As the population of Hays County grows, first responders are implementing new technology to help increase safety and efficiency when responding to emergency calls. "From about 3 p.m. to almost 7 p.m. every evening, it's gridlock at all the red lights," said Chief Kyle Taylor of the Kyle Fire Department, also known as Hays County Emergency Services District No. 5. "In the ten years I've been here, the response time has tripled." According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the City of Kyle was roughly 6,000 in 2000. In 2010, it was about 28,000. As of 2021, the city's population was more than 51,000. The population of Kyle octupled in two decades. For about a month now, the Kyle Fire Department has been using Global Traffic Technologies (GTT), Opticom Cloud Platform, an emergency vehicle technology.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Crews responded to a fire in the 7500 block of Southeast Drive on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office. LCSO said crews were called at 3:42 p.m. for a pallet fire that started spreading to nearby grass. The Slaton, Roosevelt and Buffalo Fire Departments were responding, according to LCSO. Due to the fire, LCSO said Olive Avenue, FM 3020 and Southeast Drive were closed. Later Wednesday evening, LCSO said the roads were reopened. Details on what caused the fire were not immediately available.  

VIDEO: When flooding rains threaten the area, an East Texas water rescue team must be ready to go, and more important, extensively trained in lifesaving techniques. A training session took place today in Harrison County, as water rescue team members met to practice life-saving scenarios. At Pirkey Power Plant Lake, members of the East Texas water rescue team as well as Alert Academy cadets, participated in numerous critical life-saving drills. "Our goal is to train as often as we can, this is a great resource out here. This is an initial training for these guys to get their swift water rescue technicians certification. We see a lot of flooding here in Texas. On average Texas has more people die in flooding than the rest of the U.S. combined," says team instructor and Longview firefighter lieutenant Stephen Winchell.  

Two new fire stations are coming to the City of Port Arthur to help first responders better serve their community. Fire officials tell 12News, Stations 2 and 3 are at least 60 years old. The buildings are so old the front doors sometimes malfunction, which causes delays in emergency services. "They are old and they need to be replaced," said Port Arthur Fire Chief Greg Benson. By October, an empty lot could be home to the new Port Arthur Fire Station 3. Benson says the station will be moving, but they will still service Port Acres and the west side of Port Arthur. Right now, Benson is still searching for a place to build Station 2. "But that doesn't mean we won't relocate. We're continuing to look for Station 2, but there may be some sites that could be better positioning for the new one because that then can help improve response time," he said.  

Part of S. 19th St. on Milwaukee's south side was blocked off Wednesday night after several houses were destroyed in a fire. The fire started around 4 p.m. at a home near S. 19th St. and Burnham St. "So windy outside. So, I just checked out the window, and I saw the noise, where it was coming from, and I saw the house on fire," said neighbor Delia Velez, who told CBS 58 she heard a loud boom before seeing the fire. High winds likely helped the spread of flames, which engulfed four houses. "All four of them had extensive damage. Three of them are considered a total loss," said Battalion Chief Tom Sells with Milwaukee Fire Department. Officials on scene said there is no word of injured residents or firefighters. Crews believe everyone got out safely, but two individuals are still unaccounted for.  

VIDEO: Uber is funding a new program that aims to get electric bikes with dangerous non-certified lithium-ion batteries off New York City streets. The company said on Wednesday it will soon allow the thousands of New York City delivery workers who use e-bikes the ability to trade-in their bikes for newer, safer models. The news follows a string of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, which have been known to overheat when charging and cause massive explosions. Earlier this week, the New York City police department said an e-bike's lithium-ion battery was behind a fatal two-alarm fire in Queens. The FDNY's Chief fire marshal John Hodgens said it was the 59th fire in the city this year caused by a lithium-ion battery. Part of the issue is that not all lithium-ion batteries are created equal.  

PHOTOS: Niles firefighters saw a 1940s-era fire truck — one steeped in local history — rejoin the village's fleet last month. On May 1, 1941, the village of Niles purchased a Model 21 Pirsch Triple Combination Fire Engine for $6,150. Last month that engine, with its designation of "Niles Fire Dept. No. 2", returned home to Niles, where it will be displayed and driven in parades by firefighters. Fire Chief Marty Feld said the designation at the time meant the engine was the second engine purchased by the department. He said the engine was in service in Niles from 1941 into the 1960s. "I wish (former Niles Fire) Chief (Harry) Kinowski could have seen this, he would have driven this," Feld said. The chief said he would like to get in contact with any remaining Niles firefighters who might have been serving when the truck was in service. "Chief Feld brought back a very important piece of Niles history," Mayor George Alpogianis said.  

VIDEO: An explosion, early Tuesday morning, rocked a garage in Erie while firefighters were inside. It was so powerful, it completely blew off the garage door. Fire officials have issued a warning about electric vehicles and electric modifications at your home. A total of three Mountain View Fire Rescue firefighters were inside the garage when water made contact with the electric vehicle's battery, officials said, causing that explosion. "The homeowner came and found smoke and woke up her son and got out of the house when the smoke alarms went off as well," Doug Saba said. Saba is the deputy fire marshal for Mountain View Fire. A family living at a home in the Morgan Hill neighborhood saw and smelled the fire, so naturally, they called fire crews.  

VIDEO: With law enforcement's swift actions front and center, we're beginning to hear first-hand accounts from those first to respond to Monday's mass shooting. "It's horrifying once you realize that it's real, it is happening here," Jesse Yarbrough, chief of Louisville EMS, said. "I think it strikes you when you arrive at the scene and see everyone doing what they've been trained to do and realize that [it's] not a training, it's a real event." Maj. Bobby Cooper, Louisville Fire's battalion chief, said it was clear "that it wasn't just another run." Cooper has responded to countless scenes during his tenured career with Louisville Fire, but said the Old National Bank mass shooting stands out among the rest. "It's tragic. It's amazing how much damage can be done in nine minutes, and how much can be lost in nine minutes," Cooper said.