The Alvin Volunteer Fire Department is mourning the loss of one of its long-time volunteers. In a solemn Facebook post on Friday, the Alvin Volunteer FD announced that Charles D. Krampota, a captain with the department, passed away Friday in the line of duty. According to a press release, Krampota was responding to a structure fire on Susie Ln, where they found a mobile home fully engulfed in flames. No residents were inside the home, but the fire was extinguished, and cleared the scene soon thereafter. A few hours later, officials said Krampota was found dead in his home. Officials said Krampota served the fire department for more than 20 years and was also an employee of Alvin ISD, where he worked for more than 30 years. "Charlie was an outstanding firefighter, and friend to so many," Chief Rex Klesel said in a statement.  

After an extensive application and peer review process, Denton Fire Chief Kenneth Hedges is now among fewer than 2,000 fire chiefs who have achieved international recognition for their leadership and community service. Being credentialed illustrates a fire chief's "commitment to life-long learning, skill development and community service" and identifies him as a chief with superior leadership capabilities, according to the Center for Public Safety Excellence. Internationally, 1,775 chiefs have achieved the designation. Through the CPSE fire chief credentialing program, every aspect of Hedges' career was put under a microscope. "You make yourself a little bit vulnerable putting yourself out there and saying, ‘Here's everything I've done in my career. I want you to judge and tell me what you think,'" Hedges said.  

PHOTO: A house fire was contained by the Waco Fire Department Saturday Morning. Firefighters were dispatched at around 6 a.m. Sept. 24 to the 100 block of Redbud Circle in regards to a structure fire. Upon arrival, they found flames coming out of the house, and alerted the Hewitt Fire Department. According to Hewitt Fire's Lt. Corey LeBourgeois, the team assessed the situation, and called Waco Fire for backup. The departments worked together, performed an aggressive interior attack, and contained the fire within an hour. They managed to limit most of the damage to the garage and exterior, however, LeBourgeois did note some smoke and water damage that occurred to the interior of the house. Residents were safely evacuated from the structure, and no injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.  

Patrick Cook has always known he would spend his life in civil service. And he demonstrated it at an early age following a night of video games with friends in the eighth grade. "Pat's always had a competitive nature," said Jacobi Edwards, Cook's childhood friend, with a laugh. "When we were growing up we stayed up one night playing ‘Just Dance' on the Wii. Pat unfortunately had two left feet at the time. But in the nature of his character, he would not let us go to sleep until he won a match. It just goes to show the level of discipline, will and drive that he has." But he went on to show more than that, when the game triggered a seizure in another child. "He knew exactly what to do," Edwards said of his friend. "He's always been calm and collected. A lot of people would panic but he was always poised. He never fretted. It was amazing."  

The Fort Worth Fire Department is honoring a longtime firefighter who died of brain cancer linked to his job. Engineer David Greene, 56, died Monday. To his friends and family, he was known for his easygoing personality. "He's somebody who would talk with anybody and he didn't know an enemy," said Lt. David Childs who knew Greene since they both joined the department in the early 1990s. They both worked together at Station 39 on the city's southwest side. "David was known as the car guy, mechanic guy, that liked to tell stories," Childs remembered. One day in January, Childs noticed Greene getting confused, mixing up words and even taking the wrong turn to calls. "Suddenly he just didn't get it," Childs said. Greene saw a doctor who wanted to do a brain scan.  

A man was rescued by firefighters and rushed to an area hospital after his West Side home went up in flames, according to San Antonio Fire Department. The fire happened around 2 p.m. Friday at the man's home in the 6200 block of W Commerce St. When fire crews arrived, they found heavy fire as flames were coming through the windows of the home. Firefighters also had a report of a trapped victim inside and "attacked the fire aggressively," as they made their way in through the front door, according to SAFD. The victim, a man, was found in a back room on a bed. Firefighters said he was in a room adjacent to where the flames were coming from. No one else was inside. Fire crews were able to get the man to safety outside, where they immediately performed CPR before he was taken to a burn unit at an area hospital. His condition is unknown.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: A new state-of-the-art fire station is under construction in Riviera Beach, and once complete, city leaders believe it will be a model for the rest of the country. City manager Jonathan Evans and city councilman Douglas Lawson received a tour of the $20 million facility, with Riviera Beach Fire Chief John Curd leading the way through the 30,000 square-foot building at the corner of North Congress Avenue and Blue Heron Boulevard. "This is the largest investment the city of Riviera Beach has made on the west side of the community, probably in a generation," said Evans "This facility is the cornerstone to Reimagine Riviera Beach. You can't reimagine Riviera Beach if you don't address critical infrastructure. Public safety is critical infrastructure and a critical component of our community." Station No. 88 is a long time coming.  

PHOTOS: Over the past six years, when the volunteer firefighters of Essex Fire Department in Vermont responded to a call, they knew a young girl in their community was thinking of them and waiting for their safe return. They can just look at their newest fire engine if they ever need reminding of her presence and support. The truck is named "Addi's Engine," but it was Addi's long before it was officially put into service in late 2020. Addi Carroll was born with a mysterious, previously unknown, fatal disease. In 2016, she requested a backyard swimming pool from the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and as a special surprise, the Essex Fire Department showed up to fill the pool from their tanker. That day changed her life. "From the moment she met the members of the Essex Fire Department, she fell in love with the fire service," Addi's mom, Tammy Carroll, said.  

Hackers allegedly stole over $8,000 in paychecks following an email hack from an Upstate fire department. According to the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the Reidville Fire Department located at 3380 Hwy 417 on a report of fraud/payroll theft. Once deputies arrived on the scene, they spoke with Fire Chief Patrick Evatt. Evatt told deputies that six members of the fire department failed to receive their direct deposit on Wednesday. Deputies said they discovered that someone hacked and/or gained remote access to the Assistant Chief's employee email and gained access to employee direct deposit information and payroll accounts. The unknown subject(s) then edited the direct deposit information of the six employees resulting in their payroll earnings being deposited into reloadable pre-paid debit cards.  

VIDEO: The 150th anniversary of the Salisbury Fire Department is a little over a month away. And first responders are gearing up for the fun. Staff says there will be live rescue demonstrations, tours of the firehouse, a parade, and a visit from a special guest. On top of having a good time, you'll be able to see the growth of how far the department has come. "Just excited about getting to celebrate 150 years, and see how much we've grown over the years from our little small, one engine bay firehouse to now the big firehouse that we have here, so it's going to be a great day," says Deputy Chief Darrin Scott of the Salisbury Fire Department. This event takes place on October 22nd at 10 AM at the Salisbury Fire Department rain or shine.  

For people struggling with addiction in Maine, the risk of a deadly overdose has never been higher. Data from Maine EMS shows overdose calls for all substances increased 28% from 2020 to 2021 and 62% from 2010 to 2021. According to the agency, the number of opioid overdoses also increased dramatically, rising 38% from 2020 to 2021. A new strategy would allow EMS clinicians to initiate Suboxone treatment for patients after experiencing an overdose. The medication treats withdrawal symptoms and can help people living with opioid addiction enter into recovery. If the rollout meets expectations, Maine would be the first state in the nation to allow emergency responders to initiate recovery care using the medication.