emergency Manager Baird Stiefel said that Fairbanks is the first city in Alaska to implement the system and encourages residents to take advantage of the service. "Often times when we are hurt, we might not be able to talk, or we might be having difficulty breathing. And so that saves a step and makes help get there faster," Stiefel said.  

Wildland fire crews took down hundreds of dead spruce trees in state parks in the Valley over the summer. However, the work is far from over. The South Rolly Lake Campground in the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area and the Byers Lake Campground in Denali State Park were closed all summer due to hazardous beetle-killed spruce. Work in the Byers Lake area ended after a big snowstorm a couple weeks ago. The Division of Forestry estimates about 2,000 trees came down over the summer. Many of the South Rolly Lake campsites are now a sea of spruce stumps after Alaska Division of Forestry efforts to make the area safe for campers. A contract crew is using a harvester to remove trees from deep within the campground, while a forestry crew is burning hundreds of slash piles of brush and branches.  

VIDEO: West Metro firefighters got a glimpse at what could be the future of public safety Tuesday. It was all part of a competition to see which product prototypes help firefighters best navigate dangerous conditions. All of the devices were incorporated in the firefighter's gear and involved haptic technology, which involves using a vibration or touch sensation to communicate which direction to go in a dangerous or hectic situation. Four teams of developers from around the country came to compete in the event sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The goal was for developers to get the firefighters in and out of a smoky building the quickest at West Metro Fire Rescue's training center.  

There was "no way in hell" Victoria Sinclaire was rebuilding in Paradise. She'd thought she was going to die during the six hours it took her to escape the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. The town where she'd raised her family was nearly wiped out, two of her three cats had disappeared into the flames, and she "was done." Sinclaire and tens of thousands of others in nearby communities fled the wind-whipped inferno that killed 85 people and incinerated roughly 19,000 homes, businesses and other buildings on Nov. 8, 2018. Despite her vow to stay away, Sinclaire's family was one of the first to rebuild, braving the enduring threat of wildfires, and now, repeated power outages as the nation's largest utility tries to prevent its equipment from sparking blazes on windy days like it did in Paradise a year ago.  

It started with a conversation three years ago. Hays CISD met with the Kyle Fire Department and discussed what kinds of professionals were needed in the community. The consensus? More firefighters and emergency medical technicians. And so the district's Firefighter Academy was birthed. This isn't a school field trip. It is actually the fifth period for some Hays and Lehman High School students. These juniors and seniors are part of the firefighter academy – a partnership between Hays CISD and the Kyle Fire Department. Freddy Rolon is the training captain for this two-year program. "So these cadets are in a two-year interview with us. We can see what they are capable of and we can see how smart they can be and how we can develop them," Rolon explained.  

Rushing to the aid of Pennsylvania towns that need to recruit more volunteer firefighters and emergency personnel, the state House of Representatives passed 16 bills in the past two weeks to support their efforts. State Rep. Frank Farry, R-142, of Langhorne, co-introduced House Bill 1459, which would create an Emergency Responder Mental Wellness and Stress Management Program that would assist first responders, including 911 dispatchers and coroners. "I want to ensure our first responders have the necessary resources to seek support if they are or have been suffering from post-traumatic stress injuries," said Farry, who is chief of the Langhorne Fire Co. "While dedicating their lives to protecting others, our heroes have witnessed some of the most horrifying scenes that are engraved in their memories forever. These memories often become a heavy weight on their shoulders, and it is our duty as legislators to return the favor of protecting those who keep us safe."  

VIDEO: A local fire department is fighting for a bill that would offer protections for firefighters with cancer. Midway Fire Rescue is holding a town hall meeting Wednesday to spread awareness of the Presumptive Firefighter Cancer Bill. "We're trying to make (people) aware and have people call their legislatures and tell them to support this bill," President of Midway Professional Firefighters Association Justin Lenker said. "We're one of the last states in North America that doesn't have cancer presumption." News13 first reported about this bill when it was introduced earlier this year. It's made to designate certain cancers as line-of-duty diseases, entitling sick first responders to workers' compensation. Midway fire is hoping it passes next year. "We want to make headway now," Lenker said. "So when they're back in session, we're ready to rock and roll"