Current and former City of Victoria staff, elected officials and state officials came together January 26 to celebrate the career of Victoria Fire Department Interim Chief Shannon Martin during a retirement ceremony at the Victoria Community Center. Martin served the Victoria Fire Department for more than 36 years, including 19 years in various chief officer positions. He joined the department in 1987. He was promoted to fire engineer in 1992; then, in 1996, he was promoted to fire lieutenant, supervising a fire company. In 2005, he was promoted to battalion chief, overseeing a full fire shift; then, in 2016, he became the assistant fire chief in charge of department operations. In 2023 he took on the role of interim fire chief following the retirement of Chief Tracy Fox.  

VIDEO: Officials said that two people were rescued after a fire broke out at a home near Fifth Ward early Wednesday morning. The fire took place at the home, which is across the street from a fire station, in the 1700 block of Hailey Street. According to firefighters, a civilian knocked on the front door of the firehouse and notified firefighters that a house was on fire. Firefighters from Station 19 requested additional units to help them fight the flames. They said that a main single-story structure caught on fire and then started to spread the fire to the next-door residence which was two stories. Crews were able to assist a male and female, who are handicapped, out of that two-story residence. They were transported by ambulance as a precaution and are expected to be OK. No one was inside the single-story residence. An investigation is underway.  

A fire was reported at an apartment complex in west El Paso Wednesday morning. The fire happened at a complex on the 300 block of Bartlett Drive. As of 9 a.m., the fire was knocked down, according to fire officials. Officials said four apartments were damaged by the fire and 12 residents were displaced. No injuries were reported. Red Cross is on its way to assist. It's unknown what caused the fire.  

The city broke ground on a new joint AFD and EMS station in Northwest Austin. The Canyon Creek station will be at 9804 FM 620. It's the last of five stations being built to keep up with population growth. These stations are part of a project that started after a City Council resolution in 2018. It aimed to build five stations in six years. "This area is growing rapidly, as there are many other areas in the city of Austin. We are seeing the density increase, and it will help us to ensure that we have adequate response times," ATCEMS Chief Robert Luckritz said. "This strategic location emphasizes our ongoing dedication to bolstering public safety in our dynamic and expanding city," District 6 Council Member Mackenzie Kelly said.  

PHOTOS: Multiple fire departments were called to a fire at a car wash early Tuesday morning. According to Bedford Heights police, crews were called out to the business, called The Car Wash, in the 5100 block of Northfield Rd. around 7:30 a.m. At this time, there are no reports of injuries.  

The St. Cloud Fire Department is looking to swell its ranks. The department released a recruitment video as it looks to fill multiple positions. Fire Chief Matt Love took over in 2021 and said the department's professionalism drew him to the job. "We all want to master our craft. But it takes a special group of people to want to work really hard every day. To train really hard. To escalate to that level of truly being best in practice. And that's what you find at the St. Cloud fire department." Firefighter Ryan Wickstrom enjoys a career that lets him be in the community. "Most firefighters do this because we don't want a nine-to-five job. And we don't want to be sitting at a desk."  

VIDEO: As the sirens fill the streets of Ashley Borough, volunteer firefighters are always ready for the call. Chief Wes Saltz has been on duty for 35 years. "A lot has changed. The number of volunteers is probably about 25% of what it used to be from when I first started. The demands on the departments are very different," said Chief Wes Saltz, Ashley Borough Fire Department. But one thing that hasn't changed: An outdated Pennsylvania Gaming law that limits the way volunteer fire departments can run fundraisers and raffles. "I've been here since the old days where you used to hold the boot out in the middle of traffic," said Deputy Chief Tony Ranieli, Pittston Township Volunteer Fire Department. Current law prohibits fire departments from accepting cashless payments like credit cards or apps like Venmo.  

PHOTOS: Police in Kansas are searching for a suspect after a bronze statue of Jackie Robinson was vandalized and stolen last week. The dismantled remains of the artwork were found Tuesday morning by the Wichita Fire Department when it responded to a small trash fire. Wichita police said Monday it had located the truck that was believed to be used in the theft of the artwork, but added that detectives and officers were still searching for the people responsible. The life-size statue, which was erected in 2021 as part of the Jackie Robinson Pavilion in Wichita, is one of just four statues of the athlete in the nation. It was cut off from the ankles up and put in a pickup truck in the very early hours of Thursday morning, according to police.