Firefighters say nobody was hurt when two commercial buildings collapsed in Anchorage over the weekend. Anchorage Fire Department Assistant Chief Alex Boyd said crews responded to a single-story commercial building collapse at 570 Ingra Street at about 7:40 a.m on Saturday. Crews found a 200-by-50-foot section of the building's front collapsed, with a wall pushed into a nearby street. Then, early on Sunday, emergency crews responded to a partial building collapse near Dowling Road and C Street. The commercial building was not occupied at the time, said a statement from the Anchorage Fire Department. City building engineers are still evaluating the factors behind the collapses. But, the fire department said, the incidents should serve as a reminder to building owners to evaluate the amount of snow and ice build-up on roofs.  

VIDEO: As lithium-ion battery fires continue to break out across New York City, Congressman Ritchie Torres is proposing new legislation to establish safety standards at the federal level. Torres, a Democrat representing parts of the Bronx, says that the proposal is aimed at preventing fires like the five-alarm inferno that tore through a borough supermarket on Sunday when an e-bike battery burst into flames. That blaze left seven people injured and took more than 200 firefighters to extinguish. The legislation would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish federal safety standards for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in personal mobility devices, like e-bikes. Torres is set to introduce the legislation Tuesday morning.  

VIDEO: The FDNY is still putting out hotspots after a fire destroyed a supermarket and laundromat in the Bronx over the weekend. Investigators were working Monday to try to figure out if the lithium-ion battery responsible for a fire that burned through a supermarket and homes in the Bronx was not approved. "There is nothing left and it is all because of this one single bike," FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said. As the sun came up Monday morning, the light poured into the Concourse Food Plaza and laundromat next door, showing nothing but debris and charred rubble. Officials say it was the result of an e-bike lithium-ion battery fire that started Sunday. "We have seven injuries, five firefighters, one member of EMS and one civilian, everyone is stable but this really shows you how incredibly serious this can be," Kavanagh said.  

President Joe Biden made history March 6 when he addressed hundreds of IAFF members at the 2023 Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference. It was the first time in 25 years that a sitting president spoke at an IAFF conference. Biden, a longtime supporter of the fire service, expressed his profound appreciation for firefighters and EMS professionals, remarking, "People don't appreciate you until they need you. When that bell rings … you jump in the truck, no matter what." Biden's commitment to firefighters has been evident throughout his career. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his American Rescue Plan helped cities hire firefighters and avoid massive layoffs. "You all know, the only thing that protects you is more firefighters," he said to a round of thunderous applause and a standing ovation.  

VIDEO: Mitchell LeRocque's 6-month-old son has a big smile on his face, and hair that's almost as red as the fire truck daddy rides in. He doesn't yet know how close he came to losing his father on Friday in those powerful storms that ripped through central Kentucky. "It's very unfortunate that it had to come to this with our station, but I feel very fortunate," LeRocque said 72 hours after his near-death experience. LeRocque was sitting inside Station 12 in Mercer County on Friday when the roof was blown off the top. "I heard a loud crack and initially I thought the building got struck by lightning. Then I looked up and saw bright light and saw there was no roof," he explained. The debris field from this damage stretches over several hundred yards.  

VIDEO: A St. Lucie County firefighter is breaking barriers and making history in the male-dominated sport of spearfishing. "I have been spearfishing since I was a kid," said Julie Higgs, a firefighter and paramedic with St. Lucie County. "I was 7 years old. I shot my first fish when I was 13." ulie Higgs comes from a family of first responders. "My dad is a retired fire captain from Palm Beach County. My mom worked for the fire department for a little while. My stepmom is a nurse. My sister is a nurse," said Higgs. She said what she learned on the water is what prepared her to be a firefighter. "When I grew up on the boat with my dad, I was his first mate. I did everything," said Higgs. "There are several things we do in our physical agility test, one being hoisting a rope over a rail, five stories tall; normally weighs about 45 pounds. I would watch people struggle with that, and I would think I've been pulling heavy anchors on a big sailboat my whole life. This is easy for me."