The fire chief in the Hudspeth County community of Fort Hancock was killed Wednesday night in a rollover crash involving a firetruck along Highway 20, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Officials said 71-year-old Manuel Galindo Jr. was driving the firetruck on the eastbound highway when it veered off the road and then flipped over; it's unknown what caused Galindo to lose control of the truck. DPS said Galindo was ejected from the truck as it rolled over; he was not wearing a seat belt during the crash and died at the scene. The firetruck was the only vehicle involved in the crash.  

Jefferson High School students now have the chance to earn their EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) certification upon graduation, thanks to a partnership between the district and Panola College. "This is our first year of the program here at Jefferson High School and we are also doing this EMT program at Timpson High School," Panola College EMT Instructor Ronnie Morton said on Tuesday. "These are seniors who will be 18 near the time of graduation so they can take the National Registry Test. Once they pass that test, they have to apply to the state to be able to work." The Jefferson High School CTE (Career and Technology Education) program currently has five seniors in its first year of the program, which is a year long course.  

A worker died Wednesday after he was trapped in a collapsed trench in Rosenberg. Attempts were made to rescue the man from a trench on FM 2218 at the intersection of Bryan Road, but they were unsuccessful. Around 12:23 p.m., authorities said, they received the call about the trapped worker. At about 12:32 p.m., the worker was pronounced dead. Rescue crews were on the scene about five minutes after the initial call. The worker was trapped about 8 feet deep in the trench. Authorities said the three-man utility contract crew was installing lines in a ditch when the dirt caved in. Rescuers said they're not sure if weather played a role in the collapse, but did say it played a role in rescue efforts. The worker's family was notified of his death, but his identity is not being revealed to the public at this time.  

Two people are injured after a Dallas Fire-Rescue truck was involved in major crash Tuesday. According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, Truck 43 was involved in a crash at 1633 South Peachtree Road in Balch Springs shortly before 5 p.m. Officials said initial reports indicate that the Dallas Fire-Rescue truck was hit by a pickup truck while exiting the Pierce Manufacturing Company after having warranty work done. There were two people in the pickup truck, both of whom had to be removed from the vehicle, officials said. Both people were taken to a local hospital for evaluation. There was one firefighter in Truck 43 when the crash occurred, but he was not injured.  

The city of Longview's mass emergency notification system is changing, and officials are encouraging residents to opt in to stay informed of severe weather and emergency situations. The city on Saturday will begin using Smart911 by RAVE Mobile Safety, replacing the CodeRED system. The service is offered in partnership with the East Texas Council of Governments, which provides access to the system for cities and counties in the region. Account users may sign up for free to receive phone call, text or email alerts, officials said. In addition, users have the option to provide supplementary information such as medical conditions, pet information, house description and more that could be helpful to first responders during an emergency.  

Laredo police say there are now more eyes at a popular park recently hit with a series of fires. Police have been patrolling the 30 acres that make up North Central Park. In less than a month, three fires have been reported in the area. This has prompted City Officials to update the public of their investigation at a press conference held earlier today. Authorities are classifying some of the incidents as arson. "We are obviously looking for the community's assistance," said Investigator Joe Baeza of LPD. "There are several individuals who live nearby that if they see any activity, they need to bring it to our attention. There are several facets to reach us and get that information to us. They can contact us through Crime Stoppers, call us at the Laredo Police Department or through social media."  

The Ohio House has once again approved a measure covering post-traumatic stress disorder for emergency responders who haven't suffered a physical injury. "Our brave first responders deserve to have PTSD illnesses treated under our law, even though the law does consider them comparable to a physical injury," said Rep. Tom Patton of Strongsville, who wrote the bill. "Making this change will ensure the much-needed relief for first responders who have served the public and suffer from PTSD as a result of performing their duties." Police and firefighters have been pushing for the coverage under the state insurance fund for injured workers for years. Representatives from the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters, Ohio State Medical Association, Columbus Fire Fighters IAFF Local 67, and Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio testified in support of the bill during committee hearings.  

The Spring Coulee Fire was estimated to be the size of a basketball court when it was first reported at 3:59 p.m. on Sept. 1, 2019. Seven minutes later it was estimated to be the size of a football field. Three minutes after that evacuations were issued, flames were around 10 feet high and the fire had burned 5 to 10 acres. Seventeen minutes later, at 4:26 p.m., a call came over the radio that a firefighter was "down at the head of the fire." The fire's rapid growth was one of several factors that contributed to the serious injury and subsequent death of Okanogan County Fire District 3 Assistant Chief Christian Johnson, according to a report conducted by state firefighting agencies. The report, called a facilitated learning analysis, was conducted to determine what lessons could be learned from the incident.  

The Salt Lake City Fire Department debuted a new plug-in hybrid electric fire engine to the public at the Sugar House firehouse Wednesday. The new fire truck came about because of cooperation with the Sustainability Department and Public Services Department. The SLCFD says they are invested in exploring options to reduce their carbon footprint and improving air quality. The new electric firetruck will go towards the city's ambitious climate and clean air goals such as an overall 80% reduction of Salt Lake City's community carbon footprint by 2040. The city's new firetruck comes two years after the city completed construction of two net-zero energy fire stations which are the first two of their kind in the country. Other efforts that support the city's clean air goals are fire stations having on-site solar panels and using battery-electric cars.  

Despite increased focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) jobs, hard labor is still a major driver of the national economy. Recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that employment for construction workers and hand laborers/movers has grown faster than employment in STEM jobs over the past five years. While STEM careers tend to command higher salaries, wage increases for careers in manual labor have also outpaced STEM. Wages for STEM careers grew at an average annual rate of 2.1 percent between 2013 and 2018, whereas wages for construction workers and hand laborers/movers grew by 2.9 percent and 3.0 percent, respectively. While employment and wage growth might be strong, working in a physically demanding job can be both taxing and dangerous. Research from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration shows that out of 4,674 worker fatalities in private industry in 2017, more than 20 percent were in a construction field.  

With more electric cars on the road and with the proximity to Pikes Peak International Raceway, the Fountain Fire Department has purchased a fire blanket to be used for car fires and industrial fires. The 70-pound fire blanket is made from two layers of woven glass fiber fabric and an inner layer of fire retardant film which works together to remove the oxygen supply from the fire resulting in the fire being extinguished. It can be used up to fifty times and is cleaned after every use. The blanket was developed by a company in Norway and started being offered in the United States in November 2019. The Fountain Fire Department was one of the first fire departments in the United States to purchase and use the blanket. The department responds to numerous car fires each year that typically close Interstate 25 for up to an hour. The fire blanket will allow car fires to be extinguished quicker resulting in the Interstate being closed for a much shorter timeframe.