VIDEO: First responders are staying busy this week with all the big events in town. But two local medics had to go to the hospital after they say a drunk driver hit their ambulance over the weekend. More people visiting means a higher risk for issues, like the crash that medics saw at South Congress Avenue and Riverside Drive Sunday morning. Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) said it's concerning, but it's why medics step up their efforts to address safety during spring festival season. "Whether it be a police emergency, whether it be a fire emergency or a medical emergency, that we can adequately and promptly address it and respond to it," said Eric Jakubauskas, the ATCEMS division chief, in regard to the Event Operations Center the agency has set up. But two medics needed help themselves on Sunday morning.  

VIDEO: Crews were on the scene of a fire at Odessa High School Tuesday night. According to the City of Odessa and Ector County ISD, the fire was on the roof of a field house. The district said there were no injuries and it seems that damage is minimal. The cause of the fire and amount of damage is currently unknown, but according to ECISD, it appears to have been accidental. Several viewers reached out to report the blaze, with videos and photos posted on different social media accounts. A reporter on scene said they saw no signs of smoke or fire as of 8:57 p.m. The fire is now under investigation.  

Palo Pinto County has adopted a plan to reduce risks and better prepare for wildfires. Palo Pinto County, west of Fort Worth, is the 24th county to complete a Community Wildfire Protection Plan in Texas. A Community Wildfire Protection Plan is a proven strategy for reducing the risk of wildfire to communities. The Palo Pinto County plan establishes goals and strategies for long-term success by identifying priorities and proposing immediate measures that will protect communities, especially those at highest risk, from wildland fire. The plan was developed in cooperation with Palo Pinto County officials, local fire departments and representatives from Texas A&M Forest Service. "With the signing and implementation of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, we took a big step toward improving the safety and security of the citizens and visitors of Palo Pinto County," said Ricky Hunter, Palo Pinto County Emergency Management Coordinator.  

An "all clear" was issued Tuesday at the PEMEX Deer Park oil refinery after reports of a "fire incident" within one of their units. The fire was reported shortly before noon and extinguished right after 1 p.m., according to the facility. The fire caused dark smoke that could be seen by nearby residents, officials said. After conducting air quality monitoring activities, no threats to the community were found, according to PEMEX. All of the workers at the facility were accounted for. The cause of the fire is under investigation.  

A person was taken to the hospital Wednesday morning after falling into a 7-foot hole at an excavation site in downtown Austin. Austin-Travis County EMS responded to the scene at 610 Guadalupe Street just after 8 a.m. Crews were able to extricate the patient using a ropes system and stokes basket. Medics took them to Dell Seton Medical Center with potentially serious, not expected to be life-threatening injuries.  

VIDEO: The Laredo Fire Department had some exceptional guests visit Fire Station 8 on Del Mar Boulevard on Tuesday morning, March 14. About 100 elementary and middle school students got a tour of the fire department's administrative center. It's part of a special Spring Break program for kids who go to community centers in Webb County, including Rio Bravo, El Cenizo, and Mirando City. As part of the program, students who didn't get to go on vacation are able to go on several field trips to places like the fire station or the Laredo Water Museum for the entire week of Spring Break. Jacob Garza, one of the students who visits the Rio Bravo Community Center said, "I would like to go to the fire truck and visit inside the place and see what they have and what they use for fires. I want to go on field trips more often so that kids can learn and do a lot of stuff with them together."  

A Michigan police officer along with bystanders are being praised for rescuing an unconscious driver from a fiery crash. "At the end of the day, it's just me doing my job like any other officer would," Southfield Police Officer Patrick McCormick said. In a press conference, Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren said that a driver of a red Ford Edge was speeding when they ran a red light around 11:30 p.m. in Southfield, Michigan and hit a silver Ford Edge. The red Edge burst into flames, trapping the driver. McCormick's body camera shows the dramatic footage of the police officer quickly jumping from his police cruiser and running to grab a fire extinguisher. McCormick said that resident Mister Jackson ran from the scene and grabbed a fire extinguisher from a nearby gas station to assist the first responders.  

VIDEO: The City of Shawnee approved a station alert system for its fire department and now, it's up and running. It's designed to not only keep firefighters healthier, but also the public a little safer. For sleeping firefighters, it's now a red light instead of a bright one and the alarm starts softer before increasingly getting louder. "In the middle of the night, this fire crew gets called out," said Shawnee Deputy Fire Chief Corey Sands. "Instead of the hard bells that go off and all the lights come on, the speakers are blaring, it ramps up. It's not the sudden shock to the firefighters' systems. It allows them to wake up, get oriented and make it to the scene safely." The alarms are now customized to the trucks getting called out instead of waking the entire house. The new $150,000 system has been in place for four months and soon, every fire department building in Shawnee will have them.  

Multiple fires are under investigation in Dayton and Trotwood after a recent surge in serious fires after which multiple people were found dead. At least eight people were found dead following four fires in Montgomery County over the last eight days — including a fire in Dayton that officials said was one of the most tragic fires in the city's history after five people were found dead. The Montgomery County Coroner's Office is working to determine the cause and manner of deaths. It is not clear if the deaths were caused by the fires. In the past three years there have been six total fire fatalities in Dayton. The string of serious fires started March 5 after Dayton fire crews responded to a house fire in the 300 block of Ashwood Avenue.  

Michael Wall, Michael Leo, and Kevin O'Malley are members of one of the best known public safety departments in the world: FDNY. Despite the challenges of operating in an urban environment, FDNY supports their responders from the air. In a presentation at the National Public Safety UAS Conference, the team discussed the lessons they've learned from building a drone program and flying in NYC. Capt. Michael Leo is the director of the FDNY Special Operations Command Robotics division, Mike Wall and Kevin O'Malley are veteran FDNY firefighters and UAS pilots. The FDNY drone program has reached a stage of maturity where the team has now identified an ideal profile for new candidates: one that ensures that their drones will be used most effectively.  

VIDEO: Many will remember the tornadoes that wreaked havoc in downtown Atlanta and across Georgia on March 14 and 15, 2008 – leaving many iconic Atlanta buildings damaged. There were at least a dozen tornadoes reported in Georgia that weekend, including one formed in the middle of the downtown's tourism district that Friday night, a first in the city's recorded history. Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz was at the station on this fateful day in 2008 for more than seven hours tracking the tornado outbreak alongside Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Emeritus Glenn Burns. "It might be the wildest 24 hours for weather in Atlanta history. Just a chilling sight from our airport tower cam," Nitz said.