2 hurt in Brooklyn fire sparked by lithium-ion batteries at illegal repair shop, FDNY says

Two people were injured in a fire sparked by lithium-ion batteries inside a home in Brooklyn on Wednesday morning. The fire broke out on the third floor of the home on 57th Street just before 8:30 a.m. Fire Marshals say there was an illegal e-bike/e-scooter repair shop operating at that location. Two people were injured and taken to the burn center at Staten Island University Hospital. The FDNY says one victim suffered serious injuries and another was critically injured. Burnt e-bikes and charred e-scooters could be seen littering the yard amid the rubble, along with the batteries that melted away. "I'm not doing good. I've been here for 58 years and this is killing me, I don't know what to do," said a tenant named Andrew. He said he has lost almost everything and the couple injured in the fire are his friends.
WABC-TV ABC 7 New York

Man found dead after Cheektowaga residential fire, woman rescued

A 64-year-old man was found dead and a woman was rescued while fire officials extinguished a residential fire in Cheektowaga last Friday. Cheektowaga police officers, along with multiple fire companies, responded to the scene of a reported residential fire with possible entrapment around 1:30 a.m. on Westvale Court. Cheektowaga police said officers were able to assist a woman out of the home and firefighters were able to extinguish the fire before it fully engulfed the structure. The 64-year-old man was found deceased in the attached garage. He was not identified by officials. Detectives and fire investigators were called to the scene but, at this time, the fire appears to be accidental. The investigation is ongoing.
WIVB-TV CBS 4 Buffalo

Potsdam: Clarkson University begins intensive paramedic training to help bolster area rescue squads

Tuesday evening at Clarkson Hall in downtown Potsdam, students, faculty, and leaders of the community gathered at an open house for what is the start of Clarkson University’s new paramedic training program. Douglas Wildermuth, who leads the EMS and Experimental Learning Program at the Lewis School of Health Sciences says the new program will take students through a rigorous nine-month course, before being released and working as full-time paramedics for fire stations and rescue squads. “Our mission right now is to go ahead and create the most influence within St. Lawrence County and its surrounding areas because that’s where a lot of the need is for EMS providers,” Wildermuth said. “There’s a lack of advanced life support and paramedics in the region. So that’s our primary mission to help supplement that.”
WWNY-TV CBS 7 Carthage

Hancock Field Air National Guard Base Fire Department named best Air Guard fire department

The Hancock Field Air National Guard Base Fire Department, based at Hancock Airport in Syracuse, was named Fire Department of the Year by the Air National Guard Fire Chief’s Association. The department, which started full-time operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, consists of 27 uniformed Air National Guard fire protection specialists and 22 full-time civilian firefighters. “There are two separate leadership teams, one for the military firefighters and then one for the full-time firefighters,” said Jeffrey Chrissley, the Hancock Field Air National Guard Base Fire Department Chief. “But we work together as one department. We don’t differentiate between how we train or how we work.”
WSYR-TV ABC 9 Syracuse

FDNY Firefighter Robert Velazquez returns to work over 1 year after being injured in deadly fire

An FDNY firefighter who spent over a year recovering from injuries he suffered fighting a house fire returned to work Monday. Robert Velazquez was greeted as he walked back into Engine 257, Ladder 170 in Canarsie, Brooklyn. In a Facebook post, the FDNY said in part, "With the support of his family, friends, and his FDNY family, and through sheer determination and grit, Firefighter Velazquez is back at his second home, his firehouse. We are glad to have him back and the City thanks him for his continued service." Fellow firefighter Timothy Klein died in the April 2022 blaze when part of the home collapsed. A 21-year-old resident was also killed. A total of eight firefighters were hurt battling the fire.
WCBS-TV CBS 2 New York

Fire damages multiple homes in Dunkirk

VIDEO: The Dunkirk Fire Department is looking into a fire that displaced 10 people. Several people contacted 911 to report the first just after 6:30 a.m. Monday. When firefighters arrived, they found 535 Columbus and 533 Columbus with heavy fire conditions. Officials say 535 Columbus was vacant. All of the occupants at 533 Columbus were able to escape without injury. Firefighters worked to prevent the fires from spreading to other nearby structures. Officials have ordered an emergency demolition of both structures. Three other nearby homes suffered some heat damage to the exterior. The American Red Cross is assisting the four adults and six children who lived at 533 Columbus. No one was injured.
WGRZ-TV NBC 2 Buffalo

Beloved Former Chappaqua Fire Chief Dies: ’Leader, Mentor To Many Of Us’

Charlie Bergstrom, the former chief of the Chappaqua Fire Department, died on Monday, Dec. 4, the department announced in a post on social media. In their memorial post, the department wrote that Bergstrom was a "quiet unassuming leader and mentor to many of us." "We will all miss Charlie’s quiet and calm cadence on the radio, unrushed management of a scene, witticisms, and nicknames," the department added, also continuing, "There’s a reason so many people have been affected by his loss." According to the department, Bergstrom was known for easily working with others and building relationships not only with those within his organization but with people in other neighboring departments as well. He was also known for often recounting stories and never failing to make those around him laugh.
Armonk Daily Voice

Crews battle house fire in Colonie

VIDEO/PHOTOS: The West Albany Fire Department was called to 112 Frederick Avenue in the Town of Colonie at 4:34 p.m. for reports of a 2nd alarm house fire. The WAFD said people were living inside the home at the time of the fire, but they were able to evacuate before sustaining any severe injuries. According to the West Albany Fire Department, firefighters were just arriving back at the station around 8:15 p.m., and the fire took a few hours to completely extinguish. The WAFD said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
WRGB-TV CBS 6 Schenectady