Fire/EMS

By Jenna Wilson A family is left without a home and without some of their pets following a late-night fire in Wathena, Kansas, over the weekend. The fire happened around 11:15 p.m. Saturday near Elwood Park Homes in Wathena. Thelma Chilcoat and her two teenage children were fortunate to make it out of the fire

By Jenna Wilson The St. Joseph Fire Department is sharing some important safety tips to keep in mind as Fire Prevention Month kicks off. Fire Prevention Month serves as a good time to check the batteries in smoke detectors and to ensure fire extinguishers are properly working. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 30%

By NewsPress Now Emergency crews worked the scene of a fire Friday afternoon at a car dealer in Elwood, Kansas.  Trucks from area fire departments arrived at 606 Roseport Road, the location of Zimmerman Motors, which had smoke coming from the building. The St. Joseph and Elwood fire departments helped put the fire out in less than

By Jenna Wilson Responding to gas leaks costs U.S. fire departments millions of dollars each year, and local fire departments are sharing warning signs to look out for when it comes to a possible gas leak. According to a recent study published by Energy Policy Journal, over 200,000 natural gas leaks per year require and

By NewsPress Now Emergency crews tackled a house fire Thursday afternoon on Pickett Road near Deer Park Drive and Leonard Road. Calls for the fire came in around 2:15 p.m. St. Joseph Fire Department Battalion Chief Paris Jenkins said the fire was close to a water line, which caused it to break. He said this

By Jenna Wilson The St. Joseph City Council approved funding Tuesday for new fire department gear, and while that’s an obvious benefit to firefighters themselves, it plays an implicit role in home insurance rates for residents. Insurance Services Office ratings establish how well-equipped a fire department is to put out a fire, and an insurance

By NewsPress Now The St. Joseph Fire Department responded to a fire Wednesday night in the 700 block of McDonald Street. The call came in around 8:58 p.m. Wednesday for a fire in the kitchen. There were several people and pets inside the residence at the time. Crews were able to put out the flames

By Jenna Wilson With the help of state funding and grants, new and updated equipment is continuing to roll into the St. Joseph Fire Department to keep crews and the public safe. The disruption of supply chains spawned by the pandemic resulted in local firefighters working with worn-down gear and equipment for a few years

By NewsPress Now The St. Joseph Fire Department worked the scene of a fire near the intersection of North 12th and Church streets Tuesday night. The initial call for the fire at 1211 Church St. came in around 10 p.m. A stairway and part of the back of the structure collapsed shortly after crews arrived

By Jenna Wilson Buchanan County EMS and fire crews got the chance to reunite with a woman whose life they saved after she experienced a cardiac arrest while at work. During a regular work shift on April 15, St. Joseph resident April Shepherd stumbled and fell onto the ground. After seeing her fall, her coworkers

By Chris Fortune One of the oldest fire stations in St. Joseph will receive much-needed upgrades in the coming years to the benefit of its firefighters and South Side residents. Replacing Fire Station No. 10 at 101 Illinois Ave. will cost nearly $4.3 million, and it’s the largest single project on the 2024 Capital Improvements

By Riley Funk In an effort to combat challenges like an increase in local emergency calls, the St. Joseph Fire Department is looking to expand its staff. The department filed an application for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER Grant. The grant was created by the Department of Homeland Security and

By NewsPress Now The St. Joseph Fire Department worked the scene of a structure fire Tuesday at the intersection of Middleton Street and Savannah Avenue. The initial call came in before 3 a.m. with reports of flames coming out of a window of the house. Firefighters contained the fire quickly and it appeared to be

By Riley Funk A recent apartment building fire is serving as a reminder for families to prepare escape plans in their own homes. First responders received a call at 1:57 a.m. Sunday for a structure fire at 1307 Francis St. They arrived on scene five minutes later. Fire inspector Steve Henrichson was investigating the scene

By Jenna Wilson The rising temperatures and seasonal conditions are creating increased fire risks in Northwest Missouri, with local firefighters battling various grass fires over the past few weeks. Fire crews dealt with a 300-acre grass fire at Sugar Lake on Thursday that started on Highway 45 and spread to Platte County. More than 100

By NewsPress Now No injuries were reported in a fire at a vacant house Thursday morning in Midtown St. Joseph. Crews from the St. Joseph Fire Department were called to 1711 Olive St. at about 5:40 a.m. Eyewitnesses told the fire department they believed the fire started on the first floor of the home. Fire

By Jenna Wilson Calls involving opioid overdoses have unfortunately become an all-too-common theme for first responders in St. Joseph. Buchanan County EMS crews ran more overdose calls last month than in February of 2023, according to Buchanan County EMS paramedic Andrew King. These overdoses can be a result of recreational drug use, self-harm or unintentional,

By Chris Fortune Unseasonably warm temperatures have the St. Joseph Fire Department preparing for more red flag warnings. St. Joseph reached a high of 78 degrees on Tuesday, and the city was under a red flag warning until 6 p.m. It prohibited open burning within city limits, and the fire department asked residents to avoid

By Riley Funk The St. Joseph Fire Department is looking forward to better serving the community thanks to a few new sets of wheels. The department received two new pumper trucks Tuesday evening, both of which have a water tank that will hold 1,000 gallons. One of the trucks will go to Fire Station 10

By NewsPress Now St. Joseph firefighters worked Monday afternoon to put out a fire at a home in the 1000 block of Ellsworth Avenue. According to fire inspector Steve Henrichson, the fire began at approximately 3 p.m. Crews worked in the backyard area to put out the flames, which damaged the porch and backside of

By Riley Funk The St. Joseph Fire Department is hoping to receive a grant to replace aging thermal imaging devices, which can be key to determining a plan for entering a burning building. At Monday night’s city council meeting, council members authorized 9-0-0 the filing of a grant application with the Firehouse Subs Public Safety

By NewsPress Now A home in one of the city’s historic areas was heavily damaged by an early morning fire Wednesday morning. The initial call for the fire at 1005 S. 12th St. came in just before 7 a.m. There were flames on several spots of the structure when the St. Joseph Fire Department arrived

By Riley Funk At Monday night’s city council meeting Three thermal imaging devices to be used for the department totaling in $22,050 $1,800,000 in funding to be provided for the expansion of Fire Station #6. ARPA  funds and SLFRF funds. Goes toward a grant. 

By Jenna Wilson The low temperatures didn’t stop fires from happening across St. Joseph this weekend, and firefighters stayed prepared to put out the flames. St. Joseph firefighters stayed on their feet this weekend, responding to many fires as temperatures dipped. Just on Sunday, firefighters responded to seven fire calls, with three of those being

By Jenna Wilson Firefighters responded to an additional 1,000 service calls last year compared to 2022. According to data from the St. Joseph Fire Department, in 2022, SJFD handled 15,033 service calls. During 2023, the number of calls rose to 16,100. St. Joseph Fire Inspector Steve Henrichson said the rise is due to several reasons,