The Alamo Fire Department has appointed a new fire chief. Roman Candelario Flores is the new Fire Chief for the City of Alamo following a unanimous decision by the city commission and mayor Wednesday night. Flores has two decades of experience in firefighting and emergency response, making him a vital addition to our city's leadership team. "Chief Flores's wealth of experience and dedication to public safety will undoubtedly contribute to the continued safety and well-being of our residents," said Mayor J.R. Garza. "We are excited to welcome him to Alamo and look forward to the positive impact he will have on our community." The new chief holds an Associate of Applied Science in Fire Services Administration from Weatherford College and has earned numerous prestigious certifications from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, including: Master Firefighter, Master Fire Inspector, and Basic Fire Marshal, among others.  

VIDEO: A new state-of-the-art facility at Amarillo College will now better serve all of their first responder students. The new building will be located at Sunset Center on Plains Blvd in Amarillo. Previously, the fire, police and EMT programs were on different campuses on opposite sides of Amarillo. "The police, fire and EMS are all coming together; we're all under one roof now. We've got areas that the police can use to practice their tactical stuff. Of course, our students can practice being on standby when that happens," said Wade Olsen, director of the Emergency Medical Services Profession (EMSP) program, Amarillo College. The goal for putting all of these academies together under one building is to create a collaborative environment.  

VIDEO: As Central Texas children head back to school, first responders are making sure they're properly prepared to keep those students safe. On Thursday, an active attack training was held in Pflugerville. The training involved a simulation of a mass shooting involving children. Cpt. Trevor Stokes with Travis County ESD No. 2 said it's important to be prepared in the event of this type of situation. "These events continue to occur," Stokes said. "It's our ability to learn from them, adapt and be more efficient." First responders with ESD No. 2, the Pflugerville Police Department and Lake Travis Fire Rescue participated in the exercise. "These are the victims we are bringing out. They are getting triaged and putting [them] in an ambulance. As you see, we are bringing in another ambulance," Stokes said, describing some of the training.  

The Hutchinson Fire Department released a new video showing the intensity of a fire at a recycled mattress business on Tuesday. According to HFD, bystanders reported large amounts of smoke and fire coming from the business. Firefighters noticed a "large glow and smoke plume" as they left the station. The first crew on the scene reported heavy fire coming from the business and immediately took a defensive approach. The fire response was upgraded, and mutual aid from multiple agencies was requested. Firefighters encountered numerous hazards, including downed charged power lines, multiple explosions, high heat, and fire that spread to nearby businesses. A rehabilitation crew at the scene ensured firefighters stayed hydrated, checked their vitals, and continued fire suppression efforts.  

VIDEO: New mobile trailer technology offers firefighters new ways to train. Chiefs from across Western Pennsylvania gathered in Cranberry Wednesday to test them out. Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook describes what it means to be a firefighter. "It all comes down to protecting property and saving lives," Cook said. However, like any job, they too require training. Cook said it's even more the case as the environment they work in is constantly evolving as well. "The change in focus from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles has created a huge change in operations for fire departments over the last five, six years," Cook said. It's just one example and is why chiefs from 40 different agencies came together at Cranberry's Public Safety Training Center.  

PHOTOS: Fire trucks have always been a crucial part of our communities, helping to keep us safe. Over the years, certain historic fire trucks have gained growing interest among collectors and enthusiasts. This gallery shows 9 historic fire trucks that continue to captivate and inspire interest today.  

Samsung is recalling knobs on some of its electric stoves, warning that fires can be set off if pets — or even humans — bump into them. Several videos have shown pets accidentally igniting fires from jumping onto stoves and pawing at the knobs. A Colorado dog set off a house fire in June by doing just that, when the boxes on top of the stove caught on fire. It was all caught on the home's security footage. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said about 1.1 million units are affected. Samsung will provide free knob locks or covers for certain slide-in electric ranges with front-mounted knobs that were sold between 2013 and 2024. "This announcement follows reports that front-mounted range knobs can be activated through accidental contact by people or pets, posing a fire hazard if flammable objects are left on top of the range," Samsung said in a press release. CPSC is looking into fires caused by stoves due to pets jumping on them or humans accidentally bumping into them.