The mother of a man who had to be rescued from a fire in his North Side home early Thursday morning believes thick smoke is what kept him from escaping on his own. That woman told KSAT 12 News off-camera that she suspects the smoke may have overwhelmed her 55-year-old son while he was sleeping. Both of them live at the home in the 13500 block of Cassia Way, not far from Highway 281 and Bitters Road, along with a pet dog. According to San Antonio firefighters, the fire appears to have started after 3:30 a.m. in the room where the man was sleeping. "Mom got out with the pet and alerted fire crews when they arrived on scene that her son was still in that house," said SAFD Battalion Chief Brian Lee. "We had a victim in the bedroom that was transported to a local hospital with critical burns and inhalation."  

PTSD911, a documentary about first responder mental health, is set to premiere at a special event at the Irving Arts Center. The documentary hopes to shine a light on the mental health crisis facing, firefighters, police officers, EMS workers and 911 operators. "If we don't have healthy first responders responding to our emergencies, we aren't doing the job of taking care of our first responders. My goal is for us to take care of them," documentary director Conrad Weaver said. The film takes a raw look at the issues facing first responders. Garland Police Department is a part of the film as a template of best practices when it comes to mental health. Weaver said Garland Police treat mental health issues with the same seriousness and compassion as someone with a physical concern.  

The driver of a reportedly stolen big rig out of Kern County was taken into custody Thursday after leading California Highway Patrol on a slow-speed pursuit on the 5 Freeway near the Newhall area. The truck was traveling southbound on the freeway, going through Newhall and ending up near Castaic Lake, heading into the Santa Clarita Valley. Authorities made several attempts to deploy spike strips on the freeway. The big rig eventually hit one in a set of three laid out on the roadway, leading to one of the tires coming off the front right passenger side. At one point, the driver was seen writing on a piece of paper and holding that paper up to the windshield. It's unclear what was written. The driver was able to continue driving for a short time before the front left driver's side of the big rig began to catch fire.  

The New York City Council has passed historic legislation to improve equity, inclusion and diversity in the FDNY. The legislation package requires the FDNY to report on its recruitment and retention efforts of firefighters of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The department would also have to survey firehouses and ensure they are equipped to serve a mixed gender workforce. "By passing this package of bills today, we hope to move the FDNY forward to achieving a workforce fully reflective of the diversity of our city," New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said. The council speaker says currently only 8% of firefighters are Black, 2% are Asian and only 1% are women.  

VIDEO: Ohio firefighters Cher some advice in a new parody music video about turning back the clocks for daylight saving time and checking smoke alarm batteries. The Washington Township Fire Department created an entertaining and educational parody of Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time." "Checking your smoke alarm is a very simple step. It only takes a few minutes and it could potentially be the difference between life and death," Washington Township Fire Chief Alec O'Connell said in a statement. The music video emphasizes the importance of checking smoke detectors to make sure they are working correctly and practicing home fire drills with your family. "We wanted to have some fun, but also continue to find a way to get the fire safety message across," O'Connell said. "People can sing along and remember to check their alarm batteries."  

Michigan will be leading the country with new first-responder protocols involving sexual assault victims. Governor Whitmer announced emergency responders will now be provided the opportunity to carry emergency contraception and post-exposure prophylaxis for sexually transmitted infections. The plan announced Wednesday, will also provide EMS responders with sexual assault training. According to Whitmer, the new protocols were put into place with the state's 1931 law banning abortion at risk for going into effect.  

Two volunteer Kansas firefighters are set to appear on "Live with Kelly and Ryan" on Friday to encourage more people across the nation to take up firefighting. The Riley County Fire District #1 announced on Nov. 3 two of its volunteers, Roger and Kim Davis, will be featured on "Live with Kelly and Ryan." Both Roger and Kim agreed to appear on the show in the hopes of encouraging people across the country to volunteer as firefighters, according to the RCFD #1. Roger serves as the Battalion Chief while Kim holds the rank of Captain at Station 112. They have been volunteering with the RCFD #1 for more than 30 years. They are also credited with training more than 200 volunteers to be firefighters as well. Many of those trainees have become full-time firefighters with one of them, Kevin Thomas, going on to become a firefighter at the New York City Fire Department.