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  2021-01-17

  Bay Area firefighter paramedic deployed to SoCal hospital describes COVID-19 situation

  MARIN, Calif. (KGO) -- As COVID-19 cases surge, Bay Area firefighters are getting deployed to hospitals across the state. Bob Craft, a firefighter paramedic from the Central Marin Fire Department is working the nightshift. Two hours into his shift, he intubated a patient in the emergency department who arrived to the hospital with stroke like symptoms and prepped a COVID-19 patient for their flip onto their stomach for the rest of the night. "It's the gamut from really regular people coming to the emergency department to people on ventilators on the ICU who are on the COVID ward," said craft.
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  2021-04-01

  After three days of witness testimony, it is clear those who observed George Floyd's death have been traumatized by what they saw.

  After three days of witness testimony, it is clear those who observed George Floyd's death have been traumatized by what they saw. During her testimony, Minneapolis Firefighter Genevieve Hansen shared, "There was a man being killed. I would have been able to provide medical attention to the best of my abilities. And this human was denied that right." Hansen was off-duty at the time but called 911 after witnessing George Floyd's arrest. She can be heard in a bystander video calling for police to check Floyd's pulse and provide him medical attention. In her 911 call, she told the operator that she "literally watched police officers not take a pulse and not do anything to save a man." Photos taken at the All Eyez On Justice Rally, March 28, 2021.
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  2020-08-21

  As blazes spread, Covid-19 in California prisons hits crucial inmate firefighting force

  California depends on prison inmate firefighters to be part of their wildfire defense teams. This year, due to illness and early release, they are missing half of their prison inmate firefighters. To help alleviate the shortage the Governor, Gavin Newsom, has called in the National Guard.
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  2020-08-20

  California’s Prison Covid-19 Outbreak Isn’t Behind Its Firefighter Shortage

  California, one of the most fire prone states in the nation, still relies on prisoners as firefighters. With a particularly bad fire season and a viral pandemic still raging through the country they find themselves in a precarious situation. In an effort to slow the spread of the virus correctional facilities have been releasing some incarcerated persons early. In California over three hundred of their prison labor firefighters have been released since July. This article explains more of the details.
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  2020-04-07

  Crawfish Donated to Local Musician, Westwego, LA

  Chase Bruner, a local firefighter, and business owner donated boiled crawfish to local musician Ryan Foret and The Foret Tradition prior to a live-streamed performance.
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  03/25/2020

  Terp Hand sanitizer

  Describes how University of Maryland College Park are producing hand sanitizer to address the shortage