NSFD Program Highlights Extra Holiday Hazards

The North Shore Fire Department's "Keeping the Wreath Red" program begins Saturday, and is a time to promote additional awareness of fire safety.

Saturday marks the beginning of this year’s "Keeping the Wreath Red" campaign from the North Shore Fire Department. The campaign highlights the importance of added home fire awareness during the holiday season.  During the campaign, a wreath with red lights will be hung outside each of the five stations in the NSFD. If holiday decorations cause a fire, a red bulb will be switched out for a white bulb. “When we’re talking about the holiday season, there are extra hazards in place,” said Capt. John Maydak of the NSFD. These extra hazards are not solely related to decorations. According to Maydak, the most common cause of house fires is cooking. Some of the added hazards during the holiday season include: Several steps can be taken to prevent…

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Building Fires in North Shore On Track to Set New Record

Fire Chief Robert Whitaker was unable to pinpoint a particular reason, but 2012 should have more building fires than any year in recent history.

Building fires in the North Shore Fire Department region are up dramatically from last year and are on pace to be the highest total in years. Fire officials haven't been able to pinpoint a common cause. They also say the building fires are not clustered in any one geographic area among their seven communities. "Nationally, some communities are seeing a rise in people starting houses on fire intentionally because they can't afford to keep them anymore and are trying to get rid of the property, but we haven't seen that," Fire Chief Robert Whitaker said.   The causes of the building fires are "all mixed up," Whitaker said. "Lightning strikes, and so on." Meanwhile, medical calls are down, and the department is still on pace to handle roughly …

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Safely Light Your Way during Power Outages – Do Not Use Candles

Here are a few tips to help you prepare and safely light your way during a power outage.

PHOTOS: Sapphire the Dragon and NSFD Take Pics With Patch

Hundreds participated the annual Dragon Dash 5K at Indian Hill School Saturday. Check out the pics we took of participants with Sapphire the Dragon and local firefighters!

With a yellow, red and gold backdrop, hundred participated in the Dragon Dash, a 5K run/walk at Indian Hill School Saturday morning.  To help capture the excitement, Patch took photos of participats with Sapphire the Dragon and the North Shore Fire Department donated a few turnout gear items. Kids donned the heavy-weight hats and in most cases, over-sized jacket for a quick snapshot.  For more photos from the Dragon Dash Check out the gallery on our Facebook Page! Patch printed the photos Saturday morning for participants. If you were unable to pick yours up, you can stop in the office at Indian Hill School and find the remaining pictures there. 

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Thick Smoke and Darkness, Fire Departments Work on Rapid Intervention Training

Fire departments across Southeastern Wisconsin trained in mixed groups to rescue simulated fallen firefighters in situations where seconds mean the difference between survival and a memorial service.

Crawling across the floor of an enormous warehouse, a team of six firefighters from different departments follows a hose line toward what they hope is their fallen comrade. Simulating a "mayday" call, these firefighters are practicing Rapid Intervention Training where they attempt to rescue a fallen firefighter.  “Occasionally, conditions on the scene change and firefighters find themselves in situations where they become the one needing help," North Shore Fire Assistant Chief Andrew Harris said in a press release. "This training helps us learn to recognize the signs that we may be in trouble and call for help early to ensure that we make it home to see our families." Along with the North Shore Fire Department, Cudahy, Franklin, Greendale…

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State Trying to Stop Collective Bargaining Decision

To avoid confusion on whether or not Act 10 is in effect, J.B. Van Hollen is asking the court for a stay while the case is being appealed.

As expected, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Tuesday filed a motion to stay the latest decision about Act 10, the collective bargaining law. Last Friday, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Juan Colas ruled that parts of Act 10 are unconstitutional because the law violates the guarantee of freedom of speech and citizens' freedom of association. Colas also determined that Act 10 does not offer equal protection under the law because it creates a separate class of state workers. And while local unions in the North Shore are optimistic about the ruling, their optimism is bathed in caution. "Many people before us have worked many years to provide an acceptable level of wages and benefits through a system of give and take otherwise known as …

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North Shore Unions Have Cautious Optimism Over Act 10 Strike Down

After Act 10 was ruled unconstitutional by a Dane County judge Friday, union reps for NSFD and local schools are saying they are cautiously optimistic about the ruling, expecting a long road ahead before bargaining rights are restored.

Just hours after Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas decided that the state’s collective bargaining law was unconstitutional, local officials and union representatives across the North Shore reacted in varying ways. Teachers union and firefighter union representatives are approaching the law's possible repeal cautiously, while local governments say their budget is set and unimpacted by the change. Colas ruled Act 10 — the budget repair bill — as null and void because the law violates both the state and U.S. constitutions. Specifically, the law violates the guarantee of freedom of speech and citizens' freedom of association. Mark Conforti is the chief negotiator for the Fox Point-Bayside School District teachers union. He said that while …

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NSFD Honors Retiring 30-Year Veteran Firefighter

Heavy Equipment Operator Robert Lewis is a third-generation firefighter. He publicly thanked his parents and said he's most proud that his mother and father were still alive to see him retire.

Fox Point Reluctantly Approves NSFD Funding Formula

Board President Michael West said he wouldn't characterize Fox Point's contribution as "fair," however, he pledged to work "night and day" to help create a mutually agreeable formula between all seven municipalities.

Although many members of the Fox Point Village Board members publically cited concerns with the "fairness" of the North Shore Fire Department's funding formula, the resolution was approved Tuesday with a three-year sunset period. "I wouldn't characterize these as necessarily fair, but they're all we've got," Village President Michael West said. "I've never said that 10.31 represents what I will characterize as 'our fair share.' I believe that our fair share needs to be set an active, seven-way negotiation on a new formula."  NSFD is a shared service among seven communities: Bayside, Brown Deer, Fox Point, Glendale, River Hills, Shorewood and Whitefish Bay. But the fire department doesn't have any taxing or borrowing authority, so each of …

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Fill The Boot: NSFD Helps Fight Muscular Dystrophy

The North Shore Fire Department participated in their annual “Fill the Boot” fundraiser for Muscular Dystrophy. Check out the photos!