AI-powered display allows firefighters to see through heavy smoke
For firefighters, one of the scariest aspects of entering a burning building is that it can be nearly impossible to see anything due to the heavy smoke. That’s why firefighters often crawl along the ground where the smoke isn’t as thick—although this hinders the ability to put out a fire or Read More...
Therapy dog lends a helping paw to firefighters fighting CA blazes
As the pandemic and wildfires sweep through California, we are more grateful than ever for the first responders and medical staff who put their lives on the line every day to ensure the safety of their fellow citizens. For many firefighters, a lack of resources and stigma around mental health help Read More...
California fires: How you can help fire victims and firefighters
Wildfire season has descended on Northern California with a vengeance, sparked by lightning, heat, and high winds. With more than half a million acres burned and evacuations in full progress across the Bay Area, many people have begun wondering how they can help. Here are a few options. American Read More...
How divers recovered a man’s lost prosthetic leg from the ocean floor
DeWalt Mix was paddle-boarding off the coast of Long Beach, training for the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo when he lost his specialized prosthetic leg. The Fire Department dove right in to try to retrieve it for him, but to no avail. When rescue divers couldn’t find it on Sunday, Mix all but Read More...
This suit warns firefighters when they’re in danger of getting injured
Despite rigorous training and protective clothing, tens of thousands of firefighters suffer burns in the line of duty every year. But a good number of such injuries are avoidable. Because most firefighter gear is heat resistant up to a certain temperature, the insulation can also numb a Read More...
Firefighters saved an ancient grove of pine trees from Australian bushfires
Amidst the heart-rending wildfires blazing through Australia's vast lands, there is good news coming from the only forest in the world that is home to the Wollemi pine tree--one of the oldest trees in the world. In a covert firefighting mission, this ancient grove of pine trees whose ancestors are Read More...
California firefighters to receive mental health support thanks to new laws
For too long, the mental health issues of our first-response workers have been overlooked. A dark fact from 2017 is a testament to that, in which more firefighters and police officers nationwide died by suicide than in the line of duty. In an effort to provide better mental health support to Read More...