The city of Converse threw a party for the community in celebrating the city's recent designation as an ISO "1" rated city, the first in the region and one of only 57 in the state of Texas. Less than 1 percent of fire departments in the country have achieved the coveted 1 ISO rating, which signifies advancements in a station's service and adherence to several requirements for improved fire safety. The lower ISO rating — Converse had been a ISO-2 rated city since 2016 — means homeowners within the city's service area may be recipients of lower insurance rates on their homeowner's coverage. "It lets you know what kind of service you're receiving," Fire Chief Luis Valdez said last week, following the Jan. 18 community celebration and luncheon at Fire Station No. 1. It opened in January 2019, one of the catalysts for the rating change.  

VIDEO: Funeral services for longtime Tyler firefighter Stuart Weatherford were held Monday afternoon. Fire Captain Stuart Weatherford died Friday, Jan. 24, after a long battle with cancer. According to a press release from the Tyler Fire Department, Captain Weatherford worked out of Fire Station #8 on Shiloh Rd. in the southeastern part of the city. He joined the Tyler Fire Department in 1998 and was promoted to fire engineer in 2006 and captain in 2011. Weatherford also was active in community service, including a toy drive for the Salvation Army and the Tyler firefighters relief fund golf tournament." Weatherford was 57 years old. He's survived by his wife Kelly and four children. Weatherford's funeral service was held at 2 p.m. at Rock Hill Baptist Church, with interment at the Zion Hill Assembly of God cemetery, FM 1861 in Walton, TX, near Martins Mill.  

VIDEO: In the wake of last week's explosion at an industrial site in northwest Houston, firefighters were extra cautious going into a large fire at a clothing recycling warehouse overnight. HFD Deputy Chief Blake White said crews responded to the 7400 block of Mesa at about 9:30 p.m. Monday where the fire broke out. It was first reported as a hazmat scene due to the large amount of burning materials inside the L-shaped building. Firefighters were able to save a large portion of the building, identified as National Rag Clothing. White said they were extra cautious with the fire because of last week's explosion in northwest Houston. There were concerns Monday night's fire could involve hazardous materials, but crews later determined there was no hazmat situation.  

It's a new social media challenge that has kids mixing pennies, outlets and phone chargers and has been seen at Dalhart High School three times in the last week. "It's sad to say, but you could lose a life over it. If a small toddler did this or a child did this because they saw their brother or sister watching this on YouTube, Tik Tok, Snapchat, whatever it may be," said David Jones, Dalhart firefighter. The ‘outlet challenge' has kids plugging a phone charger into a wall leaving enough space to drop a penny in between the wall and the outlet. When the copper of the penny hits the prongs of the charger, a rush of an electrical current occurs. "When that metal object touches the top of the charger, you're typically going to have a breaker that would trip because that high end rush current, that breaker is designed to trip to keep that safe.  

The family of Lubbock Firefighter Matt Dawson says he continues to recover in a Lubbock hospital and is fighting hard while in stable condition. Dawson was seriously injured while working a series of crashes on North Interstate 27 on Jan. 11. He was the only survivor after a pickup truck rolled and hit him, Lt. Firefighter Eric Hill and Lubbock Police Officer Nicholas Reyna. Since that crash Dawson has been in the hospital recovering. His family says progression is slow but he is still fighting hard. In the previous statement provided by the family, Dawson had both legs operated on and the family was waiting for him to wake up. There has been no indication Dawson has woken up, yet.  

Firefighters pulled a critically injured woman from her burning South Dallas home early Tuesday morning. The fire started around 2 a.m. at the one-story home near Highway 175 and Metropolitan Avenue.Firefighters were able to pull the woman from the house and stop the flames from spreading to a neighbor's home. They were not able to save the woman's dog. She was given CPR and rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.  

Two Jacksonville firefighters stabbed by a patient in their ambulance are back on the duty and speaking about the ordeal for the first time. Three and a half months after a violent attack, Capt. Latorrence Norris and Engineer Vincent Harper said they were dangerously close to losing their lives at the hands of someone they were trying to help. The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department partners, assigned to Rescue 2 in Springfield, were taking a patient to the hospital in October when they said he started attacking them. The patient, whom the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office identified as 38-year-old Tony Harris, grabbed a box cutter from Norris and began to stab him with it, the firefighters said. First responders often carry box cutters or knives on emergency calls, in case they need to free someone from a seat belt or a rope.  

More than a handful of firefighters shared personal, powerful stories about the challenges they've faced while diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Their families and mental health experts joined them in asking Nebraska state senators to champion first responders and a new bill, which they say will help them better serve communities by providing guarantees and options for mental health treatment. Nebraska state Sen. Tom Brewer, who introduced LB 963, wrote the following language in the bill he introduced to the Business and Labor Committee at Monday's public hearing: "First responders face unique and uniquely dangerous risks in their sworn mission to keep the public safe. It is imperative for society to recognize occupational injuries related to post-traumatic stress."  

VIDEO: Operators at 911 centers across southern Arizona are screening calls for possible cases of coronavirus. The Arizona Department of Health Services confirmed the state's first case of the illness on Sunday, Jan. 26. The following day, experts offered resources and guidelines from NHTSA Office of EMS for first responders to limit their exposure to coronavirus. Before those emergency crews respond to a situation, 911 operators will ask some additional questions to people who mention respiratory issues. "There's already been one case here in Arizona and we're doing this for our providers safety as well," said Mike Thompson, Communications Center Manager for American Medical Response in southern Arizona. He said AMR teams across the country rolled out the safety measure Friday following a recommendation from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch and local medical directors.  

This Wednesday, Jan. 29, KRDO will once again team up with Shield 616 for an all day telethon. This time, it's to buy rifle-rated vests for Colorado Springs firefighters. KRDO has been working hand in hand with Shield 616 for years. Tonight, we're looking back at what the non-profit stands for, where it came from and what's next. A former Colorado Springs police officer, Jake Skifstad, had a vision. As a first-responder himself, he knew what they needed. As an officer with CSPD, Jake responded to two active shooter situations -- New Life and Planned Parenthood. "I tell people, when we strip off that badge, we're the same as you. We have the same stresses, the same emotions. We have families at home but we just have to train ourselves to go against human nature. And that's still hard. And it is terrifying sometimes."  

Pelham author Jeanne LaSala-Taylor has written a just-released children's book, "Just Bunny and the Great Fire Rescue." Based on a true story of her daughter's stuffed bunny being rescued from a burning building, this book provides a special thanks to firefighters everywhere for saving lives – and stuffed bunnies, too. LaSala-Taylor was also rescued from a fire in her apartment building in 2007, and wrote this book in recognition of the service and sacrifice of the brave men and women of the FDNY. Part of the proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit the New York Firefighters Burn Center Foundation. "Just Bunny" is Francesca's right-hand stuffy who has been with her through thick and thin since day one. Nothing can tear these two apart – except, maybe, a fire. Thankfully, one of New York's bravest is on the scene to prove that selfless acts of kindness happen every day.