VIDEO: Firefighters worked for hours Wednesday to get a fire under control at a historical church in Burleson County. Fire tore through the New Tabor Brethren Church on County Road 225 near Caldwell in Burleson County. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but work was being done on the building before the fire started. More than two dozen firefighters from Caldwell, Cooks Point, and Deanville had their hands full as they battled the fire for more than four hours. Officials say no one was injured, and the Burleson County CART team was on hand to assist first responders and church members. In October last year, KBTX featured the church as it celebrated 130 years of service and worship.  

Southeast Texas firefighters now have a chance to do more than just fight fires. Several Groves firefighters and Port Neches Fire Chief Eloy Vega have chosen to be dual-certified, meaning they can aid law enforcement in case of an active shooter situation. They are certified firefighters by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection and a certified peace officer by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. In 2023, Senate Bill 1852 mandated active shooter training for all law enforcement in Texas. So, dual-certified firefighters are required to participate in this training. Vega tells 12News that he is actively looking to bring more training to his department to prepare for future emergencies. "This training in June is going to provide another opportunity to send more individuals from our department, and from other departments in the area to again, learn what it is to function on a rescue task force team," Vega said.  

Lewisville Fire Chief Mark McNeal said John Ashman was known all over the area and region for his fire training acumen. On Jan. 10, area fire personnel attended a groundbreaking for a facility that will bear his name. Ashman, who died in May, is the former division chief of training for the Lewisville Fire Department, where he worked for 40 years, and the new facility will allow firefighters from Lewisville, Highland Village and Flower Mound to obtain training. All three cities are contributing funds to construct the two-building facility, which is expected to be finished by the end of 2024 if construction goes as planned and weather permits, McNeal said. The building will sit adjacent to the existing facility, located on East Valley Ridge Boulevard.  

VIDEO: The Lubbock Fire Rescue said about 14 storage units were involved in a structure fire that occurred early Thursday morning near 134th Street and Frankford Avenue. According to Lubbock Fire Rescue, the call came in just before 4:00 a.m. and when crews arrived they confirmed the structure fire. Lubbock Fire Rescue said crews initially started "defensive mode" and declared the fire was "under control" around 5:30 a.m. At this time Lubbock Fire Rescue said no injuries were reported. The Lubbock Fire Marshal was on its way to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.  

Dramatic video from Middletown Fire Company shows Delaware County's Water Rescue Task Force saving a man's life after getting trapped during the height of Tuesday night's storm. "He phoned 911. All he was able to tell us was he lived off Flora Lane in Upper Chichester Township," Director of Delaware County Emergency Services, Timothy Boyce, described an emergency phone call. The 20-year-old, identified by a family member as Joel Bryant, reportedly checking out what he thought was a fire in his neighborhood and wound up surrounded by water as the Marcus Hook Creek turned into a raging river by Riviera Drive just before 11 p.m. Tuesday night. "At the time, the water was so strong," Boyce said.  

VIDEO: A large salary increase comes in with the new year after Myrtle Beach City Council approved a $4.9 million budget adjustment. It was approved on first reading in November. Since then, they approved a second and final reading. City workers — full or part-time, received their first 2024 paycheck last weekend. City council says after reviewing comparable cities and counties, Myrtle Beach's compensation was at or below market rates. Capt. Jonathan Evans with Myrtle Beach Fire Department says the new adjustment allows the fire service and police to be competitive and one of the top paid in the state. He says they were given another $5,000 across the board, making the new minimum starting salary for firefighters more than $50,000. Evans says the department currently has around 180 people, but they're hoping to recruit more.  

VIDEO: In 2023, the International Association of Fire Fighters added 571 names to the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Wall, and 361 of those names died from occupational cancer. "It's real. We have probably had 5 to 10 just in Illinois in the last 18 months succumb to the illness," said Chuck Sullivan, AFFI President. Over the weekend, the Sycamore, Illinois Fire Department laid to rest one of its own. According to Sullivan, Bradley Belanger, a firefighter and paramedic for the DeKalb County community, battled esophageal cancer until the end. "He never smoked. He never drank. He had been on the job for 20 years." The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found cancer is the leading cause of death among firefighters, and research suggests firefighters are at higher risk of certain types of cancers when compared to the general public.  

VIDEO: Bourbon is America's only native spirit, and around it has formed a billion dollar industry steeped in legacy and tradition. Brought by some of the first immigrants to the newly formed United States and developed to perfection in Kentucky, bourbon was born. In the decades that followed, a collection of ambitious entrepreneurs opened their own distilleries and put their unique twists on the classic formula. These businessmen and women passed down their secrets and recipes to the next generations, creating the bourbon families of Kentucky. Time held ups and downs for the whiskey dynasties, from the boom of the Industrial Revolution to the devastating impact of Prohibition. By the end of the 20th century, bourbon was booming once again, with sales on the up. But on November 7, 1996, a storm was brewing near Louisville, Kentucky.  

The Baltimore City spending board approved a new program Wednesday aimed at solving the city's emergency medical services shortage. Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said the city is down 80 EMS providers, and that number has increased. In June, firefighters union Local 734 president Matthew Coster said there were 74 vacancies. "We don't have the resources for the call volume," Coster said. Wallace said he hopes a new $7,500 retention and recruitment bonus will help fix the problem. "The market, if you will, for emergency medical services providers has become very competitive, both regionally and nationally. We're also very aware of the fact that the pool of candidates has shrunk significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic," Wallace said.