Firehouse Magazine

CHICAGO -- Bill Rosales had struggled for months to ask for help by the time he got a call from a high school friend. The Chicago firefighter desperately needed a kidney transplant to treat a rare genetic disorder. He hadn’t spoken much in several years to the friend, Jason Fuggiti, who also happens to be a firefighter in the southwest suburbs. Rosales assumed he was simply checking in on his health, so he was floored by Fuggiti’s announcement.

In remembrance of firefighters who have lost their lives while performing their duties, famous structures, fire stations, and residences around the country will start to turn red in the days preceding the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.

Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier’s proposed budget will include more than $3 million to add 12 battalion chiefs to the county fire department — a move she says will speed command response and improve safety as call volumes surge. The plan, outlined on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s fiscal 2027 budget rollout, would more than double the department’s current number of battalion chiefs.

Lawsuit Alleges Henderson, NV, Fire Department Mishandled Severed Finger, Leading to Permanent Injury The man claims that Henderson firefighters failed to preserve the severed finger correctly, preventing surgical reattachment.

Fire Forces ICU Evacuations at Boston Medical Center Boston Fire Chief Paul Burke said evacuations were still underway Wednesday morning, with firefighters, hospital staff and emergency responders helping patients down the stairs. A fire at Boston Medical Center in Brighton forced more than two dozen patients to evacuate Wednesday. The fire broke out in an electrical room and was contained by firefighters, but the hospital’s intensive care unit and emergency room were impacted.

BRINC Guardian Drone – Next Gen Response Meet the world's most capable 911 response drone – over an hour of flight time, 60 mph top speed and Starlink connectivity. Key Highlights 62 mins of flight time, 60mph top speed Dual HD Thermal Imaging, 640x Visual Zoom Carries flotation devices, AEDs and more Integrated Starlink connectivity NDAA Compliant, Made by BRINC Introducing BRINC Guardian, the world's most capable 911 response drone.

Fire Apparatus Supplement 2026 This special Fire Apparatus Supplement includes feature articles on why apparatus proportions don't necessarily need to default to the largest that are available from manufacturers, how wildland rig design must consider the comfort of responders whose assignments might take them away from their home district for weeks at a time, and what innovations are about to reach the market.

Dash cameras will soon be mandatory for all New York State (NYS) ambulances and emergency medical response vehicles. While many larger EMS organizations already have the technology, the smaller agencies will need to raise money to fulfill to meet the mandate.

Four part-time Grand Blanc Township, MI, firefighters are suing the township and its superintendent, alleging they were retaliated against after they advocated for the fire chief to keep his job following the September 2025 attack on a Mormon church. Fire Chief Jamie Jent was placed on administrative leave and briefly considered for termination in the month after a gunman on Sept.

Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood Landing, NY.