by Fred R. LaPoint, Fire Chief Paramedic | Nov 16, 2025 | Behind The Alarm
By Fire Chief Fred R. LaPointTwo fires. Twelve days. One family in Meridian Township, Michigan, is learning the hard way that the devices we welcome into our homes and vehicles carry dangers most people don’t understand until it’s too late.The first fire started in...
by Fred R. LaPoint, Fire Chief Paramedic | Nov 14, 2025 | Behind The Alarm
I’m standing in what used to be a living room. The hurricane came through a week ago. The family is here – exhausted, shell-shocked, but grateful they survived. They’re already talking about rebuilding, about insurance covering it, about how they’ll get through...
by Fred R. LaPoint, Fire Chief Paramedic | Nov 3, 2025 | Behind The Alarm
Saturday, I stood in full turnout gear, watching smoke pour from the second-story windows of a donated home in Mason County. My pulse quickened—not from fear, but from anticipation. After more than 40 years in the fire service, I was about to step into something that...
by Fred R. LaPoint, Fire Chief Paramedic | Sep 23, 2025 | Behind The Alarm
Not long ago, I stopped at a service station outside my jurisdiction to fuel up my personal vehicle. I was in full uniform as I had just come from a function, when I noticed an older gentleman on the opposite side of the pump island fueling his large motorhome—with...
by Fred R. LaPoint, Fire Chief Paramedic | Aug 5, 2025 | Behind The Alarm
“When the smoke comes for you, remember: it started with flames you chose to ignore.”As of August 3, 2025, Canada is facing one of the most devastating wildfire crises in recorded history:742 active wildfires210 are out of control and being fought with everything...
