VIDEO: Training at the Fort Worth Fire Department's burn building is one of the hardest things the recruits do. "It was so tough mentally and physically," Alerah Turpin said. Twenty-three-year-old Alerah Turpin and about four dozen other recruits in Class 94 had to learn time management skills while in the academy. "You get home, and you're exhausted, but you have to stay up, and you have to study," Turpin said. "You have to get here early. You have to study more. You have these tests that you can't fail." Turpin passed all her tests and joined two other graduating classes to become a Fort Worth firefighter officially. "I know it sounds really cliché, but it's always been something in the back of my mind," Turpin said. A very proud man stood in the back of the room to watch Turpin's big moment crossing the stage.  

A serious apartment complex fire affected four apartments and left 15 residents displaced Thursday morning, June 6 in East El Paso, according to the El Paso Fire Department. The Fire Department says they responded just before 3 a.m. to a condition 3 (serious) fire at an apartment building on the 10700 block of Vista del Sol Dr. The Fire Department says 15 residents were displaced and a cat has died. Several people and a dog were also rescued. The fire affected four apartments and three patients were checked at the scene. No injuries or transports were reported, according to the Fire Department. The incident is currently under investigation. No further information has been released.  

The City of Lubbock will work with Atmos Energy and Texas 811 for an excavation and trench rescue exercise on Friday, according to the Lubbock Fire Rescue. The exercise includes a trench rescue scenario to provide hands-on experience for emergency responders from various contractors/agencies. According to LFR, the exercise will be located at the field west of Coronado High School and south of Comfort Suites University. It will start around 8:30 a.m. Additionally, the exercise will allow first responders to refine their skills and enhance external agency coordination. The collaboration between the City of Lubbock, Atmos Energy and Texas 811 brings together resources, personnel and expertise in order to proactively address challenges and better safeguard public safety.  

VIDEO: An East Texas county has had a lot of experience in water rescues. In the last seven days, Harrison County first responders have executed at least six rescues of people driving into flooded roads. Four of those happened in just the past two days. "That has led to almost a half dozen high water rescues. Our emergency districts, our volunteer firemen have been very busy over this last spell of rains," says Harrison County Fire Marshal James McConnell. Swollen creeks and ponds, along with saturated ground, had numerous county roads with high water moving over them. "You lose your footing, fall into that water, you could be swept away in minutes, or seconds," the fire marshal says. Crews responded with deep water rescue vehicles in each case, one where a driver and 3 children were rescued from fast moving water that had swept their vehicle to the edge of a drop-off.  

VIDEO: One person is dead after a fiery crash in which a vehicle crashed into a barrier in South Boston and fell approximately 40 feet onto the roadway below. Several ramps were closed in the area of the Southeast Expressway, and traffic was heavy for hours after the crash, which occurred around 10 a.m. MBTA and Amtrak service was temporarily halted as a result of the crash. Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke confirmed the vehicle crashed into the barrier of the Massachusetts Avenue Connector at the intersection with the Frontage Road and plummeted an estimated 40 feet onto the exit ramp below. "It was on fire when it landed down below, on the ramp down here, and the person inside did not survive," Burke said. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was seen in the area during the investigation.  

VIDEO: A new device is being implemented in fire departments across the state of Maine, keeping the first few moments of birth special for newborns and their mothers. First responders of the Portland Fire Department first noticed a dilemma after assisting with an on-scene birth in early 2024. "We showed up, the baby was crowning, we delivered it," firefighter and paramedic Mark Tweedy said, "Everybody was healthy, dad cut the cord." Things took a turn when Tweedy and Paramedic Lieutenant Stephen Coppi had to transport the new mom and her baby to the nearest hospital. Due to state procedure, the two have to ride in separate ambulances to be safely secured; something that didn't sit right with first responders.  

Authorities are investigating the theft of nearly 100 fire hydrants in Los Angeles County this year, sheriff's officials said Monday. Some 85 hydrants have been stolen in unincorporated areas of the county, and another 14 in Lynwood, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The department's Century Station has partnered with the LASD Major Crimes Bureau to investigate the thefts. "These incidents significantly threaten public safety and disrupt essential emergency services… Our investigators are working diligently to identify and apprehend those responsible for the thefts," sheriff's officials said in a statement. "Fire hydrants play a crucial role in ensuring effective fire response and public safety, and their removal can have serious consequences."  

VIDEO: A new book is celebrating the diverse strengths that women bring to the Chicago Fire Department. Retired veteran firefighter Cat Renar has spent the past eight years compiling "Chicago Strong: The Real Women of Chicago Fire," a coffee table book that highlights the contributions and experiences of female firefighters and medics. "The women on this job are really what inspired me," said Renar, who served with the CFD for 20 years. "I was actually cross-trained as a firefighter/medic. I left — retired from the job as an engineer, as a driver." Renar's career took her across Chicago, starting on the West Side before moving to the South Side and the North Side, eventually concluding near downtown at Engine 14. The book began as a smaller project.