Schertz Fire Chief Kade Long has retired after five years at the helm, replaced by assistant chief Greg Rodgers. His promotion to chief, effective July 1, was announced by the city June 16. "I am very excited to announce the promotion of Greg Rodgers to fire chief of the city of Schertz," said City Manager Mark Browne. "Greg brings many years of experience in a variety of positions within the Fire Department and will be a superb addition to the staff of the city of Schertz. He is the best-qualified candidate for this position." Rodgers joined the Schertz Fire Department as assistant fire chief in 2019 and he brings more than 35 years of fire service experience to the post. He began his career in Park in 1983 as a volunteer firefighter. In 1988 he moved to College Station where he worked his way up to division chief in 2017.  

Two firefighters from the Maxwell Community Volunteer Fire Department died in a rollover crash Monday just outside Lockhart, city officials said in a press release. Brothers Hunter Coco, 21, and Jonathan Coco, 25, were returning to Maxwell from fighting a wildfire outside of Lockhart when the crash occurred, according to a post on the Maxwell Community Volunteer Fire Department's Facebook page. Lockhart police and fire personnel responded to the crash on State Park Road (FM 20) at its intersection with San Jacinto Street on the southwest edge of town just before 2 p.m. City officials said around 1:45 p.m., a woman driving southbound on San Jacinto Street was hit by the Maxwell brush truck as she turned onto State Park Road. The brush truck then rolled over, killing the two firefighters.  

VIDEOS: Several families have been displaced and lost everything after an early morning apartment fire in southwest Houston. In total, 16 units were damaged in the fire at the Woodtrail Apartments in the 9900 block of Richmond Avenue near Briarpark Drive. Firefighters said it doesn't appear that anyone was injured in the fast-moving blaze. One person was evaluated at the scene, but they were not taken to a hospital, the Houston Fire Department tweeted. A resident at the apartments captured a video that shows the flames and smoke. You can see the footage in the video player above. The first call for help came in around 7:40 a.m. Monday. Within four minutes, the first HFD unit arrived at the scene. The fire started in an upstairs unit, firefighters said.  

First responders are feeling the impact of inflation as gas prices rise. A local volunteer fire department fire department tells us how they are still maintaining during hard times. Due to how much diesel is needed to fill up emergency vehicles, Chief Joe Warren says his team is spending thousands at the pump. "We're spending about $2,000 a month on our cars," says Chief Joe Warren, Brazos County Volunteer Fire Department Precinct 4. "Our call volume have increased so the fuel cost is going to go up." Chief warren says the bigger the truck, the more fuel. With higher gas prices, some operations may get cut. "We're trying to limit what we're doing out in the community," said Chief Warren. "Not going out riding around. We may have to cut our training back on some of our pump operations in driving classes due to cost of fuel."  

PHOTOS: Three people were hurt after a fire destroyed a church building Friday in Wise County, firefighters say. The fire Friday afternoon at Balsora Baptist Church in Bridgeport involved 40 firefighters from eight departments, a Wise County Fire Marshal's Office spokesman said. Those hurt had injuries that were not considered life-threatening, the spokesman said. Two had minor heat-related injuries and one person had a minor injury from falling debris. Church pastor Sonny Smith said work was being done Friday on the roof and the fellowship hall. The workers left to go to lunch and came back to find the church on fire, Smith said. The origin and cause of the fire are under investigation. Smiths said he believes the fire was accidental.  

VIDEO: Emergency crews have responded to a fire at the Oxy Vinyls plant in La Porte early Tuesday morning, according to the La Porte Office of Emergency Management. This started just before 2 a.m. at the plant located at 2400 Miller Cut Off Road. The La Porte Fire Department reports there was fire and smoke coming from the site. The OEM tweeted that the fire is out as of 3:27 a.m. An all-clear was given at 6 a.m. No protective action for community is being recommended at this time, according to emergency officials. No injuries are have been reported. Officials from Oxy Vinyls said flames, smoke and sirens are noticeable to community. A message from Oxy Vinyls said: "We are coordinating with local officials, and working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Stay tuned to local officials for more information. Update will be provided on this site, when needed."  

VIDEO: Local firefighters battled what Las Vegas Fire & Rescue reports to be the largest fire involving occupied buildings in the city of Las Vegas in 25 years. At least ten buildings were either damaged or destroyed in the massive fire in Downtown Las Vegas early Sunday morning. As the fire jumped from building to building, several vehicles were also destroyed. At least 100 people were forced to evacuate. As firefighters worked throughout the night to contain the spreading flames, only one minor injury was reported. Just before 1:00 a.m. Sunday a Las Vegas Fire & Rescue crew returning to their station from a previous call first noticed a large column of smoke on East Charleston Boulevard.  

VIDEO: Hennepin County is relying on a growing network of special weather stations to aid emergency managers in planning for and responding to heat-related emergencies. "We want to know in what areas are going to require the greatest amount of resources," said Eric Waage, the county's director of emergency management. "Typically they're the areas with disparities and folks lacking air conditioning who face challenges, but there are also areas with exceptionally high heat island effects." According to Waage, a heat island is an area where conditions on the ground, including architecture and topography, may make it a hotter spot versus some others. The special tool to pick up those readings is much more than a typical thermometer - a "wet bulb." The actual instrument is a black globe about the size of a softball and it includes a moisture wick inside to simulate how a human body might react in direct sunlight, as opposed to standard thermometers that are usually placed in the shade.  

VIDEO: The city of Bristol has launched a new, life-saving program so firefighters can move quicker and smarter when they respond to calls. It's called Community Connect and the city just launched it last week. It's a secure, encrypted website, like the ones run by banks, where neighbors and business owners can upload information to help first responders. "This is a game-changer. [...] The potential for this software is, I believe, limitless," said Chief Richard Hart with the Bristol Fire Department. "So that we can react and provide a more efficient and effect service to the residents and businesses in Bristol." Neighbors can enter things like, who lives there and how to get in touch with them, if anyone has a disability or speaks another language, the layout of the house, special security codes, and even how to shut off your water and electricity.  

Gettysburg Fire Department Firefighter Doug Kahn recently packed up his gear and jetted off to Israel for a week as part of the Emergency Volunteer Project (EVP). EVP is a nonprofit rescue program whose mission is to be able to deploy aid and volunteers to Israel at a moment's notice. Through a partnership with the Israeli government, EVP has trained thousands of volunteers across the United States and Israel. Through the partner program, along with five other American volunteers, Kahn spent a week training with his firefighter brothers and sisters of the Israeli fire services in Jerusalem. Kahn had never volunteered with an international fire station before and welcomed the chance to learn different aspects of emergency response. "It was a great opportunity," he said. Givat Mordechai Fire Station is the main fire station headquarters in Jerusalem just outside the Old City, he said.  

PHOTO: It stood tall among the smoking debris surrounding it. A cross was all that remained of Balsora Baptist Church in Bridgeport, Texas, after a fire swept through the building Friday, leading to a response from a dozen area agencies. The Boonesville–Balsora Volunteer Fire Department described the church fire as a "devastating loss" to the community but noted that the cross was a "sight to behold." "A symbol that the building was just that, a building. The Church is the congregation, and where 2 or more gather, there he shall be also," the department wrote in a Facebook post, alluding to Matthew 18:20. The roof began to collapse while firefighters were still inside, and several firefighters were treated at the scene. Extreme temperatures taxed resources and available manpower, the department said.