The 19-year-old man accused of stealing a Dallas Fire-Rescue ambulance earlier this month visited the fire station the day before and inquired about becoming a firefighter, police say.
Felix Lopez is currently facing a second-degree felony charge of theft of property after being accused of stealing a $230,000 ambulance from Dallas Fire Station 53 on April 5 and leading multiple police agencies on an hourslong chase that only ended when the emergency vehicle got stuck off-road with flat tires. - PUB DATE: 4/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KTVT CBS 11 Fort Worth
PHOTO: A Vietnam veteran in Stafford County received an unexpected gift from the same first responders who came to his aid when his house caught fire nearly two months ago.
On Friday, Robert Mihalak was presented a traditional military shadowbox that contained all of the personal military decorations he earned in the 1960s, but then lost in the Feb. - PUB DATE: 4/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Free Lance-Star
VIDEO: One year ago, 145 mph winds tore through Chattanooga.
First responders jumped into action to help thousands and are now telling their stories of what they saw on that Easter Sunday.
"There were trees on top of cars on top of houses through houses, trees on top of trees," recalled Chattanooga Fire Department Battalion Chief David Thompson. - PUB DATE: 4/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WRCB-TV NBC 3 Chattanooga
A bill to remove oversight on school construction projects could impact student safety in the future, according to some fire chiefs in the state.
Proponents of HB 220 say the measure will remove a level of bureaucracy and allow districts to complete projects quicker and cheaper, but opponents, including some fire officials, don’t want corners to be cut when it comes to safety. - PUB DATE: 4/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WIAT-TV CBS 42 Birmingham
As U.S. COVID cases rise, the country is also administering the vaccine shots aimed at preventing the spread of the virus at the swiftest pace ever. Cases are on the rise in 27 states, with Michigan continuing to lead the nation in daily new cases per capita.
Following more than 70,000 coronavirus cases reported on Monday, the seven-day average of daily new cases in the U. - PUB DATE: 4/13/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: CNBC
VIDEO: According to Police on Saturday around 9:41 pm near Dexter and Oakman, the Detroit Fire Department received a call and was heading out.
Authorities say as they were trying to exit the driveway, a dark-colored Chevy Sedan was blocking their path.
After using the fire engine's air horn, the car moved out of the way. - PUB DATE: 4/12/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WJBK-TV Fox 2 Detroit
PHOTOS: A 136-page report on the tragic Porterville Library Fire found that staffing shortages, a lack of training and communication problems may have contributed to the deaths of two firefighters in February 2020.
"Unfortunately, these issues continue to be far too common across the country to simply focus on one organization," the report concluded in part. - PUB DATE: 4/12/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Visalia Times Delta - Metered Site
PHOTO: It’s not uncommon for someone to have to choose between making a living and pursuing something they are passionate about. Dan Ravenhorst of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has found a way to do both, driving his 2019 Mack Anthem 64T and volunteering at the city’s Township Fire and Rescue Station 1.
“I bought (the truck) in March 2020, so I’ve had it a year now,” Ravenhorst said in an interview with The Trucker. - PUB DATE: 4/12/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Trucker
VIDEO: Helena College is revamping its more than 20-year-old fire and emergency services program to meet the changing demands of employers.
The program first opened in the fall of 1998 and focused on hands-on, functional fire training. The updated program aims to continue providing this kind of practical fire training, while also meeting the emerging needs and demand for professional certifications and general education. - PUB DATE: 4/12/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Helena Independent Record
For the rest of the week, towns, cities, and counties around southwest and central Virginia are celebrating the men and women who serve as 911 dispatchers, the unseen heroes of public safety.
According to the City of Roanoke, Congress proclaimed the second week of April as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in 1991. - PUB DATE: 4/12/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WFXR-TV Fox 27 Roanoke
One person was killed and eight people were hurt in an explosion and second-alarm fire at an Ohio paint plant early Thursday.
About 40 employees were working just after midnight when the blast occurred in one of five buildings on Yenkin-Majestic Paint's campus in Columbus, officials said.
While most of the employees came out of the building as firefighters arrived on the scene, authorities learned two were trapped, according to Columbus Division of Fire Battalion Chief Steve Martin. - PUB DATE: 4/9/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NBC News
PHOTOS: An 18-wheeler pulled up in front of Coker Volunteer Fire Department on Thursday laden with a mountain of firefighting gear donated by departments in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
The gear represents a windfall of equipment that many of the volunteer departments in West Alabama never would have been able to afford to purchase. - PUB DATE: 4/9/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Tuscaloosa News
John Capozzoli Jr. of Freeport remembers the moment he knew he was destined to join the fire service. He was 12 years old and riding shotgun in his father’s pickup when the Freeport Fire Department sounded its air horn. As he and his father pulled into the firehouse, he recalled the excitement he felt as he watched his father, a volunteer firefighter, don a thick bunker coat and helmet and climb aboard the fire truck. - PUB DATE: 4/9/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Newsday - Metered Site
VIDEOS: For Kimberly Pillman and Ryle Olsen it is about helping others during an emergency and serving the community they call home.
Pillman and Olsen are two of the 10 female firefighters/paramedics who currently work for the Lake Geneva Fire Department.
Pillman said she considers it an honor to be a member of the fire department, as she is able to help people during a difficult situation. - PUB DATE: 4/9/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Lake Geneva News
A massive four-alarm fire has destroyed an apartment complex in West Windsor Township, New Jersey on Wednesday afternoon.
Twenty-two people from seven families are now without homes.
With daylight Thursday morning, the severe damage the fire caused could be seen. The roof is gone from the building and the siding is melted away. - PUB DATE: 4/8/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WPVI-TV ABC 6 Philadelphia
VIDEO: Oklahoma State University computer science students have created new technology to help fight the pandemic.
They created a virtual reality simulator that allows nurses and doctors to train to administer COVID-19 tests and even hook patients up to a ventilator without ever being exposed to the virus. - PUB DATE: 4/8/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KFOR-TV NBC 4 Oklahoma
PHOTO: It doesn’t take much looking to see that Clay County is extremely military friendly. The county has numerous veterans, the City of Green Cove Springs holds several events honoring veterans and is the home of the TAPS Memorial. Camp Blanding is also in the county and is home to many active duty and reserve service men and women. - PUB DATE: 4/8/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Clay Today Online
VIDEO: The Bowling Green Fire Department will use a decommissioned Comp Air Jet for training purposes.
The jet had been decommissioned at the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport for several years and the airport donated it to the fire department. The aircraft was transported to its new concrete pad Wednesday morning. - PUB DATE: 4/8/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WBKO-TV ABC/Fox/CW 13 Bowling Green
VIDEO: Following last month’s massive fireworks explosion in an Ontario neighborhood which left two men dead and caused millions of dollars in damage, San Bernardino County Thursday was unveiling a new illegal fireworks reporting system. The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District and other local law enforcement agencies were holding a news conference Thursday morning to launch a new system which allows the public to report illegal fireworks. - PUB DATE: 4/8/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KCBS-TV CBS 2 Los Angeles
VIDEO: An eight-alarm fire tore through an apartment building in Queens Tuesday afternoon, leaving 21 injured, including 16 firefighters, and displacing more than 200 residents.
The fire broke out as four-alarm blaze on the top floor of the six-story building on 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights around 1 p. - PUB DATE: 4/7/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WABC-TV ABC 7 New York
