Fort Worth firefighters launched a rescue Wednesday night after a man became trapped atop a construction crane just south of downtown.

Crews were called around 7:30 p.m. to the 1300 block of South Main Street, directly across from JPS Hospital, where the crane operator could be seen stranded high above the ground.

Fire units arrived and began setting up a technical rescue operation, using specialized equipment to reach the worker.

Fort Worth Fire Capt. Jason Bryant told CBS News Texas that one patient was involved – the crane operator.

According to Bryant, two rescuers were sent up the crane to assess and treat the man. Based on his condition, they decided to perform a controlled lowering of the crane’s counterweight side.

Two rescue teams were positioned on the crane, and another was staged on top of a nearby parking garage, Bryant said. Crews then rotated the crane so the patient only needed to be lowered to the top of the garage, rather than all the way to the ground.

The cause of the medical issue or entrapment wasn’t immediately known.

CBS News

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VIDEO: A major investment in water safety is now in service for the Virginia Beach Fire Department as officials prepare for a busy summer boating season.

The department recently added a new, state-of-the-art fire boat that will be stationed at Rudee Inlet.

Officials say the vessel will significantly reduce response times to emergencies on the water and improve life-saving capabilities.

Fire Capt. Alexander Wazlak III said the department has been seeking an upgrade to its water response fleet for years. Until now, crews had been using a 1974 patrol boat provided by the U.S. Coast Guard.

“We’ve been operating on that for the past 15 years or so,” Wazlak said.

The new vessel, a 38-foot Metal Shark Defiant, is valued at more than $1.5 million. Wazlak noted that rising costs mean the same boat could now approach $2 million.

The upgrade brings a significant boost in speed. The new boat can reach up to 46 knots, or about 53 mph, compared with the previous vessel’s top speed of about 34 mph.

WVEC-TV ABC 13 Hampton

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VIDEO: The Springfield Fire Department collaborated with students from Putnam Vocational Technical Academy on Wednesday for a training demonstration.

The students constructed essential props for firefighter training, including window escape props and structures to aid crews trapped in burning homes. These props were built in just three weeks by a small group of students.

The students utilized wood, screws and sheet metal to build multiple structures for the department. Firefighters showcased the critical nature of this carpentry work during the demonstration.

Springfield Fire Commissioner B.J. Calvi emphasized the importance of the student-built equipment for enhancing safety. “It’s important to utilize these props to enhance firefighter safety and survivability. We’ve been using them pretty heavily and wanted to say thank you and show them how we’re using the equipment,” Calvi said.

The demonstration event was attended by various officials, including Mayor Domenic Sarno, Superintendent of Springfield Schools, Putnam staff, and members of the fire department. During the event, the group also highlighted Putnam alumni who now work at the fire department.

Carpentry students at Putnam Vocational Technical Academy have a history of building for the city, having previously completed projects for the Springfield Police Department and elementary schools.

WWLP-TV NBC/CW+ 22 Springfield

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PHOTOS: Los Angeles Fire Department crews responded to a fire burning inside an access portal beneath the 110 Freeway in Wilmington on the evening of May 4, 2026, triggering a freeway closure and a multi-agency response that stretched into the following days.

The incident was reported at approximately 8:50 PM, with crews arriving to find fire burning inside a confined space beneath the freeway. Given the complexity of the location, Incident Command prioritized firefighter safety from the outset, calling in Heavy Rescue and USAR companies to assist with access and suppression.

A Caltrans highway engineer was also brought to the scene to support tactical planning. LAFD’s firefighting robot, RS3, was staged at the scene, though conditions inside the access portal prevented its deployment.

While firefighters removed a significant amount of debris from the access portal, burning construction timber and other unmovable materials required sustained suppression efforts. Incident Command prepared for an extended operation, rotating in fresh crews from across the city to maintain an unbroken firefighting effort and give relief to firefighters working in the demanding conditions.

As part of that extended operational coordination, Unified Command was established with the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans. Unified Command declared a knockdown of all fire in the access portal at 3:27 PM on May 5. Crews worked through the night utilizing vacuum trucks to remove water that accumulated during firefighting operations.

Unified Command oversaw a comprehensive search of the confined space and a structural stability assessment of the freeway. Drones, robots, hazardous materials teams, and Urban Search and Rescue teams were all employed as part of that effort.

Los Angeles Fire Department

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Opioid overdoses in Spokane County are declining, and the Spokane Fire Department wants to expand its response efforts to continue the trend. After peaking last year with an average of 220 suspected opioid overdoses per month, Spokane County has seen improvement. The numbers have declined since September, and so far this year, the county is averaging 156 suspected overdoses. Spokane Fire’s behavioral response unit and the CARES team are working to help.

The unit responds to emergencies, and the CARES team follows up to get people the help they need. “It is dispatched through the 911 center and it responds out at the moment whether its a psychiatric call, a behavioral health call or an overdose,” said Battalion Chief Anne Raven of the Spokane Fire Department. Data from the Spokane Fire Department shows that overdoses have been trending down over the past year. What might surprise people is that overdoses are affecting just as many housed people as unhoused people in Spokane.

KAYU-TV FOX 28 Spokane

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