VIDEO/PHOTOS: The Central Fire Station in Taunton, Massachusetts is closing after 157 years of continuous service.

Built in 1869, it was the third-oldest fire station still active in the United States and the oldest continuously operated station, having never closed for any period of time.

Over the years, veterans of the Civil War, World War l, World War ll, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom all served as members of the Central Fire Station.

The station closed Wednesday morning as the department transitions to its new public safety facility for police and fire.

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VIDEO: A bagpipe and drum band in South Carolina is carrying on a tradition rooted in more than 170 years of first responder history.

The Coastal Carolina Shields Pipes and Drums is a service band composed primarily of fire and police personnel.

The tradition traces back to the mid-1800s, when most police officers and firefighters in New York City were of Irish and Scottish descent. Today, first responders of all backgrounds make up similar bands across the country.

Retired Yonkers police officer Bob Brown founded the band in Myrtle Beach. “It’s become such a tradition with the police department,” Brown said. “I just thought it would be something nice to bring down here.”

Brown serves as pipe major and is responsible for selecting the band’s music. Firefighter Jeanine Shelley has played pipes for 15 years and is a member of the band. She said Scottish and Irish immigrants brought the pipes to New York City and into fire and police service.

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PHOTOS: A massive fire broke out at a vacant church in Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington neighborhood on Tuesday evening.

The former Grandview United Presbyterian Church near Grandview Avenue and Kearsarge Street caught fire around 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

Smoke billowing high into the sky from the 3-alarm fire was seen from numerous spots in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Views of the Pittsburgh skyline showed a plume of smoke above buildings in Downtown, as Pittsburgh firefighters worked on the ground on Mount Washington to contain the fire.

The fire drew onlookers who watched as crews battled the smoke and flames. Pittsburgh Public Safety asked people to avoid the area as the fire ripped through the church.

The fire was brought under control just before 9 p.m. However, crews were expected to remain overnight to monitor hotspots.

“One of the big things is the size of this structure and the complexity of this structure,” Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Assistant Chief Matthew Davis said.

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VIDEO: When firefighters battle a blaze, they count on an important tool to knock down the flames. “The fire doesn’t go out until you have the fire hose spraying water out of it,” Fishers firefighter Scott Carr said. But when those fire hoses get old, they are retired.

“Fire hose has typically been thrown away in the past,” Fishers firefighter Rob Demlow said. “We had it laying around the firehouse back in 2018. It was getting ready to be thrown in the trash. We decided to come up with a different idea for it,” Carr said.

“We had a flag there. We wanted to replace it with something we thought was pretty cool,” Demlow said. So, they got old fire hoses and went to work. Their creative juices started flowing. The guys found a patriotic purpose for something that would have been thrown away and created a flag out of retired fire hoses.

When people caught wind of the flag art, orders came pouring in. The guys kept creating. “The couplings, those are pretty obvious. That shows that it’s actually the fire hose,” Demlow said as he works on a flag.

Flag after flag after flag — 160 so far and counting. The flags are now in businesses, bars and fire departments across the country. All of them are made of retired fire hoses. The two firefighters have created a nonprofit called Brotherhood Designs.

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Sacramento fire officials are taking a new approach to cracking down on illegal fireworks, using drones to identify violators and issue hefty fines in an effort to improve public safety.

This Fourth of July marked the first time the Sacramento Fire Department deployed its own drones and certified operators to monitor illegal fireworks activity across the city. Officials say the aircraft provided a bird’s-eye view, allowing crews to trace fireworks back to the exact property where they were launched.

The drones captured high-resolution video that investigators can use as evidence when issuing citations.

“We can record in very high quality with our drones. They’re very sophisticated drones,” said Sacramento Fire Captain Justin Sylvia. “We can record all that evidence and we can place on a Google map exactly what house it was.”

One of the department’s most significant enforcement actions involved a home in Del Paso Heights, where drone footage helped identify the source of illegal fireworks. Fire officials later issued a $100,000 citation tied to that location.

On the Fourth of July alone, Sacramento Fire issued 70 citations totaling approximately $300,000 in fines, according to the department.

Officials say this is a significant change from last year, when the department relied on drone operators provided by TNT Fireworks. By operating its own drone program, Sacramento Fire says it has greater flexibility during one of the busiest nights of the year while strengthening its ability to document violations.

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PHOTOS: Multiple agencies responded to a large fire in Wood County on Pemberville Road, according to officials.

According to Jerusalem Fire Department Chief Jim Wolfe, a structure fire at Pat & Son Towing and Recovery in the 25000 block of Pemberville Road in Lake Township required multiple jurisdictions and counties to respond to help contain the blaze at around 8:30 Monday night.

As of 9:43 p.m., Wolfe confirmed that the flames were still active on scene. Northwood Fire Department confirmed to WTOL 11 crews on scene that the fire is under control at this time and there were no injuries.

Flames could be seen from the Ohio Turnpike near the Pemberville Road exit as firefighters responded to the call. The building has been deemed a total loss, according to Lake Township fire officials.

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VIDEO: In 2020, NewsChannel 5 first shared the story. It was about Nashville Fire Department captain Tony Murrell and his sister Tabula Lowe.

At that time, Lowe had been diagnosed with kidney failure and was on a transplant list.

“My siblings, they decided to go and find out their blood types because that’s the first step in becoming a match,” Lowe told NewsChannel 5 in 2020. The perfect match was Murrell.

“He said, ‘Do you need a kidney?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Then it’s done,'” Lowe said in 2020. “My brother doesn’t just save lives in the fire department. He has this heart of gold.”

In 2023 Lowe died. Murrell wanted to do something in his sister’s memory, something that could help people.

A line stretched out to the door at the Belcourt Theatre. Guests walked down a red carpet and took pictures.

“I know everybody!” Murrell smiled, looking around the room. “These are all my friends, family, and co-workers, church people. They love me. They came out in bunches.”

Murrell has spent the past three years truly on a mission.

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VIDEO: An off-duty firefighter is being credited with saving the lives of three children after a boat capsized on Alvarado Lake, trapping them underneath the overturned vessel.

The Alvarado Police Department and Alvarado Fire Department responded to the reported capsizing, which involved nine occupants, according to a statement from the Alvarado Police Department. Officials said the boat flipped and trapped three children beneath it.

Jason Horne, a medic and firefighter with the Midlothian Fire Department with 20 years of experience, was nearby on the lake in his own boat with his 12-year-old daughter, Emilie, when a group of people frantically flagged them down. “I just saw him dive in,” Emilie Horne said.

Horne swam toward the capsized boat and went underwater to search for the children. “I went underwater, under the boat, reached up, seeing if I could grab anything, and I felt a life jacket,” Horne said.

He pulled a young boy out first, who was breathing. Horne then dove back under. “I took a breath, dove underneath the boat again, reached like I did the first time and I grabbed a leg,” he said.

That time, he found a little girl who was unresponsive. Horne climbed onto a flat portion of the capsized hull and began performing CPR while his daughter called 911. He said the girl began breathing.

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PHOTOS: Wood County officials held a news conference Monday morning to address a massive commercial structure fire in Parkersburg.

The Peoples Cartage, Inc. warehouse reportedly caught fire Saturday morning and rekindled Sunday. Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency as firefighters coordinated suppression efforts, a move that authorizes agencies state agencies to provide assistance.

Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard said more than two dozen agencies have responded to the scene and the blaze has been contained. Woodard said about one third of the fire has been put out and emergency crews are expected to remain on scene for several days.

“Within hours, we had state officials, the governor and elected officials working together,” Woodyard said. “There was no disorganization at the scene.” Law enforcement worked to create a perimeter around the warehouse, closing roadways to local traffic and clearing a path for emergency vehicles.

Excavators are being used to open up the structure, providing access to firefighters. Tankers and high-capacity pumps have been bringing river water to the building.

Officials said a firewall was able to prevent battery storage from being impacted by the flames. The warehouse also contained plastics, raising public health concerns.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: What was supposed to be a routine security detail turned into a harrowing maritime survival story for a group of New Jersey firefighters over the holiday weekend. On Saturday afternoon, members of the Carteret Fire Department Marine Unit found themselves tossed into the water after a whale suddenly surfaced directly underneath their vessel, sinking the boat.

The marine unit was on duty providing security for a local “Parade of Ships” when the unexpected encounter took place at the mouth of Raritan Bay.

Without warning, a whale breached directly beneath the crew’s boat. The impact was severe enough to capsize and quickly sink the vessel, leaving the firefighters stranded in open water. “The boat immediately took on water, and all firefighters aboard had to immediately abandon the boat within seconds of the strike,” Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman said in a Facebook post.

A nearby jet skier and a civilian boat witnessed the capsizing and immediately rushed to the scene to pull the crew from the water.

None of the firefighters sustained injuries during the incident. Officials say every member of the marine unit was wearing a life jacket, which kept them afloat until help arrived. The boat suffered “catastrophic” damage, according to the mayor.

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Flames tore through the roof of a vacant South Side building early Sunday morning. The Chicago Fire Department responded to the warehouse fire around 3 a.m. near East 25th Street and South Wabash Avenue in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood.

People who live nearby woke up to see that building, which is under construction, on fire. Video captured massive flames and heavy smoke billowing from the warehouse.

Firefighters used several hoses to battle the flames, which were extinguished just after 4 a.m. Crews were still on the scene putting out hot spots at 6 a.m.

No injuries have been reported. What started the fire was not immediately clear.

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VIDEOS: A fire destroyed a home in a north Sacramento on Wednesday, video from LiveCopter 3 shows.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said the fire started in a trailer near Alamos Avenue and Belden Street in the South Hagginwood area.

The trailer fire spread to grass, a boat, garage and a house, officials said.

Video from LiveCopter 3 showed a large black plume of smoke and nearby homes threaten.

No injuries were reported in the fire and the cause is unknown.

Two snakes were rescued from the house.

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VIDEO: A Delaware bill aimed at strengthening criminal background checks for volunteer firefighters is moving through the General Assembly, but a newly added amendment would narrow who must undergo screening and who would be automatically barred from serving.

Supporters say Senate Bill 325 would close a longstanding gap in Delaware’s current background check process by requiring both state and federal criminal history checks for many volunteer fire company members.

According to the Delaware Volunteer Firefighters Association, Delaware has long required state-level background checks, but those checks do not capture criminal histories from other states.

“The Delaware fire service has been working hand-in-hand with legislative sponsors for several years to get this background check policy right, and SB 325 strikes the exact balance we need,” Executive Manager Jay Jones said in a statement.

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VIDEO: Atlanta Fire Rescue officials are urging FIFA Fan Festival Atlanta visitors to take precautions after responding to hundreds of heat-related medical emergencies.

Since the Fan Festival opened, Atlanta Fire Rescue has responded to more than 700 medical emergencies, with more than 80% of those incidents being related to heat-related illnesses, according to Fire Chief Roderick Smith.

Smith said many visitors underestimate the impact of Atlanta’s humidity, which can make it more difficult for the body to cool itself.

“Many people come to the Atlanta area and they are prepared for heat, but they are not prepared for the humidity,” Smith said. “The humidity prevents your body from naturally perspiring and warding off the heat.”

To handle the large crowds, Atlanta Fire Rescue has a medical response team inside the Fan Festival.

Fire officials are encouraging fans to stay hydrated before arriving, drink water throughout the day and limit alcohol consumption, which can contribute to dehydration.

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Milwaukee firefighters were battling a massive fire at Lincoln Avenue School on the city’s south side Tuesday morning.

The fire alarm went off just before 3 a.m. at the MPS elementary school near 18th Street and Lincoln Avenue. Firefighters arrived and initially tried to attack the fire from inside the building.

Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said crews were slowed by items stored in the hallways, making it difficult for firefighters to move through the school.

Crews eventually pulled out of the building because of the size of the school, the amount of furniture and items in the hallways, and the fire spreading on multiple floors.

By 4:30 a.m., the fire had grown to a 5-alarm fire. Officials said about 110 firefighters were working at the scene.

Video from the scene shows huge flames shooting from the roof of the building. Smoke could be seen for miles.

Crews from Milwaukee, West Allis, Greenfield and Greendale were assisting.

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Researchers have found evidence showing first responders who were dispatched during the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York City, and suffer from PTSD, are aging faster.

Researchers at Stony Brook University tested blood samples from 393 responders that were collected 18 years after the terror attack, according to a university press release.

Out of the sampled responders, 232 were diagnosed with PTSD and 161 were not. Between the two groups, 114 proteins and seven metabolites were significantly different.

In particular, the researchers detected changes in blood markers linked to brain function, immune activity, energy metabolism, protection against cell damage and how cells communicate and repair tissues.

Also reported were signs of accelerated biological aging in multiple organs — including the heart, kidneys, liver and lungs — among responders with PTSD.

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VIDEO: A training center is enabling Polk County firefighters to prepare for emergencies while supporting the area’s rapid growth.

Fire Captain Jon Hall is part of 1,000 men and women who make up Polk County Fire Rescue. He said the department is one of the busiest in Florida, but did not have a dedicated training space.

“We’ve had to borrow places from different organizations to train. Even something as simple as finding a fire hydrant to hook up to, sometimes we just had to find a field on the side of the road in order to do that training,” Hall said.

A new $16 million, state-of-the-art Polk County Fire Rescue training center is officially open in Winter Haven. The 30,000-square-foot facility sits on 15 acres and gives firefighters the ability to train entirely in-house.

“We now have a place that we can all come together. We can train repeatedly until you don’t get it wrong, until you get it perfect. And then when you transfer that to the field for the real emergencies, that’s where the fruits of your labor really show,” Hall said.

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VIDEO: A massive three-alarm fire gutted a historic church in San Francisco’s lower Pacific Heights neighborhood Monday afternoon, prompting evacuations and leaving the 134-year-old structure in ruins.

Despite the extensive damage to the San Francisco Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church, located at the intersection of California and Broderick streets, the San Francisco Fire Department reported no injuries or permanent displacements.

The blaze is now contained.

All evacuation and shelter-in-place orders were lifted by Monday evening. However, the area remained an active scene.

Firefighters were expected to remain on “firewatch” through Tuesday to monitor hot spots and prevent the fire from rekindling.

The fire broke out around 1:15 p.m. Monday, sending thick plumes of smoke wafting into nearby homes and forcing some residents to wear masks outdoors.

Eventually, some 100 firefighters were assigned to knock down the flames. The church, built in 1892, was constructed with a significant amount of wood and featured extensive void spaces that allowed the fire to spread rapidly.

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VIDEO: What started as a Facebook Marketplace listing has turned into a years-long passion project for Yuma firefighter Raul Carlos.

Carlos, who has spent the last 10 years in the fire service, found the vintage 1978 Pierce fire engine online and knew he couldn’t pass it up.

“When I saw it, the listing was posted maybe a couple days, and it was one of those where I knew I had to do it,” Carlos said.

The fire engine has a long history.

Originally built for a fire department in Ohio, it later made its way to Arizona, where several owners began restoring it before Carlos took over the project.

Despite its new purpose, the truck still operates much like a traditional fire engine.

“You have a captain, you have a driver, or what we call engineers,” Carlos explained. “All these switches control how you get water to your nozzles and your hoses.”

But inside the truck’s compartments, the story changes.

Carlos is converting the fire engine into a mobile tap truck featuring eight taps capable of serving everything from nitro cold brew and lemonade to mocktails and other specialty drinks.

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VIDEO: One firefighter was injured after a second-alarm fire tore through a commercial building in Midtown early Tuesday morning.

The fire broke out just before 4 a.m. inside a building on West 30th Street.

Video from the scene showed heavy flames shooting from the building’s windows as firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control.

A large emergency response converged on the area, with thick smoke billowing into the air.

Officials said the commercial building was unoccupied when the fire started.

One firefighter was injured while battling the blaze. Officials have not released the firefighter’s condition.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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