Lewiston student uses own experiences with blindness to teach first responders

VIDEO: At just 15-years-old, Caleb Hyndman, a student at Lewiston High School, presented a program he developed to a room full of first responders. "It does take a little bit of courage," Hyndman said. " I found that courage when I learned there was some big miscommunication between blind people and first responders." Caleb was born blind, so he took his knowledge and experiences to teach first responders how to communicate, guide, and follow proper legal procedure when working with individuals in the community who are blind or visually impaired. "All things are from personal experience," Hyndman said. At the Asotin County Fire Station, he lead law enforcement, firefighters, and paramedics through a series of activities, dispelled myths about people who are blind, and even had Captain Jeff Klone with Lewiston Police handcuff him so he could explain what that experience is like.
KLEW-TV CBS 3 Lewiston

Boise Fire Department recruits and trains 18 future firefighters

PHOTOS: The newest group of Boise firefighters began training this past week at the Boise Fire Training Center. The fire department recruited 18 future firefighters, who will spend the next 20 weeks learning, practicing, and preparing for a career as a firefighter. A spokesperson for the department said this past week, recruits were issued their gear, spent some time in the classroom, and even did some practice drills. "Good luck recruits!" The department said in a Facebook post.
KBOI-TV CBS 2 Boise

Coeur d’Alene Fire Department plans new boathouse at north end of Lake Coeur d’Alene

The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department is building a boathouse for its fire boat at the foot of Tubbs Hill. Fire Chief Kenny Gabriel says the project will cost about $450,000. “A lot of it is due to the engineering that has to go into a very specialized anchoring system for the docks, and that comes with quite a price tag,” Gabriel says. “It has to meet the same standards as any building that houses emergency vehicles.” Miller Stauffer Architects PA, of Coeur d’Alene, is designing the structure. Verdis, of Coeur d’Alene, is the contractor on the project. North Idaho Maritime, also of Coeur d’Alene, is the subcontractor for the dock and float systems. Gabriel says the department’s fire boat had been based at the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Marine Division boathouse at Blackwell Island, across the Spokane River from North Idaho College, since the department purchased the boat in its 2015 public safety bond.
Spokane Journal

Meridian Fire giving away 600 ice scrapers for free to encourage safe driving

Meridian Fire is giving away 600 ice scrapers to the public to promote safe driving practices. The fire department on Monday say firefighters will be giving away the scrapers on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you're interested in picking one up, you can stop by any of these three locations: Fire Station 4 (Fire Station 4 (2515 S. Eagle Road) Fire Station 5 (6001 N. Linder Rd.) Fire Administrative offices are located in Meridian City Hall.
KBOI-TV CBS 2 Boise

Fire crews respond to explosion at apartment building under construction in Pocatello

VIDEO/PHOTO: An apparent explosion Thursday afternoon reportedly caused significant damage to an apartment building under construction in the Northgate development, located in the city's northeast corner. Construction workers reported hearing an explosion in the building on Venture Way, formerly Chubbuck Road, across from the Portneuf Wellness Complex at 3:35 p.m., according to Ryan O'Hearn, assistant chief of operations. O'Hearn said there was significant damage to one of the building's walls. The building was unoccupied and there were no injuries, O'Hearn said. "I think it's going to require some significant repair. I don't think it's going to be a total loss," O'Hearn said. Shortly after the apparent explosion was reported, three fire engines and an ambulance were on the scene and firefighters had cut a hole in the building's roof to provide access to spray the interior.
Idaho State Journal - Metered Site

Fires, drought, and heat cost the Northwest billions in 2021

A report from the Department of Commerce estimates that Washington and Idaho lost between $1.35 and $2.6 billion in 2021 because of weather disasters. In the Pacific Northwest as a whole (including Oregon) that number reaches at least $3 billion. Of the four costliest weather disasters in 2021, the Northwest was impacted by two of them. We’ve reported extensively on how the drought that began in the spring of 2021 heavily impacted the Inland Northwest and is still lingering to this day. The severity of the drought went up substantially when the worst heatwave in the Pacific Northwest’s history arrived in late June. July was also the hottest month on record in the Inland Northwest.
KXLY-TV ABC 4 Couer D'Alene

Idaho Falls Fire Department Offers Winter Heating and Electrical Safety Tips

The Idaho Falls Fire Department has recently responded to fires that were caused by heating and/or electrical-related issues and reminds people of the following safety information: Smaller portable heaters should be operated according to the owner’s manual and shut off when leaving the area. Children, animals and anything that can burn such as blankets and curtains should be kept at least 3 feet away from the heat source. When using a space heater, it is recommended that only one heater be plugged into a GFCI outlet at a time. The heaters should not be used with an extension cord. "We've seen several instances where people are using space heaters as a permanent heat source," states IFFD Fire Marshal Scott Grimmett. “Space heaters should only be used as a temporary heat source and are unsafe for prolonged periods. Using them throughout the home as a permanent heat source in place of regular utilities may overload the circuit and is dangerous,” explains Grimmett.
City of Idaho Falls News