A group of seven hunters has been stuck at a fish camp on the Yukon River for five days, according to reports from Emmonak Search and Rescue and Alaska State Troopers. Emmonak Search and Rescue said that the group was on its way back from a hunting trip, but stopped off at a fish camp when the ice buildup became too thick for them to boat back down. They're currently stuck about 20 miles east of Emmonak. The group has been in communication with local search and rescue groups via an InReach satellite communication device. The boaters have shelter, supplies and have been able to stay warm. Monday was the first time rescuers were able to reach the group's location. Alaska State Troopers were able to drop off food and medications.  

VIDEOS: Firefighters battled a fire in Everett on Wednesday morning. Heavy smoke could be seen filling the air as crews worked to put out the flames coming from a three-story, mixed-use building on Broadway. The Everett deputy fire chief says everyone inside the building was able to make it out and there are no reported injuries. The owner of the building, Wilgon Rangel, says this blaze will impact the people who work in his restaurant located on the first floor. "That's my money. I eat on the building, on the restaurant," he said. "I got a whole bunch of employees. I've got about 40 employees, you know, everybody is going to be out of a job." Police have closed portions of Broadway and Ferry Street.  

Los Angeles City Fire Department firefighters who commute thousands of miles to work each month could be forced to relocate to Southern California if a residency requirement is imposed in order to keep emergency personnel closer to the city in the event of a major disaster. A report prepared for the Board of Fire Commissioners showed 115 firefighters currently live out of state, including 36 about 1200 miles away in Idaho, 10 about 2000 miles away in Tennessee, 11 about 1300 miles away in Texas, and 15 more than 600 miles away in Utah. One firefighter commutes from Alaska ZIP code 99603, 3,617 miles away, or an estimated four-day drive in the event of a major emergency. Another lives in Florida ZIP code 33914, or 2,645 miles away. Only 499, or about 15-percent of the workforce, lives within city limits, according to the analysis.  

VIDEO: The Chippewa Valley Technical College is getting a new training experience in virtual reality for its firefighting program "The FLAIM system is a virtual reality or immersive learning system," Mark Schwartz, CVTC Fire, and EMS continuing education coordinator said. Schwartz says CVTC is the first technical college in Wisconsin to have a VR firefighter simulator. "It allows us to put not only students but current firefighters in virtual live fire situations," Schwartz said. It lets students get a different type of hands-on experience. They will be able to see how it feels to hold a water hose and practice using the nozzle. A vest attachment allows you to feel the heat from the fire the closer you get to it in the simulation. "They actually do what firefighters are supposed to do and 360 of whatever situation you're in just to get an idea of what's going on and then make your plan of attack," Schwartz said.  

Charlotte Firefighters are waving a red flag about a new change to city policy in how first-responders are dispatched to medical calls. The change was announced last week. It creates a type of response being referred to as a "Sierra Call." WBTV Investigative Reporter David Hodges says the change comes as MEDIC struggles with staffing issues and to keep up with call volume. When you dial 911 for an ambulance, many people are often surprised to see fire trucks respond to the scene first. "Why is a fire department here? Well, because we can respond quicker," said Timothy Bell, from the Charlotte Firefighter Association 6660. Bell, secretary of the local firefighter union, says the recent change in their response procedures is already creating headaches and potentially dangerous situations.  

A Senate committee passed a bill Tuesday that would stiffen criminal penalties against those who murder an on-duty firefighter. Under the proposal (SB 370), the convicted murderer of a firefighter would face the same consequences as a person who killed a police or correctional officer — life in prison without the possibility of parole. Republican Sen. Ed Hooper — a former firefighter himself — is the bill sponsor. "Those that serve and protect us need to have the same protection when they are attacked and killed," Hooper said. The Senate Criminal Justice Committee voted unanimously in favor of the bill. Lawmakers heard testimony from Randy Wise, a representative of the Florida Professional Firefighters association. Wise shared the story of two Jacksonville firefighters who were stabbed in 2020 by a patient while riding in the back of an ambulance. It was that incident, Wise said, that exposed the need for enhanced firefighter protections.