VIDEO: Last year, ABC7 introduced you to Patrick McDermott, a retired firefighter who was in desperate need of a kidney. On Tuesday night, we are happy to report that he now has one. Patrick underwent kidney transplant surgery a few weeks ago, and he is doing well.

He is crediting his wife for encouraging him to put his story out there and ABC7 viewers for stepping up to help save his life. “My faith is always with me,” Patrick said. “I have to look to God every time I get up before I put my feet on the ground.”

Overcome with gratitude and a new appreciation for life, Patrick has a new organ in his body. His kidney transplant surgery was a success. “I’m feeling better than I felt, and that’s a blessing,” Patrick said. “I feel like it’s a second chance.”

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This weekend at the DAYTONA 500, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, in partnership with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety and Carvana will wear a new “Helmet of Heroes” honoring America’s fallen firefighters.

Often when asked what he might have become from a profession standpoint if not a racecar driver, Johnson points to firefighting—a calling shaped by his upbringing in El Cajon, Calif., a community deeply impacted by major wildfires. That lifelong respect for courage, service, and sacrifice is at the heart of this weekend’s tribute.

“Growing up in El Cajon, I saw firsthand how much firefighters mean to their communities,” said Johnson. “I’ve always said that if racing hadn’t worked out, I would have wanted to be a firefighter. The courage, selflessness, and commitment it takes to do that job is something I deeply respect. The ‘Helmet of Heroes’ is about honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice and standing with the families who continue to carry their legacy every day.”

Through the Helmet of Heroes program, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is honoring the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), which was created by the U.S. Congress to honor fallen firefighters, support their families, and reduce line-of-duty deaths and injuries.

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PHOTOS: A massive four-alarm fire tore through a Queens home Monday, killing a woman and injuring eight others, including a young man left fighting for his life, according to local authorities.

The raging inferno broke out around 6:44 p.m. on the first floor of a residential building on Dongan Avenue between Poyer Street and Broadway in Elmhurst, according to the FDNY.

A 34-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene of the blaze and a 22-year-old man was rushed to an area hospital in critical condition, police said. Five other New Yorkers and two firefighters suffered minor injuries, according to police and fire officials.

Firefighters’ battle to quell the flames continued into Monday evening, with photos showing towering orange flames consuming the building and powerlines and spreading smoke to neighboring homes.

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PHOTOS: The New Hope Eagle Fire Company has announced the return of its 1951 Mack LS85 engine following a 10-month “frame-up” restoration by Lee’s Emergency Equipment.

The 75-year-old truck, which the company voted a Life Member, is now fully functional and capable of driving and pumping water, the company reported on its Facebook page.

The Mack engine will be used at company and community functions starting this spring, the firefighters said.

The initiative to restore the Mack was championed by Eagle Fire Company Life Member Fred Williamson, who wanted to see the engine restored as close to its original delivery appearance as possible. Williamson passed away last January and never got to see the restored engine.

The New Hope Eagle Fire Company expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed to its “Bring Back the Mack” fundraising efforts. They also thanked everyone who assisted with the project and noted Williamson’s dedication to the effort.

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VIDEO: Two Hollywood firefighters —usually known for fighting fires and saving lives —are also cooking up some delicious meals to serve their community. The duo from Fire Station Number Five is getting quite the reputation at the firehouse, as they are feeling the heat in the kitchen when it comes to cooking for their colleagues.

“This is the best job in the department. I get to come in and cook for these guys. I’ve been in the kitchen my whole life,” said Michael Donadio. Donadio, one of the fire truck drivers, goes all out, whipping up meals and feeding his crewmates lunch and dinner every day.

But he’s not alone. He gets some help from his sous chef, Perry Colato. “So at our station, Station Five, we’re downtown, we have 13 guys every day, sometimes we have a lot of big eaters, so we gotta make sure we have enough food for everybody,” said Colato.

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VIDEO: A large fire on the south side of the square in Fayetteville has destroyed much of a building that housed several downtown businesses.

The fire took place downtown on Market Street East on Sunday in the early morning hours, the Fayetteville Police Department said. The fire was reported out at 1 p.m.

The Skin Refinery posted video of the fire on their Facebook page and talked about their “shock and devastation” after hearing about the fire in the building their business is in.

Fayetteville Mayor Donna Hartman said she arrived to the fire at 3 a.m. after getting word. She confirmed firefighters were injured battling the blaze.

The mayor also said the City of Fayetteville stands with the business owners who face the long road to rebuilding in the weeks and months ahead.

Multiple agencies responded, including the Fayetteville Fire Department, Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency/Lincoln County Volunteer Fire Rescue, Huntsville Fire Rescue and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

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VIDEO: The Wichita Falls Fire & Police Museum and team have restored a fire truck from 1947, rich with local history.

The sound of the horn of the vintage fire truck represents a symbol of history and reflects a restored past.

The sound of the bell, it represents all the vintage fire trucks in the fire and police museum that honor the fire department in Wichita Falls.

“We brought it back to the museum, we towed it over here, had the transmission and the engine serviced, and we did a little bit of the cosmetic work to get it back to the midwestern state. It took us about two years to actually get the truck to where we received it from MSU, back to a football game,” Brad Corley said.

Corley, the president of the Wichita Falls Fire and Police Museum, said the museum has a large collection of fire trucks.

“Any history through the police and fire, we were willing to get, and so we spent about six years just going all over Oklahoma and Texas and getting our trucks and having some brought back. We’ve even been to Indiana and brought back one of our trucks, and so we have a large collection of macks,” Corley said.

Their goal is to acquire Wichita Falls’ original fire trucks and preserve their history. Now, the 1947 fire truck stands intact, representing MSU and our community.

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BMW North America is recalling nearly 90,000 vehicles due to an engine starter issue, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Saturday.

The NHTSA said the recall involves 87,394 vehicles in the U.S. and is tied to an engine starter that may overheat, posing a fire risk, according to Reuters.

Dealers will replace the engine starter at no cost to owners, the NHTSA said.

The announcement comes after BMW recalled more than 145,000 vehicles in the U.S. in October over a starter defect that could overheat and spark a fire.

In September, BMW recalled 200,000 vehicles due to a similar issue, bringing the total number of affected vehicles to more than 341,000.

Those recalls affected certain 2019–2025 vehicles across six models, including the 2020 340i, X6, 2020–2025 840i, 2020–2022 740Li, and 2019–2020 X7 and X5.

Multiple automakers have issued recalls in recent weeks, including Chrysler, which earlier this week recalled more than 450,000 vehicles and more than 2,000 tow-trailer modules because of a brake light failure that could increase the risk of a crash, the NHTSA said.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: A house was destroyed by a fire overnight in Broadview Heights.

Crews responded to a home on Oakwood Trail just after 1 a.m. on Friday.

Police believe everyone made it out of the house safely, but fire crews battled intense flames that spread through the home.

Firefighters from multiple departments were called to assist.

There’s been no word yet on what started the fire.

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VIDEO: It is a statistic the San Antonio Fire Department is beyond proud to announce: no firefighter has died from cancer since 2023.

It is a big decrease from the eight deaths reported from 2013 to 2023.

“I was with the hazmat team when I first started out, with the chemicals and what have you,” Lt. Carlos Esquivel said, who has served with the department for 25 years.

Four years ago, Esquivel showed up to the firefighter wellness fair, which offers cancer screenings.

“The fair, it caught my cancer. I had melanoma. I was able to take care of it,” Esquivel said. “It’s one of the quickest spreading cancers, so if you don’t catch it, if we wouldn’t have had this fair, I don’t think I’d have gone to a dermatologist.”

When it was mentioned that the outcome could have been different, he said, “Yes, you’d be talking to my wife.”

In 2018, KSAT interviewed the wife of firefighter Todd “Woody” Woodcock, who died of cancer in 2016. His death prompted changes that KSAT has been covering for the past eight years.

SAFD started changing cleaning and equipment protocols. KSAT even got a look inside the program that swaps out dirty gear after fires. Those big changes became a model for departments in other cities.

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A Lake Forest Paramedic/Firefighter will be trading in her fire helmet for stripes, hockey pads and ice skates after she was named an official Hockey Referee for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy.

Sam Hiller, who has previously refereed Chicago Wolves games at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, was one of 10 females from the United States chosen to work as a hockey official at the Olympics, the city of Lake Forest announced on their Facebook.

“By day, she rushes into burning buildings and saves lives in our community,” the city announced. “Come February, she’ll be making split-second calls on the world’s biggest stage as the best hockey players on the planet compete for Olympic gold.”

The city said Hiller embodies dedication, quick thinking, and composure under pressure that defines both professions.

“Whether it’s a five-alarm fire or a five-on-three power play, she stays cool when things heat up,” officials continued.

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VIDEOS/PHOTOS: Firefighters were out Wednesday night and into Thursday morning battling a fire that broke out in a Dickson City hospital.

A Dickson City Fire Chief stated that crews were called to the Lehigh Valley Hospital in Dickson City for a structure fire just before 10:00 p.m.

He stated that after seeing the fire from the highway, he called in additional units from the surrounding area to help fight it.

Flames could be seen pouring out of the building as crews responded to the blaze.

The Chief states that the Orthopedic unit is a total loss, and that the cause of the fire is under investigation by a Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal.

Officials say there were no injuries, but that more than 70 patients were transported to hospitals and facilities across the area and that all EMS services within a 50-mile radius were utilized.

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VIDEO: The Scottsbluff Fire Department is ready to let go of its last fire engine that drove the town nearly a century ago.

The 1929 Red American La France Fire Engine was one of the Diamond T Chassis that served the community of Scottsbluff for nearly 40 years.

After retiring it’s recorded 2,965 miles of service in 1960, Scottsbluff Fire Chief Tom Schingle tells Wyoming News Now, the five foot tall and 27-foot-long timepiece is ready to make room for present day equipment, which has led to its listing on the auction market.

Scottsbluff Fire Chief Tom Schingle says, “Its primary function was strictly fire. Carried a hose, carried a little bit of water and that was about it. They really were kind of the center piece of a lot of towns, especially in that early time period. A lot of vehicles were all painted black and fire trucks were painted red, so they stood out.”

While fire rescue vehicles today and the ninety-six-year-old La France both serve the same purpose, fighting fires, Scottsbluff Fire Chief Tom Schingle says the six cylinder was able to meet community demands of the mid-20th century.

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VIDEO: Housed in the nearly 100-year-old Tulsa Fire Alarm Building, the Tulsa Fire Museum is developing a long-term interpretive plan that leaders say will guide smart growth and broaden public education efforts.

Local leaders say the effort comes at a critical moment as the museum outgrows its space and collection storage.

The Tulsa Fire Alarm Building was constructed in the 1930s and served as the city’s emergency communications hub, operating what was effectively the 911 system of its time.

Fire alarm boxes placed on street corners transmitted alerts to the building, which then dispatched fire trucks across the city.

The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is believed to be the only Art Deco building in the world built exclusively for firefighting operations.

Mike Ward, chair of the Tulsa Fire Museum, said the building has always been about service. “It was built as a building of service to firefighters and citizens,” Ward said. “That’s still what we’re doing today through history, education and community outreach.”

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VIDEOS: A large fire at a Nashville marina damaged more than a dozen boats and a dock on Tuesday morning.

Massive plumes of smoke and rolling flames enveloped a dock at Elm Hill Marina on Percy Priest Lake just before 7 a.m. after flames from a houseboat fire quickly spread at the marina.

When the Nashville Fire Department responded to the marina at approximately 6:50 a.m., they found a houseboat “fully involved with smoke and flames.”

“The vessel was docked in its slip, and the fire had already extended to several nearby boats,” a press release from NFD said.

Firefighters immediately worked to contain the flames, “stretching a handline the length of the pier and utilizing a tank-to-tank water supply due to the absence of fire hydrants within the marina.”

Marine Operations and Office of Emergency Management units joined in the battle against the blaze from the water.

“To help protect the surrounding environment, a special request was made for more than 1,000 feet of containment boom to control fuel and runoff from the damaged vessels,” the fire department reported.

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VIDEO: Every year, the city of Syracuse remembers those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

In 1939, a devastating fire helped forever shape the community’s commitment to safety and well-being.

A bell tolled 46 times on Tuesday at Syracuse’s Fayette Firefighters Memorial Park, a reminder of the 46 lives that were lost in the line of duty.

“That bell, it’s heart wrenching,” Syracuse Fire Chief Michael Monds said. “Their sacrifice is permanent and our obligation to remember them is permanent also.”

The Collins Block Fire of 1939 is the deadliest fire in Syracuse firefighters’ history.

“It’s the largest single loss of life in the history of the city. Nine firefighters passed away, eight of them that day,” Onondaga Historical Association Curator of History Robert Searing explained.

On Feb. 3, 1939, SFD responded to a fire at the five-story tall Collins Block. It was nearly empty except for one restaurant on the first floor.

Within two hours, the roof to the cellar collapsed, taking eight firefighters down with it and trapping them.

“You could hear the cries of the men underneath the rubble, so you can just imagine the terror of the scene,” Searer said, while looking back at old newspaper clippings.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: Caleb Chabolla, a 9-year-old Plainfield boy, is on the mend two weeks after putting a simple toy in the microwave.

In a matter of seconds, it exploded, causing burns to his face. “He was crying and just yelling, ‘It burns, it burns,'” said Whitney Grubb, Caleb’s mother.

Whitney says her son’s Needoh Cube had burst. Inside the popular sensory toy, a thick, gel-like substance became hot because of the microwave and stuck to his face.

“The right side of his face was kind of melting off, basically,” Whitney said.

Caleb says he doesn’t remember much after his Needoh Cube exploded. But he does remember where he got the idea to put it in the microwave.

“It’s like a stress toy. I didn’t know it was a trend on TikTok before, because my friend did it before, but she didn’t get hurt,” Caleb said.

The idea is to warm up the toy and make it more pliable. Caleb’s mom says her son didn’t hear about it directly from social media, and yet, her son still wound up the victim of a dangerous trend.

“These people don’t know the repercussions of what these challenges and goofy trends can do to kids, especially the younger ones,” Whitney said.

Loyola University Medical Center says Caleb is the fourth case they have seen this year involving Needoh Cubes.

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VIDEOS: Three firefighters were injured, one seriously, after a natural gas explosion led to a fire Monday at a commercial building on Amherst Street in Nashua.

Officials said none of the injuries were considered to be life-threatening.

One firefighter was released from the hospital, while the other two remained hospitalized overnight.

The fire happened at the Greater Nashua Mental Health building at 440 Amherst St.

About 40 people were working inside when a ruptured natural gas line was reported around 2:15 p.m., according to fire officials.

Nashua Fire Chief Steve Buxton said workers evacuated after smelling gas and hearing a hissing sound.

Investigators believe no one was inside when the building caught fire. Fire Marshal Sean Toomey said there was no active fire when crews arrived to investigate the reported gas leak.

Some firefighters became trapped for a short time after a small explosion, but were able to get out.

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A new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has identified clear occupational factors and demographic indicators associated with elevated serum levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances among U.S. career firefighters.

This research from University of Arizona and Arizona State University researchers, based on data from the Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study, provides vital insights into the factors that influence PFAS body burdens in this essential workforce.

Understanding the predictors of PFAS accumulation is a critical step toward protecting their long-term health.

The study shows that fireground practices and departmental protocols significantly influenced PFAS levels, with certain routines related to handling contaminated equipment and personal protective gear associated with higher blood serum concentrations.

Demographics and lifestyle characteristics, such as years of service, rank or role within the fire service, and personal behaviors, also predicted PFAS levels.

These findings highlight that both workplace and personal factors contribute to overall chemical exposure.

This evidence suggests that modifications in decontamination procedures, gear storage practices and routine operational policies may reduce exposure to PFAS among firefighters.

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PHOTOS: The Broward Sheriff’s Office rolled out its new Airbus H145 helicopters at the agency’s hangar at the Pompano Beach Air Park.

It was a chance for an up-close look by reporters as Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue (BSFR) begins deployments of the two highly-sophisticated fire and air rescue helicopters for operational missions.

The media preview marks a new chapter for BSFR following the tragic crash in September 2023 in nearby Old Pompano, killing BSFR Captain Terryson Jackson, and a resident on the ground, Lurean Wheaton.

BSO took delivery of the helicopters, which cost roughly $15 million a piece, in December 2024 and May 2025. Since then, BSFR crews have been undergoing specialized training in airborne firefighting and rescue operations.

BSO officials said one of the capabilities of the new helos – unavailable in the agency’s older craft – are their powerful lifting capacity.

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