Thanks to the quick work of a nearby police officer, a dog that started a fire in North Texas was saved and the house sustained little damage. On Sunday, a Southlake Police officer was doing a regular neighborhood check on Vail Road near Grapevine Lake. A homeowner got the attention of the officer, letting her know they could hear an alarm going off down the street. Once the officer got near the house, they found a house with smoke coming out of it. The officer instantly got in contact with the Southlake Fire Department to let them know of the situation. Right after that, she heard barking from inside the house. After knocking on the windows and doors, the officer tried to open the front door, which was open. With smoke filling up the house, she started to yell and see if anyone was home.  

The Carlisle Volunteer Fire Department received a surplus military truck. The truck is one of hundreds that have been delivered to Texas volunteer fire departments through the Department of Defense Firefighter Property Program, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. This unit is used during wildland fires, high-water rescues and evacuations. The truck is painted a nonmilitary color and has had extensive modifications like the addition of a 600-gallon water tank. "The off-road capabilities of the Stewart and Stevenson is unmatched by any of the regular trucks in our fleet," said Chris Denison, Carlisle VFD Chief. "The sandy East Texas soil limits accessibility to fires in our area. This vehicle will allow us to get to places we were not able to before."  

When things go terribly wrong, we count on our first responders to get us through tough times. For many of us, we call first responders on our worst days. These days, they're facing daunting tasks while dealing with staffing issues and high call volumes. The impact of calls often weighs heavy on the women and men in uniform. To be their own keepers, first responders learned the warning signs of someone considering taking their own life. "From previous suicides or depression, things going on with other guys in the department. They start off mostly by joking and we all laugh it off until it happens," said Houston Fire Department Capt. Delance Shaw. "It usually starts with making light of this situation and what happened, or they'll talk about actually doing it. And, when you get to the point of them havong an actual plan, then you have a problem."  

The Longview Fire Department is investigating a commercial building fire that occurred Tuesday. According go the LFD, crews responded to Bagley Tractor & Equipment, located at 3709 S. Eastman Rd. on reports of a fire threatening property. When firefighters arrived on scene, they found smoke coming from the shop area of the building "Crews were hampered by a locked gate which required forcible entry to gain access into the structure," the LFD said. "Once inside they were able to contain and extinguish the fire. It was estimated the fire did approximately $250,000.00 in damage to the building and equipment. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.  

Public safety was one of the main issues discussed during Thursday's regular College Station City Council meeting. College Station Police Chief Billy Couch and College Station Fire Chief Richard Mann addressed city leaders on issues like response times, crime statistics, and some of the highs and lows from the previous year. Call volume in the fire department continues to see an increase. According to data released by the department, total calls increased by 81% increase over the previous year with ems calls increasing by nearly 33%. It's something Chief Mann attributes to population growth. "We've seen that throughout the city. As you add more people into different areas, that density of call of population increase," says Mann. " Sometimes that includes exponential growth and request for service."  

An electrical malfunction caused a fire at the Best Western Motel on Perryton Parkway in Pampa on Thursday afternoon, officials said. According to the City of Pampa, at 2:33 p.m., the Pampa Fire Department was sent to 2831 Perryton Parkway, the Best Western, for a possible fire. Crews arrived and found the fire in Room 121. Ten personnel and five units from Pampa FD responded and were assisted by one unit and one person from the Hoover Volunteer Fire Department. The fire was quickly put out. Fire Marshal Jason Roberts discovered there was one occupant in the room who witnessed an electrical malfunction. The person was able to get out of the room. No one was injured.  

Huge flames from inside a Bronx supermarket sent smoke billowing into the air, as a fire erupted when the busy store was filled with shoppers and workers. The blaze broke out at a C-Town Supermarket on University Avenue in the Morris Heights neighborhood round 5:30 p.m., fire officials said, and quickly grew to 5-alarms. An employee said the grocery market was busy at the time when he noticed sparks and smoke coming from the ceiling, near some cables. The shoppers and workers were able to run out of the store safely, the employee told NBC New York. The FDNY later said four people were injured, one civilian with minor injuries and and three firefighters. Two people who live in the building next door said they heard a loud explosion and ran out from the home.  

VIDEO: As the world watches the deaths mount in Turkey following the devastating earthquakes, local firefighters are training to make sure they are prepared to respond to a similar disaster. Crews from all over Southern California gathered at a training center in Sherman Oaks, dubbed "Disaster City," to learn how to search for victims trapped under rubble brought by an earthquake. Equipped with listening devices and cameras, these teams of firefighters methodically searched behind every wall and building for hours Thursday. "We have people trapped in buildings and we have to use canines, cameras and listening devices to locate these folks and get them out in a timely manner," said Oxnard Fire Department Captain John Cecena.  

At the 7th Annual Public Safety Report meeting Thursday, Mayor John Hamilton announced a new $100,000 no-interest down payment assistance program for up to 10 police officers and 10 firefighters as an incentive to live in the city of Bloomington. Commencing immediately, the pilot housing program is the only such program known to exist in the country. After 10 years, participants will realize $100,000 in home equity. Attracting and retaining top firefighters and sworn police officers is a concern nationwide. Enabling police officers and firefighters to live where they work allows for better community connections and reduces crucial travel time in the event of an emergency situation. The new pilot program will support individuals in buying homes they may not be able to otherwise afford in Bloomington, enabling them to build wealth and stability over time while integrating 20 first responders into the community for the long run.  

When Jessica Markle — then Jessica Fink — walked into West Manchester Township Fire Department's (WMTFD) Shiloh Fire Company back in April 2015, she was a college student who decided to become a volunteer firefighter on a whim. Little did she know that she was about to meet somebody who would change her life. "I was at the station talking to a friend, and Jessica walked in and walked past us," Josh Markle said. "I looked at my friend and asked, ‘Who's that?'" Josh, who had been with WMTFD for a little over a year at that point, was certainly intrigued by the new volunteer. Over time, they got to know each other and became great friends. About two years later — March 2017 — the two friends began dating. They got engaged in 2019 and set their wedding for May 2, 2020. But like just about everything in the spring of 2020, the wedding was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.