At HME, the increase in production means more hires — 12 to 20 people over the next year and a half — and the announcement of a new facility in the next month, said Monterusso, who started working at the company eight months ago. These plans come as the 170-employee company hired roughly a dozen people over the last eight months.

The success at HME is part of a recent industry trend. According to a forecast from Research and Markets, the fire truck industry should achieve compound annual growth of 7.1 percent over the next decade, reaching $8.5 billion by 2025. 

It happened around 3:00 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of the freeway near Ferguson Road.

The freeway was shut down for a time so Dallas County sheriffs’ deputies could investigate and crews could clean up the scene.

No word on charges nor do we have details on the initial crash DFR was working.

Cicero has two separate fire stations, each of them on opposite sides of the I-81. They operate mainly out of the newest one, but he says having both comes in handy when accidents block the freeway, and one of the crews isn't able to assist. Even then, Barrett says other departments are ready and willing to help.

"We shut off the electric. We'll try to take out the gas; we can do that from outside, your gas meter very easily so we don't have to go inside of a structure, and then we'll go investigate at that point,” he continued.

The study looked at the 25 fire departments serving Berkeley County’s roughly 211,000 people.

“We know we have problems with a lot of things, but 911 is the first and possibly the last number you’ll ever call and it’s our responsibility as Berkeley county government to make sure those resources are there,” said Gunn.

Officials hope the report will begin the change needed to constructively move ahead.