VIDEOS: A 96-inch water main broke on Thursday in east Houston, forcing several businesses and schools to close and residents of Houston being put under a boil water notice. It happened near the intersection of the East Loop at Clinton Drive. Soon after the water main broke, all lanes of 610 were closed in both directions and a nearby neighborhood was flooded. A boil water notice was issued for the entire city of Houston because of the break. Mayor Sylvester Turner said water pressure will continue to be low through Thursday evening, including in the downtown area and some portions of the Texas Medical Center, Midtown, Montrose, the Museum District, the Heights, Timbergrove and the Memorial Park area.  

Lubbock Firefighter Matt Dawson, who was injured back in January while responding to a crash on North I-27, is set to leave for Denver, Colorado to continue treatment. The facility Dawson will be transferred to, Craig Hospital, specializes in Traumatic Brain Injuries, and is said to be the top facility for this injury. KAMC News reports that Dawson will be in Denver around 6 to 8 weeks and will have around 5 to 6 hours of therapy every weekday. Matt's wife, Chanda Dawson, says that a group of fire department personnel will be rotating coming to Denver during this process. Here's what Chanda had to say about Matt's progress so far: "I want to share a few things about Matt's progress, which may be confusing to some, so I encourage you to research some of the terminology I will be using. Matt is in a stage called Post Traumatic Amnesia. He is able to wake up, he is able to talk, but it doesn't always make much sense..."  

"The phrase of the day is preparation, not panic," said Dr. Veer Vithalani, assistant medical director for MedStar. Fort Worth first responders are in prep mode as new coronavirus cases surface in the United States. The screening process starts when patients call 911. "So the main questions that we ask are, risk of exposure," Dr. Vithalani explained. Patients are asked if they've traveled to mainland China or places where the coronavirus is an epidemic, or if they've had close contact with a suspected coronavirus patient. "Right now, it's mainland China. As other countries develop epidemics, we would add those questionnaires," said Dr. Vithalani. "If a patient screens positive, it immediately notifies responding fire and ems personnel." That triggers specific protocols for protective gear, beyond what's normally worn for common cold or flu.  

Lockhart Fire Rescue's second fire station is officially open, operational and responding to calls. Fire Station No. 2, located at 1911 Borchert Drive behind Lockhart Municipal Court, held its official grand opening on Wednesday, February 26, celebrating the occasion with an open house and a ribbon cutting co-hosted by the Lockhart Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Caldwell County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The new station, which has access to Texas State Highway 142 (San Antonio Street) and is located near the Texas State Highway 130 toll road helps the city prepare to meet the needs of its growing population. The new station is approximately 2,600 square feet and houses fire administration, up to four fire fighters and three fire-fighting apparatus.  

A Lubbock school bus with no children on board caught fire and was shut down and smoking at 42nd and Avenue U, in front of Clapp Park Thursday afternoon (February 27th, 2020). Lubbock Fire Rescue's Public Information Officer told us an electrical short under the hood caused the fire. First responders were able to open the hood and put out the fire without incident. He also confirmed that there were no injuries reported. We were told the bus was on its way for end-of-day school pick up when this happened. Firefighters were in action at the scene dousing the fire, and smoke was still in the air when we arrived.  

The Longview Fire Department responded to a fire call around 7 a.m. The Shade Tree Ministry in the 2100 block of East Marshall Avenue had smoke pouring from the building as firefighters arrived. The fire was contained to one area of the building. Firefighters cut through the roof to get access to the fire and put it out before it spread to more of the building. A volunteer for the ministry says the area that caught fire housed most of their donated items which they distribute to those in need. Shade Tree Ministry volunteer Bobby Crenshaw is glad the fire didn't burn long, but smoke and water damage affected "A room full of clothes, and of course smoke damage throughout the building," Crenshaw said. "Baby clothes, women's clothes, men's clothes, jackets, coats, socks, diapers, towels, sheets; everything," Crenshaw revealed. But the first priority is to save what he can. "Seal the roof; keep the water out and just fellowship together,"  

The scene is disturbingly realistic: Two men lie on the floor with very convincing fake blood pooling around them. Others in the room are screaming in fear. A siren is heard in the distance. Several men and women arrive with stretchers and medical gear to treat the "wounded," while two men pose as police to attend to the upset onlookers, who shout, "That's my friend!" and "You're not working fast enough!" This is just one of the scenarios that the Black Fire Brigade's EMT program uses to prepare students for work on the job. "This is what they're gonna see," explains Stanley Williams, a 34-year Chicago Fire Department veteran and director of education for the Black Fire Brigade. "If we just show them a couple videos they probably will get on the scene and they could freeze up on you. Because it's pretty dramatic. You have dogs running through the scene, sirens, noises. We're just really trying to give them a taste of what to expect. We want to turn out the best people."  

Local and state leaders are preparing for COVID-19 like they would a hurricane. The local emergency operation center is now active in Jacksonville ahead of a potential coronavirus outbreak. While there are currently no cases in Florida, local and state leaders said now is the time to be prepared. Our firefighters and paramedics are the first line of defense, along with health care workers. They'll likely be the ones to transport someone showing COVID-19 cases. Today, they got a chance to meet with Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis to discuss preparedness. The Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker was displayed up on the screen during the Firefighter Coronavirus Preparedness Roundtable at FSCJ's downtown campus Thursday. "This is no different than pre-staging for hurricane," said Patronis. Mayor Lenny Curry said all hands are on deck.  

An interest arbitration board reached a decision Tuesday regarding the FY19 firefighters' contract, awarding an across-the-board wage increase of 2.25 percent for the July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019 agreement, Mayor Joseph J. Solomon announced Wednesday. The decision puts to rest the final issue related to negotiations that had been ongoing since the prior contract expired on June 30, 2018. Last month, the city and Union ratified a new, cost-neutral three-year agreement that extends from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2022. As part of those negotiations, the parties agreed to withdraw all proposals in the matter of the 2018-2019 contract except for wage increases. The union initially sought a 4 percent increase, which was later revised to 3 percent.  

New Jersey officials have issued a $108,000 fine to a Burlington County ambulance squad after finding the crew drove an ambulance to 90 emergencies even though the vehicle was not licensed through the state's Department of Health. Shamong Medical Services, which is part of the Indian Mills Volunteer Fire Company, responded to those calls between Oct. 7, 2018 and Oct. 9, 2019, according to a Feb. 19 notice from the state to EMS Chief Dave Taylor. The squad is licensed to provide basic life support within the state and operates two vehicles that are licensed with the state, according to the notice. However, an audit prompted by an anonymous complaint found a third ambulance "responded to 90 emergency assignments over 72 days, even though (the ambulance) was unlicensed (through the state health department)," the notice states.  

Maybe it's finally time to recognize the 699 New York City firefighters who battled the famous New York City Telephone Company fire 45 years ago today. Nearly 700 men fought the awful five-alarm inferno that broke out in the early morning hours of Feb. 27, 1975 at the telephone company's switching center on Second Ave. and 13th St., what is now the Verizon Building. Some call it the worst fire before 9/11. For those who have forgotten, the local news reports of the day will remind us. A short circuit in a basement cable vault early that morning sparked a fire of polyvinyl chloride-sheathed cable that engulfed the 11-story building in flames. That PVC cable burned throughout the early morning and into the next day, releasing cancer-causing toxins throughout the East Village.