Crews are working to put out a fire at a high-rise building in the Texas Medical Center. It happened at the Institute of Molecular Medicine located at 1825 Pressler Street between Fannin and Main around 9:40 p.m. on Monday. An Eyewitness News crew on the scene reported a large police and firefighter presence in what appeared to be a balcony near the roof the building. It's unclear what sparked the blaze and there is no word of any injuries. Meanwhile, a text notification sent out by officials alerted people of the fire and asked anyone nearby to avoid the area.  

When the thunder rolls in West Texas, so do the sirens at the Midland Fire Department. "Severe weather happens rapidly in West Texas," James Howard, Midland Fire Marshal said. "Thunderstorms build up quickly and we have the potential of damaging hail, tornadoes, and lightning." During severe weather, lightning is not the only concern for fires. So is standing water on roofs that can spark electrical fires. "Any exposed wiring, open junction boxes, things like that can be a hazard," Howard said. "Making sure all your electrical equipment is in good operations is key." Firefighters are not just putting out flames during severe weather either, they respond to other issues, too. "Well typically what we see with flat roofs is when we have sudden storms we have a large accumulation of water to the roof and typically we are more concerned with a portion of the roof collapsing," Howard said.  

Emergency Medical Services Week, May 16-22, honors the medical professionals who respond to emergency calls and attend to people in health crisis situations. Every Fort Worth Fire Department firefighter is also a certified EMT or paramedic. They are dispatched to every 911 call for service that is placed in the city and treat residents in various life-threatening situations. Fort Worth firefighters/EMTs have also been on the front lines of vaccine distribution in an effort to end the spread of COVID-19. Check out these activities happening during Emergency Medical Services Week: The Fort Worth City Council will present a proclamation in honor of EMS Week at its 10 a.m. meeting on May 18 at City Hall. The proclamation will be presented to FWFD Battalion Chief Sherri Hauch and MedStar representatives.  

The El Paso Fire Department joined the Bomberos de Juarez last week in an international hazmat training. The two fire departments practiced scenarios on a mobile classroom train car provided by Union Pacific Railroad. One of the things the firefighters learned was how to patch and asses leaks from derailed train cars using a device called a Magna-seal. It acts as a giant patch to keep the hazardous material from inside the tanker car from spilling out. The tools were purchased with a $45,000 grant by the EPA Border 2020. "It's extremely important to be able to train with the Juarez fire department and us locally here because we're able to help them out in case they need our assistance because unfortunately we can't go across but with this equipment with the Magna-seals we also have this and we can help them over the phone and explain how to apply it," Kevin Dieter, the El Paso Fire Battalion Chief of Special Ops. said.  

The Corsicana City Council took action to begin the selection process for a private company to provide EMS services for the city. The council sent out a request for proposals and received two. Presentations were made during a joint session of the Navarro County Commissioners and Corsicana City Council May 3. Though council members and the mayor agreed that the city of Corsicana has outstanding people working in the EMS and fire departments, the potential of financial savings and the city's budget crunch weighed in heavily during the discussion held Monday, May 10. The City's emergency services fund balance has been operating at a loss since 2018, totaling $2.2 million over those years. The negative trend is projected to continue into 2021. That number doesn't account for fund transfers or Federal Grants received from the state.  

A driver was rescued and rushed to the hospital after driving into a backyard pool in Arlington on Monday, May 17, where he later passed away. Arlington Fire Department spokesperson Richard Fegan told CBS 11 the man drove through a fence and into the pool in the 1400 block of Comanche Court shortly before 6:00 p.m. Firefighters extricated him "after forcible entry was utilized to access the vehicle." AFD later said the driver appeared to have a medical episode as he was parking in front of the house, causing him to drive through a fence and into the pool. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office will release his name once next of kin has been notified. They will also determine his cause of death.  

VIDEO: A large fire broke out at a paper recycling center in New Jersey Monday afternoon sending plumes of black smoke into the air. The fire, which broke out just before 5 p.m., prompted a 3-alarm response from nearby fire departments to the Colgate Paper Stock Recyclable Processing Facility in New Brunswick. It's not yet clear what triggered the blaze, sending firefighters rushing to the recycling facility on Industrial Drive before 5 p.m. 0Piles of paper sitting in the facility's backlot were seen engulfed in flames. One firefighter was briefly hospitalized with minor burns, and was released later Monday night officials said. The fire was said to be contained and under control before 8 p.m.  

VIDEO: A firehouse was evacuated and a nearby Roslindale street was shut down Monday night after a suspicious package containing an unknown chemical was discovered. The suspicious package came in the mail to a Brooke Street home, prompting a resident to bring the package to the nearby firehouse on Canterbury Street, fire officials said. Two firefighters performed preliminary tests on the package outside the station, while crews did readings at the home on Brooke Street. Four residents and two firefighters were decontaminated as a precaution, fire officials said. An investigation remains ongoing into the contents of the suspicious package. The scene has since been cleared.  

VIDEO: A 100-year-old fire engine has been refurbished and returned to it's original department. Larry Manaro spent a year restoring McDonald's first fire engine. Now retired Fire Chief Todd Stitt approached him about fixing it up. The truck was in rough shape and had been stored in a garage for years. The 1917 Model T was donated to McDonald in 1920 by Carnegie Steel and essentially started the village fire department. "It's an accomplishment that you take it from nothing and you make into something, and people like to see it and enjoy looking at it," Manaro said. Manaro had some help from Kevin Prus, Snyder's Antique Parts and Pro Image Sign Company in Youngstown restoring the fire engine.  

VIDEO: A fire department ambulance that was stolen Monday in Reading later crashed into a tractor-trailer in Lancaster County. Reading police say Reading Fire Department ambulance No. 4 was taken while first responders were attending to a call inside Kennedy Towers senior center, located in the 300 block of South Fourth Street. They say 34-year-old Raymond Gonzalez stole the ambulance around 11:30 a.m. from the area of Fourth and Spruce streets. When paramedics brought their patient outside, they realized the ambulance had been stolen. They called for a second ambulance, which was able to respond quickly. "We're very fortunate that the patient's condition wasn't life threatening," said Reading Fire Chief William Stoudt. "Obviously it had an impact on transport to the hospital but had the patient's condition been more serious, this could've ended up as a fatality."