VIDEOS: The Saturday morning rescue of two people hanging off a radio tower in a hot air balloon was a combined effort of several agencies working toward a common goal. The Judson Fire Department didn’t have aerial rescue gear but did provide valuable logistical ground support in the operation.

Chris Jackson works for Longview Fire but is also Judson ESD 3 fire chief. On duty in Longview Saturday morning, he was one of those called about a hot air balloon. “They initially told us that there was a hot air balloon stuck. We were thinking probably in a tree or some type of high aerial. When we got on scene it was much more than that,” Jackson said.

They knew power to the tower had to be shut down because of the dangers. “Anything from electrical to also F.M. radiation that could come off the tower. So, anything we could do to mitigate, make that situation better, that’s kind of the process that we started when we first got there,” Jackson said.

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VIDEO: While lots of police departments use K9’s, it’s not often that you see firehouse dogs these days. However, a member of the Robins Air Force Base team traded wagging tails for wired processors.

Spot is the installation’s robotic dog created by Boston Dynamics. He cost the department $275,000 and is a monthly tool for the crew.

Spot is made of metal, but what he lacks in fur, he makes up for in functionality.

Using cameras and sensors, he can navigate through smoke, debris and hazards — giving firefighters critical information before they ever step inside a risky scene.

“We don’t have to get our guys in hazmat suits to collect air samples,” Beal explained. “Spot can go in first and give us everything we need before we send in an action team.”

Each month, firefighters at Robins use Spot in hazardous materials scenarios. Crews can mount gas meters, oxygen sensors and high-resolution cameras on his back.

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VIDEOS: The pilot and passenger who miraculously survived a small plane crash in the icy Hudson River were in “good spirits” and cracked jokes after they swam to shore Monday night. The pair was found by first responders in Newburgh inside a waterfront warehouse, where they had changed into dry clothes they had found.

“The pilot was making jokes to us about the clothes he was wearing because they had taken clothes from the warehouse that weren’t theirs — obviously to get out of the wet clothes,” Carrie Massari-Carey, Assistant Chief at the Town of Newburgh Emergency Medical Services, told The Post Tuesday.

“They were definitely in good spirits.” Their Cessna 172 went down in the frigid river near New York Stewart International Airport around 8 p.m. — with the pilot and passenger swimming to safety in a feat Gov. Kathy Hochul called “another miracle on the Hudson.”

Video from the scene Tuesday morning shows the plane submerged in the river with its tail sticking out, surrounded by ice. Moments after the crash, first responders were deployed to the shoreline up and down the river to account for the strong current that could quickly whisk away the plane and passengers.

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Officials say nine firefighters were hurt overnight when a rowhome collapsed as crews worked to extinguish flames that tore through a row of homes in the Wynnefield section of West Philadelphia.

Security camera footage obtained by NBC10 shows flames erupted at a rowhome along the 5300 block of Hazelhurst Street in West Philly’s Wynnefield community at about 10 p.m. on Monday night. That fire spread to neighboring homes and kept crews working to extinguish the fire busy overnight.

As crews were working to put out the fire, nine firefighters were hurt when a building “collapsed in a lean-to fashion from the second floor to the first shortly after the main body of fire was knocked down,” officials revealed in a statement Tuesday morning.

Several of the firefighters, officials said, alerted mayday situations as they were pinned by debris following the collapse. All of those who were trapped were removed and transported to area hospitals, officials said. All of the firefighters are in stable condition.

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At least four people were injured in a truck fire at a scrap yard in Houston’s Second Ward on Monday, fire officials say. According to the Houston Fire Department, crews responded to a call at about 4:20 p.m. on Monday at a scrap yard located at 499 Lockwood Drive.

SkyEye captured video of firefighters working to put out the blaze, as well as spraying a nearby building. Authorities said that at least four people were injured in the truck fire. Officials said it is currently unclear what sparked the blaze.

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Firefighters rescued a woman who crawled out of a second-floor window to escape a fire Tuesday morning at a South Los Angeles residence.

Video showed the woman facedown on a section of rooftop with a precarious hold onto an edge. Firefighters responded at about 2 a.m. to the scene near West 43rd Street and Broadway, where there were reports of people trapped and smoke coming from the second floor of the fourplex.

Firefighters raised a ladder to the woman on the roof and helped her down. One person was hospitalized, but details about that person’s condition were not immediately available. Firefighters ventilated the roof of the building and knocked the fire down in 39 minutes. Details about how the fire started were not immediately available.

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PHOTOS: A fire late Sunday night at a south Springfield apartment complex drew a large response from emergency crews.

Just before midnight Sunday, a fire broke out at the Pebblecreek Apartment complex at 2835 S Fort Avenue. It’s a multi-building complex between W. Sunset Street and W. Battlefield Road.

A witness on scene sent Ozarks First several videos and pictures, showing the roof of one of the buildings fully engulfed in flames. Multiple agencies were also on the scene of the fire.

Firefighters had several ladders propped up to try and reach the upper floors of the building.

Crews could also be seen using ladder pipe to douse the roof of one building, which was heavily involved. It’s unclear how many buildings were damaged.

Medical personnel were also on scene, although it is unclear if there are any injuries.

There is no word yet on a cause of the fire.

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VIDEO: For Women’s History Month, two former Bay area firefighters are being celebrated for paving the way for women.

Jenny Hayes was the first woman to be hired at the Lakeland Fire Department. And Betty Coleman was the first Black female firefighter to put on the uniform at Tampa Fire Rescue.

Both women were hired in the 1980s, when fire departments all across the country were actively recruiting women and other minorities.

“I mean, why not give us a chance?” Hayes said. “That’s how I saw it back then. I’m like, ‘If they’re going to give me a chance, I’m going to show them I can do it.'”

Hayes said a firefighter friend told her about the job. And once hired, some of the men had a hard time trusting her at first.

“You know, like, can she drag me out of a situation?” Hayes said. “I can definitely drag you, I may not be able to carry some of them, but I can definitely drag you.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association, women represent about 9% of firefighters nationwide.

But while the overall percentage may be low, firefighting has grown.

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PHOTOS: Hyundai Motor Group is continuing its efforts to protect the public and firefighters through the donation of four Unmanned Firefighting Robots designed for high-risk environments to South Korea’s National Fire Agency.

A donation ceremony for the remote fire suppression robots was held on February 24 at the National 119 Rescue Headquarters in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

The event was attended by key figures, including Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group; Sung Kim, President and Head of Strategic Planning Division of Hyundai Motor Group; Yongbae Lee, President and CEO of Hyundai Rotem Company; Seung-ryong Kim, Acting Commissioner of the Korea National Fire Agency; and Jin-ho Lee, Director of the Policy Coordination of the Korea National Fire Agency.

The Unmanned Firefighting Robot was developed in collaboration with the Korea National Fire Agency and is based on Hyundai Rotem’s electrified, multi-purpose unmanned vehicle, the HR-Sherpa.

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VIDEOS: A home in a Massachusetts city exploded and burst into flames earlier this week, leaving the structure fully engulfed by the time first responders arrived.

Emergency crews were called to the scene on Plain Street in Taunton around 10 a.m. Wednesday. Police and firefighters arrived within minutes, but the force of the explosion had already caused significant damage to the two neighboring homes as well.

The response was complicated by the more than two feet of snow that fell during Monday’s blizzard. The Taunton Police Department released new bodycam video on Thursday showing the moment when officers realized hydrants on the street were buried, slowing efforts to get water on the flames.

“Where are the hydrants? They’re all buried…Do you know where the hydrants are? … We’re f*!” one officer is heard saying in the video as the flames raged.

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VIDEO: Fire departments across the country are facing a difficult reality: fewer firefighters, tighter budgets, and more emergency calls than ever before. Now, one department in Wayne County is turning to new technology to help close that gap.

The Wooster Township Fire Department is among the first in the nation to use a new automated pump system, “Sam,” installed directly on one of its fire engines.

Traditionally, operating a fire engine’s pump panel requires a dedicated firefighter to manually control water flow, pressure, and valves during a fire response. The process is complex and highly hands-on.

“It’s a huge help because we have very limited staffing on duty, and then even when we do get a call, we’re relying on volunteers to show up,” said Fire Chief Dallas Terrell.

The automated system allows firefighters to manage water pressure more efficiently without requiring a full-time pump operator. According to developers at Idex Fire & Safety, the core technology used in many fire engines has remained largely unchanged for generations.

The post Meet ‘Sam’: The high-tech system changing how firefighters battle blazes in one Ohio county appeared first on Daily Dispatch.

A bill passed unanimously in the West Virginia House of Delegates protecting certain conversations between first responders and their peers.

The bill, House Bill 5086, allows police, firefighters and other emergency first responders to speak with “peer support team members,” usually their fellow co-workers, about stress or other topics that may come with the job.

HIPAA laws still apply when treating patients as health care providers, but conversations between co-workers outside of treating patients as a first responder were not previously specifically covered by West Virginia state law when it comes to how those conversations could be used in court.

Sponsor of the bill Del. Jonathan Pinson (R-Mason) says this bill is important to him.

“As a former police officer, I recognize the distress of the job. And I recognize that some of these calls that my coworkers, former coworkers, firemen, EMS, police officers, the stress that’s just compounding in them, for us to be able to unanimously stand together in the House of Delegates and say that we want to provide them this support, it means a lot,” Pinson said.

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PHOTOS: Fire and hazmat crews worked for hours on a blaze that broke out at a salvage yard in Spring Garden Township. The fire was reported at J&K Salvage, located at 1099 Kings Mill Road, just before 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to York County’s Office of Emergency Management.

It was initially reported that the fire broke out inside a building on the property and had also engulfed cars and tractor-trailers. The owner of J&K Salvage said the fire also impacted 20 300-gallon oil containers, the Office of Emergency Management wrote in a Facebook post.

Videos from nearby residents and the fire companies on scene show a cloud of thick smoke billowing from the fire. A tanker task force was requested around 2:18 p.m. to provide extra water, and just after 3:40 p.m., the agency said nearby schools and businesses had been made aware of the incident.

Dispatchers said York Area United Fire and Rescue was the main responding agency on scene, getting help from other local fire crews like Greater York Professional Fire Fighters IAFF Local 2377. The York County Hazmat Team and the foam unit were also on scene.

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Two San Antonio firefighters spoke to an international crowd of cancer researchers about their experience and efforts to mitigate occupational cancer risks to local firefighters on Thursday during a convention hosted by UT Health San Antonio.

Firefighters face higher cancer incidence and mortality rates compared to the general population, and occupational cancer is the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths for the profession, according to the International Association of Fire Fighters.

In partnership with the San Antonio Fire Department and the University of Miami Sylvester’s Firefighter Cancer Initiative, UT Health San Antonio launched the San Antonio Firefighters Cancer Prevention Program in 2025. The program’s goal is to better understand and minimize cancer risk among local first responders.

Over 70 SAFD firefighters have been diagnosed with cancer in the past decade, including leukemia, myeloma as well as brain, thyroid, colon, prostate and testicle cancers, according to UT Health San Antonio. SAFD was also one of the first fire departments in the world to launch a quartermaster program.

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: For almost 150 years, there has rarely been a time when a member of one family hasn’t been on duty.

With 10 firefighters across multiple generations, the McClelland family have clocked up almost 300 years of combined service.

Brothers Stephen and Raymond said their “childhood hero growing up was our father and our brothers” – the men who ran out the door whenever the siren sounded.

Now the latest generation are still answering the call, with one McClelland urging others to join as the fire service recruits more on-call firefighters.

The family’s firefighting history goes back to the 19th century, when volunteers started a fire brigade in Newry. First Officer Alexander McClelland was a founding member, in 1877.

In total, 10 McClellands – brothers, sons, nephews and cousins – have worn the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) uniform.

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A light haze continued to blanket parts of Greenville after a large industrial fire Wednesday morning. Multiple fire crews were called about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday to the commercial structure fire in the 200 block of Old Bleachery Road, according to the Piedmont Park Fire Department.

When crews arrived, they said they found a significant grass and commercial building fire. Crews contained the fire and were working to extinguish remaining hot spots.

They said a light haze was present in the immediate area [Sans Souci & Cherrydale areas] and could affect driving conditions and outdoor activities. A person who lives in the area said on Facebook that she was told to get ready to evacuate by the sheriff’s office.

“We were knocked on our door by sheriff’s office at 3:30 am and told to get ready to evacuate because of the fire. We cannot even see (block over from fire) and soot all over my white car. They said to avoid cedar lane and blue ridge drive at Swamp Rabbit Trail if possible.”

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VIDEO: When it comes to strokes and heart attacks, the Shreveport Fire Department’s response time is exceeding national expectations.

The Shreveport Fire Department has earned the 2026 Mission: Lifeline EMS – Gold Achievement Award from the American Heart Association for the second year in a row, recognizing its commitment to providing the highest level of pre-hospital cardiac and stroke care.

With more than 500 firefighters certified at least as an EMT, SFD Chief Medical Director Dr. David Janese says the award represents more than a title, it represents patients who lived because of exceptional care.

“It’s not just a title, it’s actual lives saved. We’re making a difference for people who call 911. There are some months where we have maybe 40 or 50 cardiac arrests in the City of Shreveport’s jurisdiction. That’s 50 potential deaths. In one month, we had 60% of our cardiac arrests brought back to life,” said Janese.

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A fire tore through a West Babylon apartment complex Tuesday night, injuring three and leaving about 50 residents homeless. The blaze broke out at the Fairfield Suburbia Gardens on Great East Neck Road just before 7:30 p.m.

The first fire hydrant that responders hoped to use was covered in snow, so they used an alternative, delaying water supply to fight the fire. One firefighter and two residents suffered minor injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital.

Two second-story apartments were extensively damaged, and 10 more apartments had water and smoke damage. It was not clear when any of the 50 displaced residents would be allowed to return to the building.

The Red Cross assisted 19 adults and two children across 12 apartment units. Others from the complex went to stay with family and friends.

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A massive early morning fire tore through dozens of boats docked at Marker 37 Marina along the Laguna Madre on Sunday, destroying what witnesses estimate to be the majority of vessels moored there just weeks before the start of the busy spring tourism season.

Officials confirmed no injuries were reported. The fire broke out before dawn at Marker 37 Marina, home to popular waterfront restaurants Snoopy’s Pier and Doc’s Seafood & Steaks. Assistant Fire Chief Tony Perez with the Corpus Christi Fire Department said crews arrived to find multiple boats already heavily involved in flames.

“Anytime a fire spreads we want to put a stop to that as fast as we can,” Perez said. “But unfortunately when we arrived it was already well involved with multiple boats already burning, so at that point it’s just trying to stop it where it is and prevent further damage.”

The cause of the fire remains unknown and the investigation is ongoing. Perez said investigators will work to determine where the fire started, noting that typically the area with the most significant damage is one of the first places officials examine when pinpointing a potential origin.

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VIDEO: Advanced technology played a key role in helping firefighters locate teens who were reported missing during the weekend. Firefighters say Saturday, a couple teenage boys, 17 and 15, got lost riding a side-by-side in a remote area off Gwinn Road in Glenwood near the Cabell-Mason County line, and high water flooded their-side-by-side. They were reported missing a little after 7:30 p.m.

Valley Fire & Rescue out of Apple Grove was among departments that responded. JT Tilton they got new, advanced drone technology last August through a grant. “It allows us to search wider and larger area much faster,” he said. Shortly after 10 p.m., a drone’s thermal imaging allowed Tilton to spot the teens by identifying their heat signature.

Tilton said they used GPS coordinates to guide ground crews from the Milton Volunteer Fire Department to the teens. Valley also provided live drone video feeds to Milton crews. Tilton said the search would’ve been incredibly more difficult without the drones. “In this case, the drones were an invaluable resource,” he said.

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