Mesquite Fire Chief Mark Kerby is set to retire on September 30 to begin a new role as the city's Special Projects Director. Chief Kerby has been with the city since 1985 and has served as Fire Chief since 2003. "After 35 years in the fire service, I feel it is time to move to a different role with the City," Chief Kerby said in a statement. "We have recently completed several major projects in the Fire Department and I feel that this is a good time for a transition for both the City and myself. It has been a true honor to serve with the men and women of the Mesquite Fire Department. We have grown into one of the most respected fire departments in Texas and that is largely due to the commitment of the members of this department."  

COVID-19 has claimed the life of a Houston firefighter for the first time, and he'll be buried with full honors, said Houston Professional Firefighters' Association President Marty Lancton. Houston Fire Captain Leroy Lucio died Monday night after a month-long battle with the coronavirus. He served 29 years for the Houston Fire Department, and now he will be honored as having died in the line of duty. "This is something that Captain Lucio was exposed to while serving the citizens of Houston, and to his family and to his sacrifice we owe everything," said Lancton. The 62-year-old lost his battle with coronavirus COVID-19 after spending a month in the hospital ICU in San Antonio. "Captain Lucio checked himself into a San Antonio hospital about a month ago almost, and he was directly admitted into the ICU," said Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena.  

VIDEO: Emergency crews pulled a man who was trapped in a deep trench on the Northwest Side after about two hours of efforting on Tuesday. The man, a construction worker, fell into the trench while his crew was excavating near Galm Road and Swayback Ranch. He was waist-deep in dirt, officials said after the dramatic rescue. After San Antonio Fire Department crews were able to pull the man out of the hole, he was immediately transported to the hospital an Airlife helicopter. The unidentified man is in stable condition but may need immediate surgery, officials said. Crews used a crane to pluck the man out of the hole and then he was placed on a stretcher. He could be seen moving while on the stretcher. About five to 10 San Antonio Fire Department members lowered themselves into the trench to strap the man to a stretcher.  

Canyon Lake Fire crews have a new tool in their arsenal and it is the biggest one yet. The new truck could also save area homeowners some money. Stretching a whopping 60 feet, 3 inches long and with a ladder reaching 107 feet high, Truck 51 is the new Aerial Tiller for Canyon Lake Fire/EMS. "It's the first ladder truck for the community since 1964," said Fire Chief Darren Brinkkoeter. "The capabilities are not only just for putting fires out or rescue as the aerial pieces utilize for, we carry a multitude of equipment on it and it makes it a lot more versatile." The shiny red piece of equipment will help fire crews do their jobs more efficiently and it's expected to impact insurance rates later this year. The fire department improved their score with insurance companies in January and will be reevaluated once two fire stations open this fall.  

Hurricane planning is a fact of like for city leaders, such as the fire marshal and those in leadership in the American Red Cross. "It has definitely added another complication to those plans, because now we have to adapt," Smith County Fire Marshal Jay Brooks said. That's how he describes planning for a hurricane during a pandemic. Executive director of the American Red Cross serving East Texas Tammy Prater says they're implementing new plans this year designed to keep people spaced out in a shelter. "We are working across the country, our national organization and getting contracts with hotels, so that if possible, we could shelter in the hotel setting. That would be our absolute first priority and first preference," Prater said. Shelters for hurricane evacuees can often hold hundreds, if not thousands of people.  

The U.S. said Wednesday that it has ordered China to close its consulate in Houston "to protect American intellectual property" and the private information of Americans. China strongly condemned the move, the latest in a series of steps by the Trump administration as it ratchets up pressure on the world's second-largest economy over trade, technology, human rights and security. Firefighters responded to reports of papers being burned on the consulate grounds Tuesday night but were barred entry, according to Houston news media reports. The U.S., in a brief statement, did not provide any details on why the consulate in Texas was targeted. "The United States will not tolerate (China's) violations of our sovereignty and intimidation of our people, just as we have not tolerated (its) unfair trade practices, theft of American jobs, and other egregious behavior," said the statement, which was attributed to State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.  

VIDEO: Emergency crews pulled a man who was trapped in a deep trench on the Northwest Side after about two hours of effort on Tuesday. The man, a construction worker, fell into the trench while his crew was excavating near Galm Road and Swayback Ranch. He was waist-deep in dirt, officials said after the dramatic rescue. After San Antonio Fire Department crews were able to pull the man out of the hole, he was immediately transported to the hospital an Airlife helicopter. The unidentified man is in stable condition but may need immediate surgery, officials said. Crews used a crane to pluck the man out of the hole and then he was placed on a stretcher. He could be seen moving while on the stretcher. About five to 10 San Antonio Fire Department members lowered themselves into the trench to strap the man to a stretcher. The cause of the trench collapse is still unknown.  

Buffalo Fire Officials say first responders were blocked while responding to an emergency early Sunday morning on Laurel. "We couldn't pass through that intersection to get to the scene," said Buffalo Fire Commissioner Bill Renaldo. Firefighters were responding to a call for a car into a house further down on Laurel. When firefighters got to the intersection of Laurel and Purdy, they were blocked by cars illegally parked on both sides of the street. Commissioner Renaldo says there was a large block party going on, and firefighters had to lay on the horn until someone came out to move the vehicles. It took an extra three minutes to get to the accident scene. Firefighters then say members of the crowd started throwing beer bottles and other bottles at the fire rig. When firefighters arrived to the accident scene, they say people were trying to extract the woman from the vehicle where she was trapped. Firefighters say the female driver was pronounced dead at the scene.  

VIDEO: A special mural in honor of a volunteer for the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation is finally finished. It's for Patty Vallance who recently passed away. Vallance commissioned local artists, Wagon Burner Arts, to paint a mural honoring firefighters just one week before she went into the hospital. But she died before ever getting to see it. The mural, located at 2801 E. Grant Road, is 15 feet high, 85 feet long and represents the brotherhood and the sacrifice these men and women share. But none of them have faces. The artist said that's intentional. He wanted to show how every firefighter is one under the badge. There's also a painting of Vallance to honor her help in starting the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation back in 2010 and the thrift store, where the mural is painted.  

PHOTOS: Four Davidson and Randolph County firetrucks were damaged in three separate accidents over the weekend. The Westside Volunteer Fire Department in Asheboro responded to a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 73/74 northbound near Vision Drive on Friday night. At around 9:30 or 10 p.m., a vehicle hit their firetruck in the back, said Chief Racil Williamson. No one was injured in the accident, but the truck is out of commission, Williamson said. The Linwood Rural Fire Department in Davidson County responded to a two-vehicle collision on Interstate 85 south near mile marker 86 early Friday morning. They were using the firetruck to block the left lane, and at around 5:30 a.m, a car struck their truck. The back right corner of the fire truck was damaged, and the truck is unusable, said Linwood Fire Chief Terry Leonard.  

Convenience stores across America are joining together this Friday, July 24, to recognize the contributions of front-line responders, medical personnel and American Red Cross volunteers on 24/7 Day. The NACS Foundation's 24/7 Day features a variety of free in-store offers from 18 different convenience and fuel retailing partners, most of which are available to doctors, nurses, EMTs, police officers, firefighters and American Red Cross volunteers. The regional deals range from free coffee and soft drinks, to breakfast sandwiches, to combo meals; bp and Amoco are offering a 10 cent-per-gallon "Heroes Bonus" for up to 99 fueling transactions. The largest participating national chain, Shell, displays offers available to first responders through the month of July.