Fire fighters are exposed every day to harsh toxins and chemicals that increase their risk for contracting some form of cancer. This emotional video, which features Boston, Massachusetts fire fighters, is a sobering reminder of the dangers of working in the fire service. Occupational carcinogens include diesel exhaust, benzene, formaldehyde, asbestos and various combustion byproducts f...

Durham, NH Local 2253 Secretary David Blatchford is the newest IAFF member to be honored with Liberty Mutual’s Firemark Award for his part in a successful three-year campaign to install the first automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in two University of New Hampshire sorority houses – Alpha Xi Delta and Alpha Phi. Original link

Members of the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association (UPFFA) of Connecticut are always looking for new ways to be involved in the community, particularly when they can assist young cancer patients. Original link

Nest Labs has halted sales of its smoke and carbon monoxide detectors over company and customer concerns that users could unintentionally disable the device by waving their hands in front of it. One of the most praised features from reviewers is that you could disable the alarm with a simple wave for those instances where you burnt toast or allowed your husband to cook dinner. The issue ...

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue will launch its second community outreach initiative branded "Wellness In Our Community" (WIOC), in support of "preventing the 9-1-1 call," Wednesday, April 2, 2104, at 11:30 a.m. Fire Chief Richard Bowers and county officials will kick off the initiative at Fire and Rescue Station 40, Fairfax Center, 4621 Legato Road, Fairfax, Virginia. The program aims to save live...

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe  recently spoke at the Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference on March 17 in Washington, D.C.  (Watch the video below) The conference is the cornerstone of the IAFF's legislative efforts. The IAFF has won significant legislative victories on Capitol Hill due largely to the relationships that local IAFF leaders have with their elected officials. The L...

Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA) recently spoke at the Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference on March 17 in Washington, D.C.  (Watch the video below) The conference is the cornerstone of the IAFF's legislative efforts. The IAFF has won significant legislative victories on Capitol Hill due largely to the relationships that local IAFF leaders have with their elected officials. The Legi...

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to a vehicle fire Friday, January 10, 2014, at approximately 1:35 a.m., in the West Annandale area of Fairfax County. The vehicle was located at 9202 Ashmeade Drive. Firefighters encountered a fully involved vehicle on fire in a driveway upon arrival. Firefighters conducted a rapid fire attack and extinguished the fire to a Honda Odyssey va...

Fairfax County suffered a tragic loss with the death of Firefighter Earl Warren Kane. Firefighter Kane was the first line-of-duty death in the department's short history. It was January 10, 1968 when the Fairfax County Fire Department was dispatched for a reported child who fell through the ice at Lake Anne in Reston, Virginia. The average daily temperatures in the early part of January 1968 range...

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to a townhouse fire, Tuesday, January 7, 2014, at approximately 9:10 a.m., in the Lorton area of Fairfax County. The single-family home is located at 8584 Enochs Drive. Firefighters encountered smoke coming from two floors of the three-story, middle unit townhouse upon arrival. Firefighters conducted an aggressive fire attack and quickly ex...

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to a commercial building fire, Friday, January 3, 2014, at approximately 3:10 p.m., in the Falls Church area of Fairfax County. The building, Skyline Nail Supply, is located at 7234 Arlington Boulevard. Firefighters encountered heavy smoke and fire coming from the rear of the store, an end unit located in a strip shopping center upon arriva...

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to a structure fire Sunday, January 5, 2014, at approximately 4:05 p.m., in the McLean area of Fairfax County. The maintenance and storage building is on the grounds of the Madeira School, 8328 Georgetown Pike. Firefighters encountered a building approximately 75 by 75 feet fully involved with fire upon arrival. Firefighters fought the fire...

A house fire was dispatched at approximately 12:30 p.m. earlier today with units responding from both Fairfax County and Arlington County. The fire in the 1900 block of Westmoreland Street was extinguished within minutes according to Fairfax County Fire Department spokesman Capt. William Moreland.   One elderly woman was rescued from the home and transported to the hospital with non-life-thre...

County firefighters have two families - the one at home and the one at work. With three shift schedules within Fairfax County it is inevitable that our men and women will eventually work on a holiday. So, we were curious how A-Shift was making out away from home and at the fire station. We asked our firefighters, paramedics and 911 call-taker / dispatchers to send us photos of them while on the jo...

When the weather dips below freezing in Chicago, most of the city’s residents do their level best to stay indoors as much as possible. But there’s one group of people who continue to stand outside, braving biting winds and bone-chilling temperatures to ring bells asking for donations: the roughly 2,000 Salvation Army “bell ringers.” According to Major Greg Thompson, general secretary for the Salva...