On Sunday, October 22, 2023, at approximately 6:53 PM, Capital City Fire Rescue responded to the 2800 block of Postal Way for a residential structure fire. Upon arrival, fire personnel found a single apartment unit of a multiple-apartment complex to have heavy smoke and flames showing from a bedroom window. The fire was contained to the single apartment unit. The occupant was not home at the time of the fire. Neighbors reported hearing a loud boom similar to a door slamming prior to the fire being noticed. Attempts were made to utilize portable fire extinguishers from the outside however, the fire was too large effectively extinguish prior to fire personnel arriving.  

PHOTO: Two men have been charged in the stealing of a historic bell that went missing from a South Jersey fire department last week. The Pleasantville Fire Department in Atlantic County asked for the public's help in a social media post last Tuesday after discovering that the historic artifact had gone missing. The bell — which measures 3 feet tall and weighs about 200 pounds — had been stored in an alley behind the fire house as members of the department were preparing to create a memorial for it. Police arrested John Jordon II, 61, and Joseph Redd, 44, both of Pleasantville, on Monday after officers executed a search warrant and located a portion of the bell, according to a statement from the Pleasantville Police Department.  

National First Responders Day on October 28 recognizes the heroic men and women who make it their business to take immediate action when disaster strikes. Not sure what a first responder does? Just think about 9/11 for a moment. Firefighters, police, paramedics, and more — rushing into Lower Manhattan. Whether you've had your own emergency or not, it's not hard to understand and appreciate the dangerous and difficult work they do. Our brave paramedics, firefighters, emergency technicians, and others are appreciated on National First Responders Day on October 28. Congress designated October 28th as National First Responders Day in 2017. The resolution honors the firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and all those who are first on the scene in stressful situations.  

Over the weekend, a fire involving lithium-ion batteries lit up a warehouse in Brooklyn where hundreds of e-bikes and other mobility devices were being stored. The New York City Council is now trying to tackle the problem from a different approach - by going after third-party delivery companies. As the crisis from lithium-ion battery fires continues to swell, officials say it's time delivery companies share responsibility. New legislation proposed by Council Member Oswald Feliz would require delivery apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub to provide safe and certified e-bikes to workers who don't have one. "These delivery companies have their biggest market right here in New York City and we've seen a lot of fire safety issues caused by these e-bikes. So, not fair for them to simply just turn a blind eye on the issues that are being caused," said Feliz.  

PHOTOS: Portland Fire and Rescue's training center will receive a customized golf cart in memory of former Training Chief Ron Bender. The customized golf cart is being given to the training facility by the family of Training Chief Ron Bender. Officials say Ron loved to golf after his retirement from the Portland Fire Bureau and customized his golf cart to resemble a fire engine, complete with ladders, axes, a siren, a bell, and few other unique elements "only a true firefighter could envision." The family says the golf cart is too special to sell and too special to sit, dust-covered in a corner. The decision was made to offer the golf cart to PF&R as a vehicle to assist Portland Fire & Rescue training staff.