Firefighter gear stolen in Rapid City

VIDEO: The Rapid City Fire Department needs your help. Late last week, a firefighter’s gear was stolen out of one of the department’s vehicles. Now they are reaching out to the community to keep their eyes open for the stolen gear. The stolen gear was a full protective kit, along with a few personal items used on the job. “It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it does cost the taxpayers and the city some money. That’s the full set of gear, everything that we lost is close to $5,000 worth of equipment. So just getting the word out there, trying to hope someone knows where it is,” Division Chief Brian Povandra said. This includes a bunker coat, bunker pants, boots, helmet, mask, gloves, and hood. All taken right out of a fire department vehicle.
KELO-TV CBS/MyNetworkTV/CW+ 11 Sioux Falls

Rapid City Solid Waste Division provides reminder following fires

In recent weeks, Rapid City's Solid Waste Division has reported four incidents of cell phone battery fires at the landfill, prompting a reminder to the public about the dangers of lithium batteries. Not only are these batteries hazardous for solid waste employees, but they also pose risks to the public. Lithium batteries are commonly found in electronics. They are easily identifiable by warning labels on the devices indicating their presence or that they cannot be thrown away. The concern with lithium batteries is that they can overheat easily and can ignite if punctured or damaged during the disposal process. Ria Hannon, Education and Outreach Coordinator for Rapid City Solid Waste, highlights the potential dangers associated with lithium batteries.
KNBN-TV NBC/MyNetworkTV/YTA TV 21 Rapid City