A firefighter was injured while responding to a serious blaze that ripped through a 3-story apartment complex in southeast Houston. According to Houston Fire Department assistant chief Michael Mire, the firefighter was hit by a fire truck that was rolling free. "[The] parking brake either was not engaged or there may have been a system failure," said assistant chief Michael Mire. "That's something that we're going to have to look into." The firefighter was transported to the hospital and is stable, according to Mire. Meanwhile, one person in the apartment complex was rescued from the third floor. A firefighter crew issued a mayday call after they were separated while battling the fire. "They were conducting a search for victims," said Mire.  

A fire captain from Hardin County is finally back at work months after he was burned while checking for hot spots after battling a blaze. On October 6, 12News spoke with Chad Pierce over the phone while he was in the hospital. He put it simply, saying "I'm ready to get back on the truck and serve my community." It took longer than expected, but Pierce is finally back doing what he loves. "Being able to help the community out is pretty good, feels good," Pierce said. He knows with the call comes risk. The risk became all too real in October 2019. "Whenever I fell in, it was almost up to my waist, waist deep," Pierce told 12News.  

A second water recovery is underway after Houston firefighters called off a rescue Monday morning along Brays Bayou. The Houston Fire Department was called to the Alief area where a car was found upside down in fast-moving water. Video above shows fire officials attempt to recover the car from the water on Alief Clodine. Officials say no one was in the car when they found it. Houston police say the car crashed into the water around midnight. They say homeless people who were under the bridge saw two men jump out of the crashed vehicle. Rescue personnel worked for about an hour earlier this morning upstream at the first water rescue, but they weren't able to locate anyone. The original call came in just after 7 a.m. to the 6700 block of Cambridge Drive where it crosses the bayou in the Texas Medical Center.  

After retiring in 2014, Crest Whitaker Sr. remained active. He worked out three times a week at the Oak Cliff YMCA and played softball twice a week. Despite the dreary weather last Oct. 28, the 72-year-old got ready for his gym routine. But as he walked into the YMCA, he suddenly became nauseous. The pain in his chest felt like an elephant was sitting on him. He sat down on a mat, feeling like he was about to collapse. A woman shouted, "Sir, are you OK?" Then she called 911. The crew at Dallas Fire Station 40 had just finished a quick dinner when the station bells started ringing. There was no time to waste. It took them less than a minute to get to the YMCA, which was down the street. They saw a man who was conscious but turning pale. He told the first responders he was struggling to breathe. But they quickly realized this was no ordinary call: He was the former lieutenant at Fire Station 46 just a few miles away.  

A Killeen firefighter who says in a lawsuit he was dismissed after he brought attention to thefts of funds from Killeen's Local 2505 Professional Firefighters Association is asking a district court to overturn the decision to terminate him. In the lawsuit filed in Bell County's 169th State District Court, Cody Morrow claims he "was terminated from the City of Killeen, Fire Department, on January 25, 2019 after the Killeen Civil Service Commission affirmed (his) indefinite suspension." Morrow was suspended following an internal investigation that began after he notified supervisors that several officers of the firefighters association had been using club funds for personal purchases, the suit says. At the conclusion of the investigation some association members were charged and convicted of misappropriation of funds and Morrow was terminated.  

VIDEO: Firefighters were called to an overnight brush fire Monday that destroyed nearly an acre in Corpus Christi's southside. It happened around 12:30 a.m. at King Henry and Sir Greg, just south of Bill Witt Park. On resident spoke to 3News and said they were shocked to discover the smell of smoke and the flames coming so close to their home. "Like I said, it's pretty concerning that something like this happens, especially throughout the night at 1 a.m. in the morning. Who's to say nobody had noticed it, how far would it have gone?" resident Andrew Robels said. Thankfully the flames were quickly contained. Fire crews said some early morning rainfall helped. No property was damaged and the cause of the fire is unknown.  

VIDEO: Dr. Reed Smith knows that when it comes to active shooter emergencies, seconds matter. That's why the emergency room doctor, who also serves as the medical director of the Arlington County Fire Department, began studying hundreds of autopsies from victims of mass shootings years ago. With other medical researchers at George Washington University, he found as many as 15 percent of victims might have lived had they gotten care quickly. He says the desire to reach more victims, and sooner, helped spur a change in how Arlington fire and rescue prepares for incidents of mass violence. Now, instead of waiting for the all-clear from police before entering an active shooter scene -- a process that can take hours -- they work with law enforcement to try to reach the injured amid the violence.  

Every year at the end of March, firefighters and the family of fallen firefighter Brian Carey meet at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery for a memorial service. It will be 10 years ago on March 30 when 28-year-old Carey, a rookie firefighter for the Homewood Fire Department, was killed after he rushed into a burning home in an effort to rescue a resident trapped inside. A lot went wrong that night in the way the situation was handled, acknowledged Homewood Fire Chief Bob Grabowski. He said there was no chance to save the resident, 87-year-old Wendell Elias, from the burning home by the time firefighters from multiple departments arrived, and Carey should have never been in there. A federal report would later blame "ineffective fire control tactics" among the factors that led to the death of Carey, who was the first firefighter to be killed in the line of duty in the Homewood Fire Department's 109-year-old history.  

The Wyoming Senate spent nearly an hour discussing a bill that would affect the lives of first responders across the state on Monday, Feb. 24. SF 117 would allow first responders, law enforcement officers and search and rescue workers to apply for workers' compensation if they receive a mental injury while performing official duty. A first responder is defined as anyone who is employed or volunteers as a firefighter or law enforcement or ambulance personnel. A mental injury is one experienced by a first responder and established by clear and convincing evidence, including a diagnosis by a licensed psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. Originally, the language in the bill required that the mental injuries would only be compensable if the first responder submitted to a psychological exam, but Sen. Tara Nethercott suggested an amendment during Monday's floor session.  

Some Cleveland city council members expressed their disappoint and concern after they said they learned there weren't any minority candidates in the upcoming city fire department cadet class. Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland told News 5 the current fire class applicants are made up of 42 white male candidates and no minorities, which is a violation of city guidelines, which require at least one out of every 10 candidates be a minority. Cleveland said she's wondering why the city civil service commission couldn't come up with even one African American, Hispanic, Asian or female candidate. "How many people did they have to go through, and they came up with 42 white males, it doesn't add up," Cleveland said. It's disturbing that it doesn't speak to this city, it doesn't reflect the city and it's problematic."  

Firefighters with Dallas Fire Rescue are doing more than just fighting fires. They're also working on growing a free program that they're calling the ultimate form of fire prevention. It's called the Home Fire Safety Survey Program, where firefighters go into your home and look for all the things that could start a fire, as well as the hazards that would make it hard for you to get out. "I feel much better, especially in a whole house that's mostly wood," said Elaine Lantz, who lives in a neighborhood around the Bishop Arts District, an area mostly made up of older homes. We followed firefighters as they made a house call to Lantz' home. Checklist in hand, the fire safety agents will inspect practically every corner of your home, checking smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, space heaters, outlets, extension cords and even burglar bars. They have tools on hand to make fixes or install smoke alarms for you. The agents installed several smoke alarms for Lantz, as well as carbon monoxide detectors.