Plano announced the promotion of Chris Biggerstaff, assistant chief of emergency services, to the position of fire chief on Dec. 9. Biggerstaff will take the helm of Plano Fire-Rescue from Chief Sam Greif, who was named deputy city manager in November. Plano City Council is expected to ratify Biggerstaff's appointment at its Dec. 13 meeting, and the new chief will assume his duties Dec. 20, according to a city news release. "Plano Fire-Rescue will continue to define excellence in the fire service," City Manager Mark Israelson said in a statement. "The chief sets the tone and vision for the department and we are excited that the best candidate to be the next fire chief in Plano was developed through the PFR ranks. Chris Biggerstaff is uniquely qualified to take the role as chief, and we have great expectations that he will keep PFR as the model fire department into the future."  

PHOTO: New Deal volunteer firefighters were called to a fire inside the New Deal Fire Department, 105 East Main Street, just after 9:00 a.m. Friday. Images from the scene showed extensive fire damage to a truck inside the fire department. So far, there are no reports on injuries and officials have not yet provided further details. By the time a photojournalist arrived, the fire was extinguished.  

VIDEO: Rockdale Volunteer Fire Department converted an excess military tactical vehicle into a firefighting machine. The truck has a 500 gallon water tank, which increases their capacity to save lives and property in their community and the surrounding area. Rockdale Volunteer Fire Department has been serving their area since 1872 and we are so grateful for their service! The department has opened enrollment for volunteers and applications can be picked up at Rockdale City Hall.  

The City of Killeen is seeing neighborhoods pop up left and right, along with new streets and more commercial buildings too. As Killeen continues to see growth, like the rest of Central Texas, the Killeen Fire Department is in a bigger demand with the same resources they currently have. But as Killen Fire Chief James Kubinski says that has to change to avoid burnout while also being able to respond to a call quickly. "Every second counts when somebody calls 911," he says. Kubinski says the standard and acceptable time frame from when you call 911 to when the first engine shows up at your door, or the scene, is 6 minutes. 60 seconds or less for dispatch to tone out the crew, then 60 seconds for the crew to be rolling out the door. The last four minutes is left for drive time, making station location key.  

One person was injured after a helicopter explosion in McKinney Thursday evening, fire officials say. The McKinney Fire Department was called to the McKinney National Airport in response to the reported helicopter explosion. When MFD's Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting crew arrived on scene, the fire was extinguished. Witnesses told firefighters that a person was working on the helicopter and tried to lift off, when the helicopter tilted to its side and an explosion occurred, officials said. The person, who has not been identified, was able to self-evacuate from the helicopter, suffering burns. Crews transported the individual to a local hospital. Their condition is unknown at this time. The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified of the incident.  

Flames ravaged a home in Poteet, leaving a mother and son with nothing but the clothes on their back. Sentimental items were destroyed, and the family's service dog also perished as a result of the fire. Now, the community is returning the favor by helping a family known for supporting others. December 7 around 3 a.m., Jason Contreras woke up to see flames shooting out the back of his house on Royal Oaks Drive. "I heard a loud bang," he recalled. "I yelled for my mom. I helped her in her wheelchair and told her to get out of the house." Since March 2020, Jason has taken care of his mother Debra. She tells us she shot out of bed when she heard the loud bang, and began choking on the smoke filling her room. Firefighters arrived, but a problem connecting to a nearby fire hydrant slowed access to more water.  

A firefighter was rescued after falling through the floor as crews battled a massive house fire in Hudson, New Hampshire Thursday afternoon. SkyEye footage showed heavy smoke and flames engulfing the home on Greeley Street. The firefighter was brought to a hospital along with another firefighter who suffered smoke inhalation. Both were treated for minor injuries and released Thursday night. "We had heavy fire throughout the building," Hudson Fire Chief Robert Buxton said. "Crews mounted an aggressive attack, unfortunately we did have a mayday on the scene." Buxton said the firefighter was holding onto a hose when he fell through, so crews were able to trace where he was. "He fell through the floor, he was holding onto it, and his crew gave him a hand back out of the hole," Buxton said.  

PHOTOS: Birmingham Fire Chief Paul Wells has been boasting that most of the department's firefighters have some of the latest and greatest thermal imaging cameras built into their masks. He signed up for the city's firefighting duties about 25 years ago and was introduced to thermal-imaging cameras soon after. He remembers the equipment being much larger and more cumbersome. And it added to the approximately 60 pounds each firefighter hefted because of their gear, boots and helmet and, once they started sweating and dousing the flames, up to 20 additional pounds of water. With thermal-imaging cameras attached directly to masks, the firefighter's load is lighter and they more easily can detect victims and trouble spots. A lens on the side of the masks picks up the wearer's surroundings.  

It was 100 years ago that the McLean Volunteer Fire Department was first incorporated. Many things have changed since then, from development and population growth to fire and rescue technology and the involvement of career firefighters. But what hasn't wavered is the volunteer fire department's commitment to serve McLean and surrounding areas. The McLean Volunteer Fire Department is celebrating its centennial in 2021. The anniversary refers to its incorporation in 1921. The McLean fire station is known as Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Station 1 because it was the first in the county. Since then, it has been home to other firsts in the county: first county station to have a career firefighter, first with a female firefighter and first with an African American fire chief.  

VIDEO: On Thursday evening, large plumes of smoke could be seen around Tampa International Airport. Tampa Fire Rescue Airport Rescue Fire Fighting division (ARFF) hosted a training exercise so firefighters can respond to emergencies at the airport like a plane catching on fire. Emergencies do not happen often, but the training is necessary. Firefighters trained using a metal frame with wings on it which simulates an aircraft emergency. Firefighters battled flames produced by burning jet fuel. "It's a requirement per the FAA to be able to respond out to an airport/airfield incident. For example, possibly a crash or an engine fire, wheels on fire, things like that," said Chief Oren Hanson, Airport Fire Chief at Tampa International Airport.  

It's the holiday season, which means many people are in a giving mood. People give money, and people give gifts. What about someone who gave a part of their own body to someone they've never even met? Cicero firefighter Paul Coir and Perry Galloro are best friends and have been since they first met working as truck drivers back in 1999. "His personality is kind of unique," says Coir. "He has kind of a warped sense of humor and my wife will tell you, we're like two peas in a pod." That's why when Coir found out that Galloro needed a kidney, he didn't even blink. Unfortunately, they weren't a match, but there was still a way he could still help his friend while helping someone else. They discovered the National Kidney Foundation's paired exchange program. If Coir donated his kidney to someone else, they could ensure a kidney for his friend.