The Atascocita Fire Department honored John G. Coyle—a longtime board member of Harris County Emergency Services District No. 46—with a building dedication ceremony May 31. According to department officials, Coyle first joined the Atascocita Volunteer Fire Department as in September 1986 as a volunteer and eventually became fire chief. In 2008, Coyle began serving on the ESD 46 board of commissioners where he remained until his retirement in February 2022. Located at 1501 Rustic Timbers Drive, Humble, the building—formerly known as the Atascocita Fire Department Fleet Maintenance Facility—is now named the J.G. Coyle Fleet Operations Center in honor of Coyle's years of service.  

VIDEO: Austin-Travis County EMS said a child died Thursday morning in an accidental mobile home fire at a north Austin mobile home park. Austin Fire Department Division Chief Thayer Smith said it's believed the child was a 4-year-old girl. The call about the fire in the 8100 block of Research Boulevard northbound came in around 3:44 a.m. The park is located near the intersection with North Lamar Boulevard. Smith described the scene as "chaotic" when crews arrived. Only one mobile home caught fire, and as many as nine people were inside when it started, he said. ATCEMS said while five people got out unhurt, one child died and three others were taken to the hospital. ATCEMS said some patients suffered severe burns and/or injuries from smoke inhalation. Austin Police said it's investigating the child's death as suspicious.  

The Mesquite Heat Fire burned over 11,000 acres through Taylor County last month. "With the winds and the weather conditions that we had, the fire just eventually outflanked us and jumped over the top of us," said View Volunteer Fire Department Chief and Taylor County Sherriff Ricky Bishop. "We had 120, 125 foot flame lengths." Volunteer fire departments throughout the Big Country sprang into action immediately, putting in long hours to protect their neighbor's homes. "Myself and my chief deputy, we were probably up, 48 to 52 hours straight, just cause it was that hectic" he said. The fire reached 100 percent containment this past weekend because of their work, but now their equipment is in need of repairs. "Just my fire department alone, I think we ruined 4 tires roughly and ruined a pump, so in one day we spent 2000 dollars," said Bishop.  

Three out of six new Waco Fire Department firetrucks will be put into service Monday and the public is invited to attend the ceremonial "push-in" for each truck. "The engines have many enhanced features," Kevin Vranich, deputy chief of Waco Fire Department, said in a Wednesday statement. These features better meet the needs of department personnel while responding to fires. Ceremonies will be held as follows: Engine Company 1 will push a new truck into Fire Station No. 1 at 100 Peach St., at 1 p.m. Engine Company 2 will push a new truck into Fire Station No. 2 at 2625 Park Lake Drive, at 2 p.m. Then Engine Company 11 will push a new truck into Fire Station No. 11 at 7600 Imperial Drive, at 3 p.m. Children and families will be welcomed at each ceremony, Vranich said.  

Beech Grove Fire Chief Jamie Gunter said Wednesday that a series of wildfires that kept firemen busy over the Memorial Day weekend and were originally thought to be cases of arson, have instead been ruled accidental. Firefighters responded multiple times to the general area of County Roads 99 and 101 to battle the blaze that ripped through wooded and brushy areas. According to Gunter, an investigator from the Texas A&M Forest Service discovered a tree that had been hit and "obliterated" by a lightning strike during the last round of thunderstorms last week. Gunter said the investigator found evidence that the tree had burned and smoldered for a few days before the flames started spreading out from what was left of the tree.  

In an emergency, job one is getting to the scene as quickly and safely as possible. For more than 25 years, University Park Fire Department has used a product called Opticom, using infrared technology to trigger signaled intersections so responding personnel can pass through high-traffic areas without delay. With the passage of time, this technology has become less reliable, especially in neighborhoods like ours that have heavy tree cover. To answer these shortcomings, thanks to the expansion and dependability of GPS technology, Opticom's upgraded traffic signal preemption system embeds radio technology in emergency vehicles and now uses GPS to calculate speed, direction and longitude and latitude data. All of these factors are immediately transmitted to GPS intersection receivers that then track the status of emergency vehicles, and switch as emergency personnel approach.  

VIDEO: Almost three dozen people were left without a home after flames tore through a Clayton County apartment on Wednesday evening. Firefighters spent several hours battling the massive blaze. The first reports of the fire came in around 7:25 p.m. Fire crews were dispatched to the Ashford at Stone Ridge apartments off Flat Shoals Road. A spokesperson with the Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services said crews arrived at the scene and immediately began evacuating the burning building. Firefighters said they found heavy flames shooting from the two-story apartment structure. Several residents told FOX 5 that firefighters were having issues with the fire hydrants in the complex. "When everybody did get out and the fire department or whatever did come, they was like 'ain't no water.'  

Williamsburg teacher and coach Austin Mullikin runs with a purpose and a cause every single day. Mulliken is running a 5k a day for 343 straight days in honor and remembrance of all 343 firefighters who died on 9/11. He said he wanted to remember them because we all made a promise 20 years ago to never forget, and he felt like he should do more. It has been a battle for Mulliken running through injuries and sickness, but he has never missed a day. "There are times when I wanna stop and I just remind myself, hey, today's firefighter didn't stop," he said. "They did their job and I have to do mine and keep going." Mulliken is also raising money through the National Fallen Firefighters organization.  

VIDEO: KGUN 9 spotlights a different local non-profit on the first Wednesday of every month. With Wildfires so prevalent in our region, this month we're focusing on the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation. It's the latest installment of The Giving Project—Doing Well, by Doing Good. The Foundation exists to support the needs of the firefighting community, providing firefighters and their families with health and wellness services. Mike McKendrick, a retired 30-year veteran of the Tucson Fire Department, has been the chair of the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation for the past decade. He knows first hand about the struggles of firefighters and helps the foundation fulfill its mission. McKendrick says the Foundation works to "explore the gaps and work to fill the gaps in firefighter health and wellness. Specifically cardiac, cancer and mental health. The three main killers of firefighters. Then we have fitness and wellness in there, and they're all tied together."  

The FOX 8 I-Team has found more and more local first responders training for a new way to get medical help more quickly to victims of a gunman on a rampage. The plan revolves around sending ambulance crews into scenes right behind the first officers. While the officers search for the gunman, the paramedics search for victims. This comes to light as the nation now watches the investigation into a deadly school shooting in Texas. That scene has made headlines for delays getting police and rescuers into the building. Wednesday, the Brecksville fire chief shared with us pictures of his first responders training with police for an active shooter. Nick Zamiska told us paramedics there now train to go into an active shooting scene immediately with police. The medics get bulletproof vests and helmets They also carry medical supplies.  

Now that summer has (unofficially) arrived, the calendar of cool stuff to do outdoors in Boston is suddenly packed. That is certainly the case on the Harbor, where party boat and island ferry season is now in full force, the ICA Watershed is open, and a cliff diving competition in the Seaport is just around the corner. And now, we have learned, there will be yet more aquatic spectacles to behold in the coming days. On Monday, June 6, be sure to turn your eyes to the Harbor, where you'll see a massive and historic fire boat spraying water into the air for a so-called "water cannon display." The action begins sometime after 10 a.m., when the boat is slated to be the backdrop of a National Fire Protection Association ceremony at the Moakley Courthouse before steering out into the Harbor letting ‘er rip (we're told this will happen sometime around 10:20 a.m. and continue for about 20 minutes).