Fire ravages a renovated home in south St. Louis

A fire broke out at a two-story building Tuesday at about 8:30 p.m. in the Dutchtown neighborhood of south St. Louis. While the cause of the fire is uncertain, St. Louis Fire Battalion Chief Ken Mitchell speculates it may have started inside a defunct fireplace. The homeowner says he lets those who are down on their luck stay in the building. He says they may have started the fire to keep warm. An investigation will be conducted in the coming days to determine the factors.
KTVI-TV Fox 2 St. Louis

Funeral arrangements announced for 2 Kansas City Fire Department members

Funeral arrangements have been announced for two members of the Kansas City Fire Department who died from COVID-19 over the weekend. A drive-thru visitation will be held Sunday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at McGilley Funeral Home at 3325 N.E. Vivion Road for fire Capt. Robert "Bobby" Rocha. His funeral will be held Monday at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home. The funeral service is closed to the public because of COVID-19 restrictions. A graveside service will be held at 12:30 p.m. at Mount Olive Cemetery at 7601 Blue Ridge Road in Raytown. Communication specialist/paramedic Scott Davidson will be laid to rest in Wichita, Kansas, this weekend. A visitation will be held Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Lakeview Funeral Home at 12004 E. 13th St. N in Wichita. Davidson's funeral is set for Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Crossroads Baptist Church. A graveside service will follow.
KCWE-TV CW 29 Kansas City

Ahead of Thanksgiving, Kansas City students surprise first responders with cards, gifts

In a stirring show of the Thanksgiving holiday spirit, just over a dozen Winnetonka High School students distributed 900 thank you cards and gift packages to first responders throughout the Northland on Tuesday. “That’s all I ever wanted to do, is make someone feel good and feel loved,” student Bridgette Cook said. “I just want them all to feel loved and that they’re important in this world.” With the help of some faculty helpers, the students were able to spread the gratitude around to places like the North KC fire and police departments. “It really makes it worth it. It has been a struggle through all of this, for all of us,” said NKC firefighter Creston Witte, fighting back emotion. “So thank you, thank you all.” Samantha Thompson at the NKC Police Department said it was a delightful surprise for public servants who weren’t expecting it.
WDAF-TV Fox 4 Kansas City

Hillsboro Fire gets $1 million grant to add six firefighters

Thanks to a $1,011,000 FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Act) grant, the Hillsboro Fire Protection District will be able to hire six new firefighters, adding to its current full-time roster of nine firefighters. The fire district will receive the FY2019 SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant money in installments of $337,000 per year over three years, so after that, the three jobs would have to be eliminated unless the district comes up with other funding to cover their pay and benefits, Fire Chief Brian Gaudet said. Not that he’s complaining. Gaudet said he was pleasantly surprised when FEMA notified him the district had been awarded the grant. “We applied in late 2019 for a grant from FEMA,” Gaudet said. “We were notified we got the grant in late September. We had no idea it was going to come through and we just got an email one day saying we were chosen for the grant.
Leader Publications

Missouri’s first responders scheduled to get COVID-19 vaccine with essential workers

A three-phase plan for people to get vaccinated in Missouri is in place. A spokesperson for the International Fire Fighters Association (IAFF) said first responders should be getting vaccinated first along with health care workers at long-term care facilities. “One of the reasons is we are the first line in public health to many Americans,” said Doug Stern, media relations director for IAFF. “We are the first ones going out to call 911 to get to the hospital because they have COVID. We’re working in the uncontrolled environments of people’s homes.” The IAFF wrote a letter to the National Governors Association calling on governors to give firefighters and paramedics, who the IAFF said have been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, priority access to vaccines.
KOLR-TV CBS 10 Springfield

Driver found dead inside burning truck after crash in Lee’s Summit, police say

Lee’s Summit police are investigating after a driver was found dead inside a burned truck Monday night. First responders were dispatched to a car fire in the eastbound lanes of 40 Highway near Powell Avenue, Sgt. Chris Depue with the Lee’s Summit Police Department said. According to police, the car left the roadway, hit a tree and caught fire. The only person in the car did not survive. Lee’s Summit police expect to release more information Tuesday after the victim’s family members are notified.
WDAF-TV Fox 4 Kansas City

Cape Girardeau firefighters talk Thanksgiving safety

VIDEO: As Thanksgiving approaches, one thing to keep in mind is safety when cooking that delicious meal. Firefighters see a lot of residential calls due to common sense mishaps, including frying a frozen turkey, which is a big mistake. We spoke with Cape Girardeau Fire Department Captain Andy Matthews who said you need to make sure you are mindful of the procedures of cooking your favorite foods. He also says not be in a rush so you can make sure to make those memories. Most importantly, be aware of what you are doing. “To be aware of objects that could be pushed close to an open stove, to an open oven-top,” Matthews said. “With the business of the holidays going on and the business of Thanksgiving, everybody around and stuff like that, you can grow lackadaisical and just to be aware, to be cautious and prevent and accident that can happen.”
KFVS-TV CBS 12 Cape Girardeau