Some Austin-Travis County EMS medics and area firefighters are starting to receive their COVID-19 vaccines this weekend. A city of Austin release said those who received their vaccine, who are some of the first in the state, started getting their first round Saturday. "To be invited to get vaccinations earlier than expected was an opportunity we could not (and would not) pass up," said Ernesto Rodriguez, Chief of Austin-Travis County EMS. "Getting the vaccines ahead of our expected timeline means that our hardworking EMTs and Paramedics will be able to safely care for Austin-Travis County residents all the sooner," he added in part. As part of Phase 1A of the Texas Department of State Health Services' vaccination plan, Austin Travis County EMS and the Austin Fire Department expected shipments of the vaccines for their front line EMTs, paramedics and firefighters to arrive later in December, with the goal of vaccinating personnel before the end of 2020.  

For the first time in its history, Hardin Fire and Rescue is shifting from a volunteer fire chief to a salaried fire chief position. The unanimous decision to hire a full-time fire chief was made late last week by the five-person Emergency Services District No. 7 board, which oversees the Hardin fire station. "With all the things going on and all the things we need to do, the time has come," said ESD No. 7 President Klint Bush. "The station already has two part-time paid firefighters and the chief position will be our third. We need someone who can commit full-time to the department and be on call 24/7." The decision in no way reflects negatively on the volunteer members who have led the department, Bush said.  

The McKinney Fire Department has a new ambulance specially designed to transport patients who are believed to have infectious diseases, including COVID-19. The city purchased the ambulance following a June McKinney City Council meeting. Council passed a resolution to use federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding to purchase the ambulance for an amount not to exceed $450,000. The ambulance arrived in McKinney on Dec. 14, according to a city news release. The Braun Liberty ambulance has features that include a filtration system in the air conditioning unit. Filtering the air helps prevent the virus from spreading through it and to medical workers, including the driver, the news release said. This ambulance is designed to make decontamination easier, officials said. The ambulance also comes equipped with an air curtain on the back doors of the medical unit that will keep the virus from spreading when the doors are open, the release said.  

A major grassfire on the city's Northeast Side Sunday led to frightening moments for nearby residents. According to the San Antonio Fire Department, dry conditions caused the fire to spread over 40 acres. Residents at the Heritage Nursing and Rehabilitation began to evacuate as a precaution, but because of heavy smoke, they instead were asked to shelter in place, a spokesman for SAFD said. Beth McClain said the fire was just behind her home. She was in Boerne but rushed home when her neighbor called her with the news. "Our houses are in danger right now. So I told myself, ‘Sister, I got to go,'" she said. McClain said her husband was using a water hose to wet the property line as an effort to prevent the flames from coming any closer. "My husband was already doing what he needed to do to protect this part." The SAFD spokesman said there was no property damage but McClain worries what could have happened to her home of 20 years.  

It started out "ruff" but ended great. On Friday afternoon, Austin firefighters helped rescue a dog who was scared, wet and cold after getting stuck 6 feet under a concrete ledge at Lady Bird Lake. According to the Austin Fire Department, a person called 911 after the dog ran under the ledge by the running trail under MoPac Expressway. Crews from Engine 10 and Quint 1 responded and found the dog standing in several feet of water. After several attempts to get the scared pup to come out, a pike pole with a throw bag was used to make a snare and snag the dog, rescuing it from the ledge. Rescuers could not locate an owner, so APD assisted in bringing the dog to the Austin Animal Center off Levander Loop in southeast Austin. On Saturday, Austin Pets Alive! said the dog had escaped its downtown campus on Thursday after getting out of two leashes while being walked. The dog's name is Hubbard, and he is available for adoption, Austin Pets Alive! said.  

The Laredo Fire Department recently received a new 2020 fire pumper. The truck will be replacing an older fire pumper. It was purchased with proceeds derived from available capital outlay funds. This fire pumper will be assigned to Fire Station #11, (5210 Hwy 359) and will be designated as Unit 3011. The activation of Unit 3011 was Friday, Dec. 18. The new fire pumper was built by Pierce Fire Apparatus in Appleton, Wisconsin with input from a select group of Laredo firefighters. The fire pumper meets the latest National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901 standards. This new fire pumper is the City of Laredo and Fire Departments' continued commitment to provide the community with the best service and response.  

VIDEO: Four firefighters in Routt County suffered minor injuries after the fire truck they were in rolled off 200 feet down a steep embankment. The crash happened on Saturday after the firefighters were leaving the scene of a garage fire. The West Routt Fire Protection District responded to the home on Peak View Court to find the back of a garage on fire. The flames did not spread to other homes, but did damage vehicles inside the structure and the garage itself. Firefighters extinguished the fire and began loading up their equipment. After they left, the fire truck rolled numerous times off the edge of Valley Drive. Officials say all firefighters were wearing their seat belts. Multiple agencies, including Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue and ambulances from West Routt Fire, responded. All four firefighters are expected to be okay.  

VIDEO: A paraglider dressed as Santa Claus was rescued after being caught in power lines in Rio Linda on Sunday. Santa was removed safely from the power lines near 7th Avenue after being trapped for over an hour, according to the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. SMUD, the Sacramento Fire Department and California Highway Patrol units in North Sacramento were called to the scene for assistance. The incident caused road closures in the area and power was shut off to a small number of customers so the rescue could be made. Sacramento Metro Fire said the way the parachute went into the lines and the way Santa was seated inside of the aircraft that was attached to the parachute helped avoid any conduction happening in the power lines.  

VIDEO: Flames tore through the rectory of a Townsend church early Monday morning, sending a priest to the hospital with burns to his hands, officials said. The rectory of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, at 20 Highland St., still had flames shooting from the roof just after 5 a.m. and fire crews from several towns were called in to help as the fire, which started just before 2 a.m., grew to four alarms. Townsend Fire Chief Mark Boynton said the priest was inside the rectory and heard the smoke detectors going off on the first floor. He used a fire extinguisher to try to put out the flames but the fire grew. The priest, whom officials have not named, suffered burns to his hands and was taken to the hospital but has since been released, he said. The second floor of the building collapsed onto the first as firefighters continued to put out hotspots.  

On Dec. 14, 1920, a shiny, new, red truck rumbled into Mount Vernon. It wasn't Santa's sleigh come to spread early holiday cheer, but was instead the newest addition to the Mount Vernon Fire Department — Skagit County's first motorized fire engine. "It was something new and different than what a lot of people had," said retired Mount Vernon firefighter Terry Hill. On Dec. 14, 2020, with a fresh coat of wax, some new running boards and a few other improvements, the department's vintage American LaFrance fire engine was rolled into its bay at the department's LaVenture Road fire station, its home for the past three decades. In honor of the truck's 100th birthday, Hill and fellow retired firefighters spent about 150 hours during the past month restoring it offsite before bringing it home where it will once again be displayed for the public.  

Many first responders in the Tampa Bay area say they won't take the coronavirus vaccine. Local fire and police departments conducted surveys about the coronavirus vaccine, and a significant number of first responders say they are not taking it or are undecided. "It's just so new and it's been so highly publicized and so highly politicized, I think for a lot of our members," said John Klinefelter, Clearwater Fire & Rescue Division Chief of Health and Safety. About 60% of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office employees who took the survey said they don't want to get the vaccine. St. Petersburg Fire Rescue had 56% respond "no" and a quarter were undecided. The Clearwater police survey showed 39% said no, 28% were undecided, and 32% said they would take the vaccine. Only 30 percent said yes at Clearwater Fire & Rescue.