Newton fire chief stresses city take baby steps when returning operations to normal

Letting city council members conduct their meetings from behind the dais is a possibility, Newton Fire Chief Jarrod Wellik said, but due to the close quarters environment and the CDC still recommending people stay six feet away from each other, it will require elected officials to wear masks. “They are something that is fully needed,” Wellik said during his COVID-19 task force update at the April 5 city council meeting. “So that would be something I would like for you to consider.” Last month, Newton Mayor Mike Hansen informed council members of his request to have Wellik assemble a task force to assist the city’s transition back to regular operations. This would potentially include returning city council members to their seats and allowing the public inside the chambers. Wellik said at some point the city will have to “get back into the saddle.”
Newton Daily News

Ainsworth Fire Department Still Waiting to Show Off New Station

It’s been a little over a year since the Ainsworth Fire Department moved into its new firehouse and they’re still waiting to show it off in proper fashion. Ainsworth Fire Chief Waylon Schultz says due to the pandemic they have yet to host an official open house for the general public to view the facilities which have enhanced their firefighting functionality, “It’s way easier to get trucks in and out before and after fires, there’s more room to do training, we have better equipment to wash our gear we didn’t have room for in the old station, we have a drying rack to dry items more efficiently. If we have fires in the winter time we can wash our hoses inside now and get those nice and clean. Before that it was a struggle in the small old building, we didn’t have space to do those kinds of things.”
KCII AM-1380 & FM-106.1

Fairfield Fire Department to host free fire burn simulation training

VIDEO: The pandemic set many of us back by putting a pause on the routines that we’re used to. The Fairfield fire department is one of several groups that put a pause on things, like their training. Training officer, Jason Crandall, says the pandemic made things difficult but now they’re getting back into the swing of things. “It made it more difficult for us to get together and do training but we’re doing it safely and we just had to overcome those hurdles to keep our training up.” Overcoming those hurdles is exactly what they’re doing by diving right in. This weekend the fire service training bureau will provide a mobile fire simulator so volunteers can practice putting out a fire without the stress of saving people or the property. Crandall says the fire chief opened this event to any volunteer firefighter in the surrounding area.
KYOU-TV Fox 15 Ottumwa

Ottumwa garage destroyed in fire

A fire Thursday afternoon in Ottumwa has one person close to the situation believing that the cause is suspicious. That fire started near the corner of Vine St. and Hancock St. inside a small garage in an alleyway. The Ottumwa Fire Department reported that the building was completely ablaze upon arriving on scene. The fire damaged two nearby structures and injured another person who declined medical treatment. A person close to the situation told KYOU that he thinks the cause of the fire is suspicious. However, that claim has not been confirmed by the fire department, who says the cause is still under investigation.
KYOU-TV Fox 15 Ottumwa

Clear Lake Fire Department celebrating 150 years of service to the community

For 150 years Clear Lake has taken pride in providing residents with a skilled fire department. Today’s firefighters have completed many hours of training and are ready with state-of-the-art equipment in case of emergency. That’s a far cry from the hose cart and buckets businessmen-turned-firemen used when the department was new. According to department records, the only firefighting equipment available when the town’s first significant fire broke out was buckets and long poles. That was Jan. 4, 1871, when the Coates Bros. Furniture Store burned at a loss of $5,000 and a building near it belonging to McGrows, at a loss of $1,500. A bucket brigade was formed and long poles were used to shove the walls of the burning building in, only hoping to keep the fire from spreading.
Clear Lake Mirror Reporter

Storm Lake Firefighters Respond To Residence Fire

Storm Lake firefighters responded to a residence fire on Wednesday. The Storm Lake Fire Department says they were dispatched to 317 East Lakeshore Drive about a possible fire in the basement. Upon arrival, firefighters entered the basement and extinguished a fire burning in a concealed space next to the basement stairs. Upon further investigation, it was determined that police officers on patrol heard smoke detectors coming from within the residence. Upon their investigation, they discovered smoke and embers coming through an exterior wall at ground level. After contacting the fire department, they evacuated residents from the building. The fire was contained to the immediate area of origin damage was estimated at $1,000. No injuries were reported.
KICD-AM 1240

Arrest Made in Des Moines Apartment Fire That Displaced Dozens

The man police say started a fire at a Des Moines apartment building earlier this month, which displaced dozens of residents, was arrested Wednesday. On April 7th, 26-year-old Curtis Giovannte poured gasoline in a hallway at the apartments at 1302 E. Watrous and ignited it, according to Sgt. Paul Parizek with the Des Moines Police Department. The fire caused significant damage that left multiple families without a place to live. No injuries were reported from the fire. Video showed Giovannte getting the gas at a nearby Quik Trip shortly before the fire. On Wednesday, an officer saw Giovannte getting on to a DART bus near SW 9th and McKinley and recognized him as the suspect in the apartment arson. The officer followed the bus and at the next stop detained Giovannte, who was found to have an unrelated warrant and taken into custody.
WHO-TV NBC 13 Des Moines

Muscatine first responders called to assist disabled boat on Mississippi River

The Muscatine Fire Department and the Muscatine County Search and Rescue team were called to assist an 80-foot yacht that was reportedly taking on water on the Mississippi River. According to a news release, first responders were notified just before noon Wed., April 14, that a vessel broke a drive shaft which punched a hole into the gear box and tore apart the starboard propeller shaft. Two people on board The Lady Chateau were headed upriver to Minnesota. They called the U.S. Coast Guard for help, which then contacted first responders in Muscatine. “They had the hole repaired and units assisted the boat to the floating dock at the riverfront because they lost their ability to steer to the port side,” Battalion Chief Gary Ronzheimer said. “Units remained ready to assist in case we had to take the two individuals off the boat.”
KWQC-TV NBC 6 Davenport