Billy Wusterhausen has been involved in the fire service since 1991
when he began as a volunteer and then began a career as a firefighter in 1995
He promoted through the ranks and currently serves as a fire chief
Wusterhausen has worked in every division of the fire service and is also a license paramedic and a commissioned police officer
He obtained his associates and bachelor’s degree in fire science and a master’s degree in public administration
Wusterhausen also volunteers as a response commander for the Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force
for which he responds statewide to assist police
fire and EMS agencies and families that are dealing with an LODD
The Legislative Reference Library in the state Capitol
thousands of people enter the Texas State Capitol
and offering up a wide array of information to all
the assistant director of the Legislative Reference Library of Texas
“I was attracted to librarianship because I love learning things,” Wusterhausen says
Though Wusterhausen says people are often in a hurry to get information
she says she’s proud to work in the historical building
“It’s really a privilege and a treat to come in work in this building every day,” Wusterhausen says
“It’s such a beautiful building with so much history
Wusterhausen says the work she does is rewarding
not only because of the building she works in
but also because of the service she does for Texans
“There’s so much here that’s related to history and law and to government,” Wusterhausen says
you get a better picture for what Texas is now and how we came to be what we are.”
This story was originally published on May 10
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The Round Rock City Council confirmed the appointment of Billy Wusterhausen as interim fire chief for the Round Rock Fire Department at a Thursday meeting
Wusterhausen has been acting as the interim chief following Chief David Coatney being chosen as the next fire chief of Dallas Fire-Rescue Department
replacing Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Louie Bright III who retired in March
Coatney was set to start his new job July 13
who has applied for the position of permanent fire chief
has served on the Round Rock Fire Department for 21 years
Before that he was a volunteer firefighter in Bastrop County for four years
He has held his permanent position of assistant fire chief for the past five years
which has given him a good understanding of the department and community
“Being in that position has given him the experience to step into that role as an interim,” said Assistant City Manager Bryan Williams
Wusterhausen said he is well suited for the interim chief position because of the experience
training and education he has in the field
He is a master certified firefighter through the Texas Commission on Fire Protection and holds a master’s degree in public administration from Sam Houston State University
He also attributes his knowledge base to his time serving under Coatney
“I’ve learned a lot with Chief Coatney,” Wusterhausen said
He and I shared a lot of characteristics and worked really well together.”
He is the only assistant fire chief in the department
will be stepping in as interim assistant fire chief
Round Rock fire battalion chief and president of the Round Rock Association of Professional Firefighters
said he was hired 21 years ago with Wusterhausen
who has been at the department since Day One
Wusterhausen knows everyone at the department and has a strong working knowledge of the department and its history
“It will be hard for anyone to fill those shoes,” he said
adding that is why the city is conducting a nationwide search
Colburn said the department is currently in a “holding pattern” while they wait for a new fire chief to be chosen
He said keeping up with the city’s growth and meeting the community’s fire protection needs will be a struggle for whoever is chosen as permanent fire chief in Round Rock
“With Kalahari (Resorts and Conventions coming to Round Rock) and buildings popping up
keeping up with growth is a challenge and will be a challenge for firefighters every day,” Colburn said
It’s a conservative city that’s growing like crazy
A lot of fire chiefs don’t want to come to a city that’s growing so fast.”
Colburn said Wusterhausen knows growth is an issue that needs to be addressed
Williams said about 33 candidates have applied for the position of fire chief
and the firefighters association will be involved in finding its next fire chief
The deadline for candidates to submit applications is Monday
The city hired executive search firm Strategic Government Resources to conduct the national search
Officials expect to have a group of finalists identified in late September or early October and will then invite finalists to Round Rock for in-person interviews
As Round Rock's population continued to grow
the city's fire department is using data-driven science to improve safety
The Round Rock Fire Department is trying to predict when an emergency will happen
"It's important to look at the data overall and see what are the actual calls that we are going to," said Assistant Chief Billy Wusterhausen
Wusterhausen is known as the data nerd around the fire house
it's important to use concrete data to make decisions about how the department will respond to emergencies
and in one area of town the best solution is a fire station
it would be some better street infrastructure so our trucks can get through," Wusterhausen said
Wusterhausen said a large percentage of 911 calls in Round Rock come from senior living facilities or elderly residents
Numbers show that the most fire fatalities occur when seniors or people with disabilities are making dinner
"I can tell you it's probably going to be in the evening time during whenever they would be cooking dinner
that's usually when our house fires occur
and they are going to be unable to evacuate in a timely manner," Wusterhausen said
Wusterhausen partnered with the appraisal district to pull 8,000 addresses where residents have a tax exemption for a disability or being over the age of 65
with the help of the faith based community
have been knocking on doors to help educate and prevent the most vulnerable
"The teams would go into these houses
and be able to go in there and talk to the people a little bit and just do the application of the smoke detectors," said Pastor Mark Westerfield
who is involved in the Love the Rock program
What started as an effort to improve response times is now helping improve the quality of life for Round Rock's most vulnerable population and hopefully keep them from having to call 911 in the future
"The best way to prevent that from happening in the future we would make sure they don't have any trip hazards or slip hazards," Wusterhausen said about residents in senior living facilities
There are currently nine fire stations in Round Rock
but the executive staff is constantly monitoring growth to determine where the next station will go
Germany has witnessed another case of police violence resulting in death
who had a Bulgarian passport in order to work in Germany
died in Berlin’s Neukölln Hospital after being assaulted by the police
Bulgarian and Romanian citizens have been allowed to work in Germany without a work permit and are not infrequently exploited in slave-like conditions
residents of a house on Karl-Marx-Strasse in Königs Wusterhausen
and complained about a disturbance of the peace
allegedly “remained on a property without permission
kicked objects and hit a passenger car.” Allegedly
he could not be dissuaded to leave even after being asked by the police officers
biting and displaying mental [health] issues.”
the police officers then used brute force against Vitali N
even though it is known that this can be extremely dangerous during arrests
it can cause severe nausea and shortness of breath; it can also cause swelling of the airways and acute choking
The tersely written police report states that Vitali N
was subsequently “able to be secured and restrained by the police officers
and the handcuffs were released.” After his breathing stopped
and the man was taken to a hospital “for medical treatment.”
When he arrived at the intensive care unit at Klinikum Neukölln
He was diagnosed with hypoxic brain damage
which occurs because of a severe lack of oxygen in the brain
which was also on his face when he was admitted
had his face forcibly held into muddy soil for a long time
was pushed to the ground by the police officers on a patch of grass
The death certificate issued by the attending physician is clear
“Most severe anoxic brain damage,” it states
Oxygen deficiency in the brain “by forcibly pressing the face and thorax to the ground in a prone position.”
The Berlin public prosecutor’s office and the criminal police department then began an investigation
The Taz quoted from internal documents that included parts of the patient’s file
a police search record as well as the report of the emergency doctor who first treated Vitali N
Attempts are obviously being made to conceal the course of events of the brutal police operation resulting in death to exonerate the culprits
The notes of the emergency physician state: “Handcuffs are still on.” This contradicts the police account
which claims the man’s handcuffs were released after he passed out
Securing unconscious people is considered extremely dangerous because it makes medical treatment more difficult and increases the risk of suffocation
The emergency physician also noted that Vitali N
no earth residue was allegedly found in the body
the spokeswoman for the Berlin public prosecutor’s office told the media
the autopsy did not show any signs of external force and third-party actions as the cause of death
the autopsy revealed that the dead man had massive haemorrhages on his back and shoulder
which obviously resulted from the strong pressure with which the police officers pushed the victim to the ground
fine tissue and toxicological examinations will be carried out to find any traces of soil
But this will prove to be rather difficult
since Vitali’s throat and lungs were cleaned by the doctors and suctioned when the intubation was performed
It is also unclear why a police chief inspector from Königs Wusterhausen instructed the Berlin police
in order to confiscate the clothes of the deceased and to insist blood samples be taken to test for alcohol and drugs
which has jurisdiction over Königs Wusterhausen
The police authorities responsible have yet to issue a statement on the matter
Vitali N.’s blood test after his admission to hospital showed he had consumed neither alcohol nor drugs
inconspicuous person who generally drank little alcohol
He had simply wanted to lead a normal life in Germany and escape the extreme poverty that was a sad daily routine in Eastern Europe
is part of a wave of police violence in Germany
Kupa Mutombo died in Berlin’s Charité hospital
the racist actions of Berlin police officers against a Syrian family sparked a storm of outrage
“We have fundamental structural problems in dealing with the unlawful use of force by the police,” criminologist Prof
Tobias Singelnstein of the Ruhr University in Bochum said in the documentary “State Violence—When Police Officers Become Perpetrators” produced by the political magazine Kontraste
officers perpetrate at least 12,000 cases of “illegal police violence” annually while on duty
Singelnstein noted in 2019 in the interim report of his research project Kviapol
But only about 2,000 cases of police violence are reported each year
court proceedings are opened in less than two percent
“Convictions occur in less than 1 percent of reported cases,” the criminologist explained
This ever-expanding police violence goes hand in hand with the continual increasing of the powers of the police and security apparatus
The previous state government in Brandenburg
made up of the Social Democrats (SPD) and Left Party
passed a new Police Law at the beginning of 2019
Its cornerstones included the “expansion of personal checks without requiring just cause
reporting requirements in the area of the Assembly Act without needing a court order
preventive detention as well as contact and residence bans without any concrete signs of a crime
expansion of the storage times of police video surveillance
expansion of public searches in suspected crimes and the use of hand grenades against people.”
For the current state government of the SPD
They are preparing a comprehensive tightening of the Police Law
the seamless monitoring of messaging services and online searches are to be made possible without any significant hurdles
the automatic recognition and storage of vehicle license plates would be possible without needing any just cause
the police had already stored a total of 40 million photos of vehicles in a database from 2017 to 2019
resulting in massive criticism from lawyers and data protectionists
An official who criticized this blatant and constitutionally questionable surveillance was silenced and transferred
the new CDU-SPD state government is planning to massively increase the powers of the state and expand those of the police apparatus
police violence and attacks on democratic rights are an expression of increasing class tensions
While billions go into arming the military
any opposition to this is suppressed by force if necessary
Rampant police violence is deliberately covered up by the state and political establishment and is part of the development of a police state
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DÜREN, Germany, Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Copart Deutschland GmbH (Copart Germany), a subsidiary of the global online vehicle auction company Copart, Inc. (NASDAQ: CPRT), opened its new Berlin
15713 Königs Wusterhausen (Niederlehme district)
Including the new 22-acre (90,000 square meters) Berlin location
Copart currently operates 13 facilities in Germany
I am pleased that we are able to offer our buyers a greater selection of vehicles," said Copart Deutschland's General Manager Kai Siersleben
Copart Berlin currently has the capacity to store more than 1,800 vehicles. Registered buyers can place bids on vehicles stored at this location, on Copart.de or on the Copart mobile app (available for iOS and Android devices)
as well as our unmatched global buyer base
we are well positioned to grow our business by providing strong auction returns and excellent service to our customers," said Copart Chief Executive Officer Jay Adair
To find out more about Copart Germany, please visit https://www.copart.de/
Michelle Hoffman, Vice President of Marketing, Copart [email protected] | (972)-391-5082
Fatima Ali, Communications Manager, Copart [email protected] | (972)-391-5206
http://www.copart.com
Do not sell or share my personal information:
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Leander City Council approved Billy Wusterhausen as the city's new fire chief May 16
Marisa Charpentier joined Community Impact in September 2018
she became a reporter for the Cedar Park | Leander edition in October 2018
Charpentier graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with degrees in journalism and Plan II Honors
Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Wednesday
Federal judge blocks Trump administration’s grant freeze — what’s next
A judge has temporarily halted a sweeping order from the Trump administration that would freeze federal grants and loans
what sort of legal ground is the White House on
and do they stand a chance of being implemented
Texans weigh in on how to spend the state’s $24 billion surplus
Lawmakers are debating how to allocate Texas’ massive budget surplus
with proposals focusing on school vouchers
A new survey from the Hobby School of Public Affairs sheds light on Texans’ priorities
political science fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute and senior research fellow at the Hobby School
Mass deportation efforts ramp up in North Texas
Immigration enforcement officers arrested dozens of people in North Texas over the weekend
following President Trump’s campaign pledge to crack down on unauthorized immigrants
KERA’s Priscilla Rice reports on the growing fears in immigrant communities and the impact on local businesses
Stories from Texas: John Steinbeck (and Charley) on Texas
Underrated among John Steinbeck’s literary work may be “Travels with Charley,” wherein Steinbeck and his standard poodle tour the country
Steinbeck famously wrote “Texas is a state of mind
It is a mystique closely approximating a religion.”
Texas’ data center boom and the strain on the power grid
Texas’ cheap power and open land have attracted a wave of crypto miners and AI ventures
building massive data centers in rural areas
what impact will they have on Texas’ already-strained power grid
Legislative reference librarian sorts through the madness of the Capitol
thousands of people enter the Texas state Capitol
A missing ingredient means more than a quick store trip in this Texas community
realizing you’re out of an ingredient just means a quick trip to the store
But in one southeastern Travis County community
food access issues can make a missing ingredient a much bigger problem
Texas Senate moves forward on school vouchers
School vouchers are a top issue this legislative session. The Senate Education Committee voted to send a voucher bill to the full chamber
potentially setting up a vote as early as next week – especially if Gov
Greg Abbott names it an emergency priority
plus Alexandra Hart with the Texas Newsroom’s state roundup and Wells Dunbar with the Talk of Texas
If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUT.org
A man who had rescued his 4-year-old daughter from Brushy Creek on Sunday drowned after being pulled underwater below a dam
just west of Chisholm Trail behind the 620 Cafe and Bakery
and the 4-year-old daughter walked out onto the dam
and her father went out there to grab her,” Round Rock Assistant Fire Chief Billy Wusterhausen said
and he was able to toss her a little further out,” Wusterhausen said
The girl was able to swim away from the undercurrent
The man was pulled underwater below the dam for about two to five minutes
He said he did not know how deep the water was
Martinez’s body floated about 20 to 40 yards downstream before people were able to pull him out
He said Martinez’s pregnant wife began CPR
and emergency workers arrived about four minutes later
Round Rock firefighters and Williamson County Emergency Medical Services tried to resuscitate him
Wusterhausen said Monday that he didn’t know if Martinez’s family had come to the creek intending to swim
The water is running higher and faster than normal because of the recent rains
“We didn’t take the time to think about somebody wanting to get into the creek instead.”
Officials have not forbidden swimming in the creek because not that many people get in the water there
The last drowning in Brushy Creek was in 2010 when Cedar Park resident Rodney Dial
Dial was with his 17-year-old daughter in a two-person kayak when it overturned as they approached a low water crossing at 1525 Palm Valley Blvd
but Dial was pinned underwater near the bridge
Emergency workers attempted a swift-water rescue but were hindered by heavy brush
The public is invited Sunday to meet the three finalists to become Leander's fire chief
Each finalist will make a brief presentation and attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions
The three finalists out of 52 people who applied for the job are Robin Bergeron
Bergeron is a deputy fire chief in Waco and has 26 years of experience in the fire service
He has been an adjunct professor for Austin Community College since 2008 and also completed an internship as an executive assistant to the fire chief with Lake Travis Fire Rescue in Lakeway from 2013-2014
Bergerson has a master’s degree in public administration from Fort Hays State University in Kansas and a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Mountain State University in West Virginia
an assistant fire chief for the city of Arlington
He has a bachelor’s degree in fire administration from the online Columbia Southern University
Wusterhausen is an assistant fire chief for the city of Round Rock and has 25 years of experience in fire and emergency management services
Elgin EMS and the Texas Department of Public Safety
Wusterhausen has a master’s degree in public administration from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville
a bachelor’s degree in fire science from the online Columbia Southern University
and an associate's degree in fire science from Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs
The fire chief will be selected sometime in May
The incoming fire chief will oversee 71 department staff
and manage an annual operating budget of $8.9 million
The far-right AfD is leading the polls in former GDR regions – and longstanding bias in German media and politics is partly to blame
The Berlin Wall “will be standing in 50 and even in 100 years”, Erich Honecker, the leader of socialist East Germany
But not all barriers to German unity fell with it
Honecker’s German Democratic Republic (GDR) may have been wiped off the map by subsequent events
its contours remain etched on Germany’s cultural
In the frantic search for answers that might help explain and combat the rise of extremism
40% of people in the east explicitly identify as “east Germans”
that’s fewer than the 52% who feel “German”
only 18% of west Germans identify along the lines of their former cold war-era state
combined with the feeling of being othered and marginalised
is a powerful thing for the AfD to exploit
The far-right party invests a lot in its presence at the grassroots level
it engages with real people rather than hand-selected audiences
Messages such as “The East Rises Up!” appear on AfD placards
speaking to people who feel they have been neglected by the mainstream
she admitted she held back all this time because she feared people would say: “Now she is going on about her East Germany again.”
Impose almost any economic indicator on to a map
But there are signs that something is shifting in the public dialogue about the east
began to gather pace when a number of books appeared in the bestseller lists that were written by people born in the GDR
The most successful one was The East: A West German Invention
an angry treatise on how east Germans have fared since 1990
written by the literature professor Dirk Oschmann
It argues that a combination of discrimination
underrepresentation and pre-existing power and wealth imbalances has kept the rift between east and west wide open
Oschmann’s book sold well over 150,000 copies. He thinks the reception has been so phenomenal because “it sharply brought a blind spot of the debate about east Germany’s problems into focus, namely the great share of responsibility west Germany has for them”.
Free weekly newsletterThe most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment
Read moreThere are other clear signs that the east is shifting into the national focus, even beyond the very narrow political debate around the AfD. My history of the GDR, Beyond the Wall
also fell into this new east-west debate when it appeared in translation in Germany last year
It was often discussed in connection with Oschmann’s book
and also spent months on the bestseller lists
but what they have in common and what allowed them to touch a raw nerve is that they are all doing what Merkel felt she couldn’t just a few years ago: “going on about East Germany again”
A heated national discussion has been unleashed about east Germany’s past, present and future. I share Oschmann’s hope that it falls within a wider phase of renegotiation of Germany’s national self-perception. Thirty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall
experiences and identities of east Germans still matter
and they should be taken seriously in an effort to ensure that the invisible wall in Germany won’t still be standing in 50 or even in 100 years
Katja Hoyer is a German-British historian and journalist
Her most recent book is Beyond the Wall: East Germany 1949-1990
Fire Department responded to a medical call for a reported suicide
The suicide was a firefighter who was employed by another department and lived in our response district
It was evident to the responding crews that there were no life-saving measures they could provide for the deceased firefighter
This event caused concern and discussion in the department about the chances of this happening to one of our own firefighters
If this could happen in the other department
which appeared to have all the right resources available
then how susceptible were we to a firefighter suicide of one of our own
It was possible that some of the same stressors that haunted the firefighter from the other department were affecting some of our firefighters
according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
it is one of the top 10 causes of death in most age groups.1 In 2016
per National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) statistics.2 The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance reports that 139 were reported to have died from suicide3 in the same time period
and these numbers are likely under-reported due to the stigma surrounding suicide4 and because of the different ways in which deaths are categorized and reported.5 This means that firefighters were nearly 1.5 times more likely to die from suicide than they were to die in the line of duty
Someone may experience a crisis that seems overwhelming or cause them to consider suicide
The most critical period is during the first 48 hours from the onset of the crisis
and proper intervention and support may allow the crisis to recede.6 Firefighters who understand the risk factors of suicide and suicide indicators are better prepared to assist themselves and others
Suicide prevention is possible and consists of effective intervention and controlling risk factors
The risk factors that most contribute to suicides can be categorized as external stressors
Mental health risk factors for firefighters include:
a signal or a hint that would have allowed intervention and prevented the suicide
Those who attempt suicide are in such pain and desperation that it affects their ability to generate alternative solutions
coupled with feeling like they are a burden
and are attempting to find a solution that will end their pain.12 Fortunately
the fire service lends itself to camaraderie and a culture where firefighters refer to each other as brothers and sisters
and consider their peers to be their second family
This culture allows for firefighters to be in the best position to identify suicide indicators and to help each other.14
Many people who have committed suicide had given definitive signals or indicators that they intended to commit suicide
These indicators or warning signs are a considered suicidal communication and can be in the form of verbal statements
The more of these warning signs that are present
serve as a stronger indicator than others
and should receive greater attention.15
Warning signs are changes in behavior that include:
alcohol use may also serve as a warning sign.4
While most of these indicators need no explanation
retirement as an indicator deserves a little more explanation
Firefighters’ memories remain long after they are no longer closely connected to their fire service support system or network—groups that firefighters have historically relied upon to help deal with the issues
The status of “inactive firefighter” gets internalized and interpreted to a status of ignored or irrelevant
It is sometimes when things start to slow down in a firefighter’s life that some of the memories begin to come back—and sometimes without warning.16
Verbal communications and topics that the firefighter talks about can also provide suicide indicators
The list of warning signs is very extensive
A single warning sign does not usually mean the firefighter is contemplating suicide
but a firefighter exhibiting numerous signs is at a higher risk for suicide.11 The death of a loved one may seem overwhelming but can be manageable with a good support system
A firefighter who comes into work hungover one day out of the year may not be anything more than someone who went to a late party
A firefighter coming to work hungover each shift should be a concern to everyone on the crew
it is essential to look for pattern.8,17 Small changes in a firefighter’s behavior may be an early warning sign.9
It is important that observed indicators are addressed early and often
Supervisors may be accustomed to correcting unsafe behavior problems in the fire service that are a result of lack of training
but often cringe at the task of having a difficult conversation with a firefighter who is not focused because of a personal problem
An effective initial intervention consists of active listening
being empathetic and being non-judgmental.18 Many people avoid talking about suicide for various reasons.19 Asking a fellow firefighter if they are considering suicide
will provide a starting point for identifying solutions
To determine a firefighter’s intent on suicide
ask questions about if the firefighter has access to lethal means
if the firefighter has a plan on how to commit suicide
and if the firefighter has determined when to commit suicide.7 Early intervention provides the best chances of success and allows someone to get help before a point of crisis is reached.20
Take” as part of their efforts to support its Initiative 13: Psychological Support
which is one of the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives to reduce firefighter fatalities.21 Until one can attend a suicide awareness and intervention training program
firefighters can do the following for a firefighter in need6:
The NFFF suggests that the fire service should consider including suicide or mental health identification curriculum and should consider including depression screening as a part of a firefighter’s annual physical.22
The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance created a short 16 questions self-screening questionnaire for firefighters to determine how they are doing and if they need counseling or assistance.23 At the end of the 16 yes or no questions are specific recommendations based on the answers. Visit ffbha.org for the survey
and do a personal mental check-up for yourself
1. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “Suicide: Texas 2017 Facts & Figures.” 2017. https://afsp.org/about-suicide/state-fact-sheets/#Texas
2. National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. “Fallen Firefighters.” 2017. www.firehero.org/fallen-firefighters
3. Dill, J. “What are these numbers?” 2017. Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance. www.ffbha.org/what-are-these-numbers
4. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “Risk Factors and Warning Signs.” 2017a. https://afsp.org/about-suicide/risk-factors-and-warning-signs
5. Gist, Taylor, & Raak. “Suicide Surveillance, Prevention, and Intervention Measures for the US Fire Service” (white paper). 2011. www.everyonegoeshome.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/suicide_whitepaper.pdf
“Why Firefighters Take Their Own Lives.” 2016
http://online.fliphtml5.com/jncs/vsfx/#p=7
9. LeDuc, T. “Safety & Health Week 2013 Focuses on Firefighter Behavioral Health.” 2013. FireRescue. www.firerescuemagazine.com/articles/print/volume-8/issue-5/firefighter-safety-and-health/safety-health-week-2013-focuses-on-firefighter-behavioral-health.html
“Firefighter Suicide: 3 Things to Know and 3 Places to Get Help.” 2016
12. Harkavy-Friedman, J. “Ask Dr. Jill: The Connection Between Mental Health and Suicide.” 2017. https://afsp.org/ask-dr-jill-connection-mental-suicide
“Firefighter Suicide: The Need to Examine Cultural Change.” 2015
“There is no Such Thing as an Ex-Firefighter
“The Fire Chief’s Role in Firefighter Mental Health.” 2016
18. McDowell, A. E. “Confronting Behavioral Health Issues in the Firehouse.” 2013. FireRescue. www.firerescuemagazine.com/articles/print/volume-8/issue-8/firefighter-safety-and-health/confronting-behavioral-health-issues-in-the-firehouse.html
“A Firefighter’s Silent Killer: Suicide.” 2012
20. Greenstein, L. “Opening up to Others About Your Mental Health.” 2017. www.afsp.org/opening-others-mental-health
21. National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. “Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.” 2017b. www.everyonegoeshome.com/16-initiatives/13-psychological-support
22. National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. “Suicide: What You Need to Know. A Guide for Fire Chiefs.” 2013. www.everyonegoeshome.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/01/SuicideGuide_Chiefs.pdf
23. Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance. “Firefighter/EMT Suicide Screening.” 2011. www.ffbha.org/resources/suicide-questionnaire
to the inevitable rollout of AI tools in the workplace
employees across industries are concerned about the possibility of eventually being replaced by automation
The company evaluated several occupations by how much human interaction is required and the possibility of automation to determine which jobs will be the most resistant to AI
Here are the 10 jobs that Eskimoz found to be safe from AI
Previous SlideNext SlideList slides10. Graphic designersList slides10
Graphic designersGraphic designers came in tenth place
due to a strong need for human interaction when communicating with clients
The job also requires human creativity that algorithms and data analysis cannot deliver
Previous SlideNext SlideList slides9. Industrial production managersList slides9
Industrial production managersIndustrial production managers came in ninth place
because human interaction is essential for problem-solving and working with customers
Previous SlideNext SlideList slides8. Compliance officersList slides8
Compliance officersCompliance officers came in eighth place
compliance officers are still at some risk of being replaced
because of the use of AI in tasks such as risk assessment and reviewing documents
Previous SlideNext SlideList slides7. Architectural and engineering managersList slides7
Architectural and engineering managersArchitectural and engineering managers came in seventh place
and have the lowest risk of being automated among the top 10 jobs
This role requires human interaction with the public
Previous SlideNext SlideList slides6. Training and development specialistsList slides6
Training and development specialistsTraining and development specialists came in sixth place
Communication is also important for the role
Previous SlideNext SlideList slides5. First-line supervisors and administrative support workersList slides5
First-line supervisors and administrative support workersFirst-line supervisors and administrative support workers came in fifth place
due to a strong need for human interaction with the public
This role requires people management skills and the ability to lead
Previous SlideNext SlideList slides4. General and operations managersList slides4
General and operations managersGeneral and operations managers came in fourth place with a low automation risk score
Eskimoz said human participation and public interaction is important for this role
Previous SlideNext SlideList slides3. Human resources managersList slides3
Human resources managersHuman resource managers came in third place
because of the need for human interaction and human empathy
Previous SlideNext SlideList slides2. Medical and health services managersList slides2
Medical and health services managersMedical and health services managers came in second place
because while AI can be used for diagnostics and recommending treatments
healthcare professionals need to interact with patients and provide emotional support
Previous SlideNext SlideList slides1. LawyersList slides1
LawyersLawyers have the most AI-resistant job
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Germany — The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) built its base by tapping into the resentments of angry
it’s recruiting their sons and grandsons
“We need to keep our young people here in the region,” Weigand
“That will also strengthen our youth associations and our young fire brigades
because they also need young people and this is what we will put ourselves up for.”
“We are not Nazis” — Mike Moncsek
member of the AfD’s executive board in Saxony
Saxony will hold an election for its state parliament on Sunday and the AfD is expected to snag as much as a quarter of the vote
more than doubling its result from the last election held in 2014
The state has been a center of opposition to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s migration policies; though her Christian Democrats (CDU) are expected to hold first place
the AfD is drawing away its voters in droves
Party leaders say a big part of its success in Saxony and elsewhere in the east is the Young Alternative
Just how big the youth vote is won’t become clear until Sunday
but if the AfD can prove that it can attract young voters in the east
it will use the same playbook elsewhere in Germany
further destabilizing the political establishment that has dominated the country’s politics for decades
“The Young Alternative is a very important component within our party,” Alice Weidel
told POLITICO at a campaign event last week
adding that the “access to young people” the group provides is invaluable
whose quaint exterior belies a history of far-right gang violence
is fertile ground for the Young Alternative’s nationalist populism
People hold balloons during an election rally of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Koenigs Wusterhausen
2019 | John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images
a young AfD supporter dressed in a black T-shirt who identified himself as Ollie pressed the candidates on what they would do to keep young people from leaving Mittweida
“There is not much in terms of youth clubs,” he said
complaining that many young people simply have nothing to do
reassured him that the AfD has “recognized the issue” and promised to improve the situation so that “young people don’t spend their spare time at bus stops.”
youth clubs are a key tool in the Young Alternative’s drive to build support
Many youngsters are reluctant to be openly associated with the far-right party and don’t want to attend its events
The party’s message resonates much more in a club setting “without the public.”
“It’s a model that I find quite interesting and exciting,” Weigand said
The issues driving support for the AfD in Mittweida are familiar
Many here are bitter over Merkel’s refugee policies
which they fear will eventually rob the country of its German identity
And though unemployment has fallen and the region’s economy is healthy
A young farmer, who like most AfD supporters declined to give his name, said he would vote for the party because he doesn’t agree with the Green Party’s climate policies. (The AfD denies man-made climate change exists.) He said he is worried that the Greens would force him to give up his cattle “just to save the climate,” a red line for him
No matter how well the AfD does in Sunday’s election
it has no hope of holding power in the state as all other parties have ruled out a coalition with the far right
And if the Young Alternative succeeds in attracting Saxony’s youth
the party is likely to drive political debate in Germany’s east and beyond for some time to come
The youth movements of Germany’s establishment parties have also played a central role for decades in grooming future leaders
top candidate of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) greets people as he arrives for an election rally in Koenigs Wusterhausen
The prospect of the AfD entrenching itself into the region’s political infrastructure is exactly what worries members of Zukunft Sachsen (Future Saxony)
a student group that is campaigning to halt the far-right party’s rise
It’s urging young people to vote for any party but the AfD on Sunday
Weigand and his colleagues consider such moves little more than scare tactics
convincing young voters that the AfD isn’t a potentially dangerous force has been the party’s biggest challenge in winning more of the youth vote
In cities like Dresden and Leipzig, both of which have large student populations, much of the youth supports the Greens, as is the case elsewhere in Germany. Nationwide, the Young Alternative has by far the fewest members of any of the major parties’ youth organizations
which are home to most of Saxony’s population
“We are not Nazis,” Mike Moncsek
a member of the AfD’s executive board in Saxony
After years of wrangling, Berlin is finally expected to move in line with the rest of Europe.
‘The very first phase of the pandemic is behind us,’ chancellor says.
Merkel urges caution as gradual loosening continues.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the German presidency of the Council of the EU.
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second from the right surrounded by his family including one of his grandsons
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