Fire Department

OSCEOLA - People who live in Osceola are wondering why the town board let go four of the town's top volunteer firefighters. And some business owners are concerned about what it all means for public safety. WSBT contacted Osceola Town Board President Jim Loney who said he won't comment on personnel issues. Osceola is located in Penn Township and is just over one-square mile.  A sign outside the Osceola Town Hall and Police Station says "The Little Town with a Big Heart.

ELKHART COUNTY -- Saturday's  heat did not prevent the rubber from hitting the road as a huge motorcade traveled from Angola, Indiana to Elkhart County's Osolo Township. Thousands of bikers fell in behind a piece of history -- a beam from one of the twin towers that fell on 9/11. That beam will now be part of a permanent memorial at the Osolo fire station. Watch the above video for more on this story.

LAKEVILLE-- Fire departments are there to help the community, but in Lakeville the tables have turned. The Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department is out of money and currently survives on Union Township's reserves. Thousands of dollars in gift certificates and merchandise has been donated for an auction that will benefit the struggling fire department.  Do your kids want a new bike? What about new fishing poles? Or maybe you need flowers for Mother's Day. More than 50 local businesses donated items like these as well as more than a thousand dollars in gift certificates for the auction.

SOUTH BEND - A third person -- a 25-year-old man -- has died from injuries received over a month ago in a fire on South Bend's Haney Ave. that also took the lives of two young sisters. Me'Chielle Marshall, 4, and 6-year-old Navaeh Marshall died from smoke and soot inhalation in the February 10 fire.  Firefighters also pulled 25-year-old Cordell Mahone out of the apartment's living room where investigators said the fire started. He suffered burns and smoke inhalation and was transported to Memorial Hospital and later transferred to a burn center in Kalamazoo.

What began as a fire department response for a vehicle fire Friday night quickly escalated into more. South Bend firefighters were called to the 1300 block of South Michigan Street just after 5:30 p.m. Firefighters found two vans fully engulfed and fire spreading to a vacant business building. The building, which previously housed Hill Auto, had exterior fire damage totaling about $5,000, according to a fire department news release. The fire is under investigation.

GOSHEN - Firefighters in Goshen practiced their water rescue techniques and boat handling. And as we get closer to summer, more people will be hitting the local water ways. All members of the fire department are required to update their skills out on the water with this training. Like fighting a fire, they have to be prepared for anything on the water ways. “Both situations, fire ground and water rescue, are very dynamic,” said Goshen Fire Captain Steffen Schrock.

SOUTH BEND - The South Bend paramedic accused of stealing drugs from the city's fire department is out of jail. Police arrested Timothy Greenlee over the weekend after an audit found the drug Fentanyl missing from an ambulance. Fentanyl is a form of morphine that relieves pain. South Bend Fire Chief Steve Cox says department investigators were able to identify a suspect quickly because of systems they have in place to regulate narcotics used for patients. Cox says Greenlee was placed on administrative leave Sunday.

MISHAWAKA - A gas leak was reported at 1007 North Bendix Drive in South Bend. The fire department and NIPSCO were dispatched to the scene. NIPSCO was notified at 2 p.m. that a third party contractor hit a one-inch line and they isolated the leak. NIPSCO confirmed that no customers lost service and no businesses were evacuated.

SOUTH BEND - The risk of fires is growing everyday as we wait for rain. The South Bend Fire Department has issued a warning about the severe dry weather conditions. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor Map, many parts of northern Indiana have abnormally high drought conditions. Due to high winds and very little rain, we are warned to avoid using any ignition source that could potentially start a fire. 11 northeastern Indiana counties are experiencing moderate drought, while the city of South Bend is in a severe drought.

ELKHART COUNTY -- A utility company working behind the Wal-Mart on County Road 6 hit a gas main Tuesday afternoon just after 3 p.m. Emergency responders are asking drivers to avoid the area around the Wal-Mart on County Road 6. They are also blocking off Cass, County Road 7 and Emerson Road. A nearby apartment complex was not evacuated as a result. The Fire Department is monitoring the air. We will provide more information as it becomes available.

Berrien County has big plans for a nearly $1 million grant they have received from the federal government. The city of Niles Fire Department was awarded a regional "assistance to fighters grant. " This will help replace several outdated communication consoles at dispatch centers throughout the county. It's important these are up to date because dispatchers are the initial commanders on every incident and make a difference in those early pivotal moments -- be it a house fire, an accident, a domestic issue or medical situation.

LAKEVILLE-- Fire departments are there to help the community, but in Lakeville the tables have turned. The Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department is out of money and currently survives on Union Township's reserves. Thousands of dollars in gift certificates and merchandise has been donated for an auction that will benefit the struggling fire department.  Do your kids want a new bike? What about new fishing poles? Or maybe you need flowers for Mother's Day. More than 50 local businesses donated items like these as well as more than a thousand dollars in gift certificates for the auction.

GOSHEN - Firefighters in Goshen practiced their water rescue techniques and boat handling. And as we get closer to summer, more people will be hitting the local water ways. All members of the fire department are required to update their skills out on the water with this training. Like fighting a fire, they have to be prepared for anything on the water ways. “Both situations, fire ground and water rescue, are very dynamic,” said Goshen Fire Captain Steffen Schrock.

SOUTH BEND - The South Bend paramedic accused of stealing drugs from the city's fire department is out of jail. Police arrested Timothy Greenlee over the weekend after an audit found the drug Fentanyl missing from an ambulance. Fentanyl is a form of morphine that relieves pain. South Bend Fire Chief Steve Cox says department investigators were able to identify a suspect quickly because of systems they have in place to regulate narcotics used for patients. Cox says Greenlee was placed on administrative leave Sunday.

LAKEVILLE-- The Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department is out of money.   Union Township and the Town of Lakeville benefit from the fire service but unless taxes go up, the department may have to shut down. The fire chief and the Union Township Trustee say there is not enough coming in from property taxes to cover the department's annual expenses.      Now legislators are considering a bill that could bail out the Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department in the form of higher taxes.

Now that temperatures are on the rise, many people are beginning to get outdoor yard work done. This includes burning. This often leads to field fires. "As we've seen the past few days, ones that start off small ended up taking up about five acres and spread to your neighbors' property," says Clay Fire Marshal Dave Cherrone. "Realize that any damage that fire does to your neighbors' property, you are liable for. " Cherrone says each year he sees dozens of small fires grow into large field fires, often burning acres of land and damaging property.

SOUTH BEND - A third person -- a 25-year-old man -- has died from injuries received over a month ago in a fire on South Bend's Haney Ave. that also took the lives of two young sisters. Me'Chielle Marshall, 4, and 6-year-old Navaeh Marshall died from smoke and soot inhalation in the February 10 fire.  Firefighters also pulled 25-year-old Cordell Mahone out of the apartment's living room where investigators said the fire started. He suffered burns and smoke inhalation and was transported to Memorial Hospital and later transferred to a burn center in Kalamazoo.

OSCEOLA - Almost a quarter of a St. Joseph County fire department is now gone.   WSBT has learned Osceola has released at least 4 volunteer firefighters.   However when we stopped by the fire station Tuesday night, we found firefighters still responding to a call.   The Osceola fire chief says there are still about 14 firefighters on the department.   Penn Township Fire helps cover Osceola.   Penn's fire chief is asking Osceola board members to call an emergency meeting.

OSCEOLA - People who live in Osceola are wondering why the town board let go four of the town's top volunteer firefighters. And some business owners are concerned about what it all means for public safety. WSBT contacted Osceola Town Board President Jim Loney who said he won't comment on personnel issues. Osceola is located in Penn Township and is just over one-square mile.  A sign outside the Osceola Town Hall and Police Station says "The Little Town with a Big Heart.

ELKHART - Wednesday was December 12, 2012, or 12-12-12. Many couples around the country picked the day to get married, including a couple in Elkhart. Their wedding plans started “up in the air.” This particular wedding took place at Elkhart's Central Fire Station, and the time of the wedding was 12:12 p.m. Heather Labrum walked through an honor guard of firemen, past family members to meet her husband-to-be, Lt. Dave Richter. Early on, they were going with the idea of simple wedding in court with family members.