VIDEO: One fire crew after the other rushed to try to get an apartment fire in Rowlett under control. "Every floor is done, for sure," said Miena Joseph, a Rowlett resident. The fire started at around 8:30 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, 24 hours later, parts were still burning. As of noon on Sunday, officials said the fire was finally out. "Once we think that it's fine or it's getting there, then you turn around...," said Rowlett Mayor Blake Margolis. The building was under construction and not yet open to residents, so no one was injured. "We saw the drywall on the ceilings, y'know, on the bottom floor and we're like, ‘Oh my goodness!' and water is coming out the windows,'" said Joseph, who lives right across the street. Joseph and her family left home because of the heavy smoke. "There's embers being blown our way," she said.  

VIDEO: A Central Texas family is counting their blessings, which includes their newest addition to the family and their local first responders. On Dec. 2, 2023, four members of Central Bell Fire & Rescue were dispatched to reports of a mother in labor, Central Bell shared on a social media post. They were met at the Smith household by a paramedic with AMR Temple/Belton EMS. Nearly two weeks after the response, the now mom of three, and the strangers who were turned into heroes met to reminisce on the encounter. "I think we ended up with the best possible outcome," said Robert Hadrick III, a firefighter/EMT for Central Bell Fire & Rescue. "Situations like that they tend to be difficult because the odds are against you. They're extremely low frequency, but high risk."  

The Kilgore City Council hosted and applauded the promotion of a Kilgore Fire Department firefighter to driver/engineer at their recent council meeting. Fire Marshal Ryan Riley presented KFD firefighter Derek Santos with the promotion and described his achievements both inside and outside of the department. "Tonight we are officially promoting Derek Santos from firefighter to driver/engineer," Riley told the council and those in attendance. "Derek's been with us for six years, and I can say from working with Derek for those six years, he is truly one of the greatest assets that we have as a firefighter. We certainly appreciate everything that he has done and accomplished." Santos attended Hallsville High School and the Kilgore College Fire Academy and is currently certified as an EMT.  

A plane crashed just outside of San Angelo on a windmill farm in Christoval on Thursday with no reported survivors. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety on the scene, with assistance from the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office, they were made aware of a plane crash that occurred at 1:28 p.m. just four miles south of the Christoval on ranch land. First responders were immediately dispatched to the area and attempts for a search and rescue were made for any possible survivors. Responding authorities included Border Patrol, the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office and the Christoval Volunteer Fire Department, DPS and San Angelo EMS. There was an unknown number of occupants on the plane, and no survivors were reported.  

Crews from Aurora Fire Rescue and surrounding agencies responded to a two-alarm fire at a construction site in Aurora on Saturday. Smoke from the fire that was burning at an apartment construction site near E. Colfax Avenue and Peoria Street could be seen for several miles. The Link Apartments Fitz, developed by Grubb Properties, is severely damaged. A spokesperson with Grubb Properties says they will work with local authorities in the investigation. Aurora Fire Department said the fire was initially burning on the fifth floor before spreading rapidly. No injuries have been reported. Several agencies reported an overwhelming amount of 911 calls concerning the smoke.  

A new legislative proposal promises to provide a significant boost in pension contributions for active first responders throughout Delaware. House Bill 266, officially introduced Friday, December 15th, aims to expand the criteria for compensation taken into account when calculating pensions for retired members of the County and Municipal Police and Firefighter Pension Plan. Rep. Cyndie Romer, a Democrat from Newark and the bill's sponsor, explained the necessity of the proposed legislation, noting, "Through the years, we've seen a decline in those volunteers that once readily answered emergency calls throughout Delaware. This has led to an increased burden on those in paid positions, often resulting in mandatory overtime. It's only fair that these overtime hours be added into retirement calculations."  

While businesses across every industry are in dire need of workers, the paramedic workforce is especially thin right now. Spirit EMS in Greenville has struggled due to the shortage but got creative with finding a solution. That sent the company to another continent to find the employees it needs. After partnering with an EMS recruiting firm, three Aussies are now Greenville residents, moving around the world to help address the emergency workforce shortage. "You have numerous facilities that are waiting 6, 8, 10, 12 hours to move patients to more definitive care. With the addition of these three it will allow us to deliver more endless care to other outlying facilities we might not have been able to help or reach," said Brian Brown, Spirit EMS operations manager.  

VIDEO: The sleigh from the movie "Elf" traveled through the seven levels of the candy cane forest, past the sea of twirly-swirly gumdrops and then down the Long Island Expressway and through the Midtown Tunnel. The 18-foot, one-ton sleigh -- with the Clausometer on the dashboard and Kringle 3000 jet turbine engine mounted underneath -- returned to Manhattan on Sunday for the first time since Buddy the Elf helped save Christmas two decades ago. The sleigh got a police escort from its home at the Halesite Fire Department in the Town of Huntington on Long Island to Bergdorf Goodman department store on Fifth Avenue in celebration of the movie's 20th anniversary. It was on display between 57th Street and 58th Street, where fans of the film climbed aboard or stood alongside the sleigh for photos -- or, as some were saying: "Elfies."