CHARLES HOOD

Two people were hospitalized in critical condition, and multiple people were rescued from their balconies during a fire at an apartment complex north of downtown, according to San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood.

An elderly man was killed and a woman critically injured by a small pack of dogs that attacked them and first responders who came to their aid Friday afternoon in San Antonio, officials said.

San Antonio police said two dogs involved in a deadly attack on an elderly couple and a third dog from the property will be euthanized. Their owner has been arrested.

Firefighters had to fight off multiple pit bulls with "pick-axes and pipe poles" just to reach the two victims, officials said.

A "horrific" dog attack left an elderly Texas man dead and another in critical condition Friday. The pair were walking on a San Antonio sidewalk when they were "mauled," officials said.

A "horrific" dog attack left an elderly Texas man dead and another in critical condition Friday. The pair were walking on a San Antonio sidewalk when they were "mauled," officials said.

A San Antonio man was killed in a dog mauling on the city's West Side. Three dogs were taken into custody by the city's Animal Care Services.

A “horrific scene” unfolded on the West Side Friday afternoon after a brutal dog attack claimed an elderly man’s life and left three other people injured, officials said.

Twenty years ago, NASA’s Columbia space shuttle crashed to the Earth, killing all seven astronauts on board and sending debris scattered across 200 miles. San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood was deployed to search for that crucial debris.

San Antonio firefighters rescued a man who was unconscious inside a burning home in the Encino Park area on the far North Side.

The last two victims who died in an explosion on the Southeast Side on Friday night have been identified by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The owners of the home were on site, officials said, but they would not confirm whether they were victims.

The San Antonio Fire Department command staff held its first media briefing Tuesday about the explosion at a Southeast Side business that killed four people.

SAFD firefighter Kevin Burke recently learned more firefighters die from suicide than fire. He decided it was time to share a poem he wrote with vulnerability, to show his peers it's okay to ask for help. It was used as part of SAFD's mental health week this month.

A huge fire destroyed a building which housed a Denny's restaurant and Flying J truck stop near Interstate 10 and Foster Road.

A fire broke out at a truck stop in San Antonio, sending large clouds of smoke into the air. The fire began inside of a Denny's kitchen that is attached to a travel center.

San Antonio firefighters responded to a massive fire at a Flying J and Denny's along I-10 on the Alamo City's East Side on Thursday, December 1.

San Antonio firefighters responded to a massive fire at a Flying J and Denny’s along Interstate 10 on the East Side on Thursday morning.

Generations Federal Credit Union employees delivered Thanksgiving food items to over 50 San Antonio fire stations and their families.

Fire destroyed Midnight Rodeo, a bar that had been shuttered in 2019. The maze-like building created a danger for firefighters.

Firefighters worked for several hours to put out a massive fire at the former popular dance hall Midnight Rodeo on Wednesday, November 1.

San Antonio firefighters have responded to a fire at a permanently shut down bar on the city’s Northeast Side early Wednesday morning.

Firefighters from around the world convened in San Antonio Monday to improve safety standards. The organization is dedicated to the families of fallen firefighters – finding ways to prevent deaths in the first place.

A San Antonio Fire Department Program is now the gold standard across the country. It makes whole blood available on ambulances and at trauma scenes.

What could have been a tragic situation is now being called “an absolute miracle” by San Antonio emergency crews after a teen who got swept up in high waters in a drainage ditch was rescued alive.

A tanker truck driver escaped serious injury after an explosion and two-alarm fire at a welding facility Wednesday afternoon on the city’s North Side.

Firefighters were sent scrambling all across the city to put out fires possibly related to fireworks. They believe the holiday celebrations may have been behind a fire that destroyed 2 homes on the far Northwest Side.

One fire displaced a family of four on Tuesday.

Despite local fireworks bans, July 4 was an “extremely busy day” for the fire department, its chief said.

Two homes on the city’s Northwest Side were damaged by a 2-alarm fire late Monday night, the San Antonio Fire Department said.

First responders with the San Antonio Fire Department recalled the “horrific scene” they arrived at Monday on the Southwest Side, where dozens of migrants died as they were left inside a sweltering trailer.

At least 50 migrants are dead after being abandoned in a tractor trailer in the unforgiving Texas heat.

Pope Francis asked for people to “pray together” for the migrants who died after they were abandoned in a sweltering trailer in San Antonio on Monday.

Four of 16 people rescued from a sweltering truck Monday night have died, raising the death toll in the human smuggling tragedy to 50.

Homeland Security officials are investigating the deaths of dozens of migrants found packed into an overheated tractor-trailer in San Antonio.

The number of migrants dead in a suspected smuggling operation rose to 50 Tuesday, the Mexican consulate reported, a day after dozens of bodies were found lifeless in the back of a sweltering tractor-trailer in San Antonio.

More immigrants found in the truck have died this morning.

More than 50 migrants died after they were left in a tractor-trailer on a Southwest Side road — a “horrific human tragedy” that’s being called the largest mass casualty event in San Antonio history, authorities said.

It is still unknown how long the people, believed to be migrants, were trapped in the truck on the side of the road.

Forty-six people were found dead on the Southwest Side of San Antonio.

Sixteen others, including four children, were taken to local hospitals with heat-related injuries, and three people were in custody, officials said.

Three people, including a woman who kicked out a window air conditioning unit, safely escaped a fire that heavily damaged two homes Monday afternoon on the city’s West Side.

McManus said his symptoms are mild and said he’s recovering at home.

Fire at a Northeast side motel forced all 19 guests to evacuate their rooms in the middle of the night. The motel now has damage from fire, smoke and water.

San Antonio firefighters are responding to a blaze at a Northeast Side hotel on Friday morning.

A man is hospitalized with significant burns after catching on fire at his home on West Side.

A sedan crashed into a fire truck sending it into an apartment building and displacing nearly 20 residents late Tuesday night, the San Antonio Fire Department said.

San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said the number of fires in the city is up 26% this fiscal year compared to last, with District 5 reporting the most.

San Antonio firefighters are responding to a blaze at an apartment complex on the Northwest Side on Thursday morning.

A fire that started in one home on the city’s West Side quickly spread to two others that were especially close to it.

The San Antonio Fire Department battled a two-alarm commercial building fire Wednesday morning on the city’s Northeast Side.

Twenty-two storage units on the city’s North Side were destroyed after going up in flames Friday afternoon, according to the San Antonio Fire Department.

At least nine families have been displaced due to a fire in a Northwest side apartment complex. Investigators believe a smoldering cigarette started it.

San Antonio firefighters have responded to a fire at a Northwest Side apartment complex early Tuesday morning.

A fire on the Northwest side of town destroyed eight apartments.

As the Bexar County region continues to experience high coronavirus case rates, EMS calls for COVID-19 have risen, too.

San Antonio firefighters have responded to a two-alarm fire on the city’s Northeast Side early Wednesday morning.

A panel discussion on safety on the city's east side was led by local non-profit SAGE.

As the Bexar County coronavirus positivity rate rises, hospitals are reporting that most of their COVID patients are unvaccinated.

On Friday, the medical examiner’s office identified the body as 60-year-old Paul Edward Rose.

San Antonio firefighters are investigating the cause of a fire that made part of the roof of a Southeast Side strip mall collapse on Thursday, according to Fire Chief Charles Hood.

Opinion: A firefighter who is appealing his firing shows how "disparate treatment" can thwart reform efforts by police and fire chiefs.

A fire at the Lone Star Brewery late Saturday night seems “suspicious” according to San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood.

A fire caused heavy damage Wednesday morning to an apartment complex on the city’s North Side.

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood on Tuesday was captured on camera cursing at an attorney during a virtual arbitration hearing for a fired firefighter. As Samano’s attorney, Ben Sifuentes, asked a series of questions about how the media portrays firefighters, including Hood, Hood appeared to say on video, “What are you talking about with this s***? AdA recording of Hood’s comments, which came around the 14:20 mark of the hearing, remained on the city of San Antonio’s YouTube channel as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. When the state trooper arrested Samano, placing him in a patrol vehicle, Samano told the trooper that “he should pray he never needed (firefighter) Samano’s services because (firefighter) Samano would not help him or his family,” the suspension paperwork states. Prosecutors dismissed the misdemeanor criminal mischief charge against Samano, records show.

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio firefighter was suspended 45 days late last year after a series of incidents that included him failing to respond to a call for service, according to discipline records obtained by the KSAT 12 Defenders. McConnaughhay did not respond to a call near the end of his shift in June, leaving his station’s apparatus a man short, records show. The apparatus was unable to respond to the call due to McConnaughhay’s actions, according to his suspension paperwork. Records show McConnaughhay had also failed to respond to a call for service in December 2019 after instead going to use a restroom. He also cut crew names and contact information from a personnel list without permission, according to the same records.

SAN ANTONIO – A firefighter who bared his buttock and “mooned” a San Antonio Police Department Eagle helicopter earlier this year has been suspended 20 days, city discipline records show. Pictures were taken and later distributed to other people, suspension records show. Williams was cited for violating SAFD rules pertaining to conduct and behavior, negative public image and inappropriate behavior. Williams began serving the suspension Nov. 7, but forfeited some leave time instead of serving the entire suspension, records show. Complaint: SAFD district chief asked about woman’s breast size, likened room of women to ‘lesbian softball team’

Jesus Ceuvas was given a 90-day sentence after a release and settlement agreement signed in November. Both criminal cases, reckless driving and unlawful carry of a weapon, remain pending, according to Hays County court records. SAFD officials first handed Cuevas an indefinite suspension, which was subsequently reduced to a 90-day suspension after Cuevas met with San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood. Bexar County court records indicate Cuevas was not criminally charged for unlawful carry of a weapon following the 2018 incident. Court records previously showed Cuevas was admitted to Bexar County’s Veterans Treatment Court in the DWI case.

SAN ANTONIO – Emergency Medical Service workers with the San Antonio Fire Department started receiving their COVID-19 vaccinations Monday. SAFD officials said the vaccine will be available to roughly 400 EMS workers before it’s made available to more than 1,300 San Antonio firefighters. “Our personnel have been battling stress and fatigue as they continue the lifesaving work caring for the residents of San Antonio,” said SAFD Chief Charles Hood. The vaccine is given in two doses, with the second dose administered approximately 21 days after the initial dose. SAFD officials thanked UT Health, University Hospital, and Christus Hospital System for the first allotment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in a press release.

click to enlarge Twitter / @SATXFireSan Antonio Fire Chief Charles HoodSan Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood violated department rules when he posed for photos eating sushi off a mostly nude woman's body at a private party, KSAT reports A probe into the incident also determined that Hood, who's been on the job for 13 years, violated city policies related to equal employment, diversity and anti-harassment, according to the story, which cites city records released Tuesday.City officials hired an outside attorney to investigate the image, which was snapped earlier this year at a firefighter's birthday. Among the attorney's other findings: Hood's staff failed to properly forward a complaint about the photo to the city’s Human Resources department, KSAT reports.The city issued a formal letter of discipline to Hood on November 19, and in a memo shared by the TV station, the chief promised to institute changes including creating training to recognize and validate different cultures.The chief also promised to look for ways to overhaul the department's recruiting practices, increase mentorship for female staff and expand its female-focused "Hero Like Her" program.The reprimand comes days after KSAT aired a separate story about a sworn complaint filed against a SAFD district chief that alleged he asked about a female job applicant's breast size and referred group of women at an event as being "like a damn lesbian softball team. "That deputy chief, Douglas Berry, was suspended 15 days for over the complaint, according to the station. However, he gave up 80 hours of vacation leave instead.

SAN ANTONIO – A weeks-long investigation has determined that San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood violated SAFD rules and regulations when he was photographed eating sushi off of a nude women during a private party earlier this year, records released Tuesday confirm. Records show Deputy City Manager Maria Villagomez was not forwarded a copy of the complaint from Hood’s command staff for well over a month. SAFD Chief Charles Hood poses for a photo while eating sushi off a nude woman's body during a private party in January 2020. The photo was first published by the San Antonio Express-News. Serving sushi on a naked woman, otherwise known as “body sushi” or “naked sushi,” is part of the Japanese practice of nyotaimori, according to a report from The Associated Press.

District Chief Douglas Berry was suspended for the 2018 comments in September, SAFD suspension records released last week confirm. Lopez is also accused of not giving the female firefighter an opportunity to be a field training officer, even though she had the proper experience. The complaint states that in September 2019 Berry then declined to let the female firefighter attend tryouts for an executive protection detail. “It bothered me that all he cared about in his hiring process was the size of a women’s breasts,” the female firefighter wrote. “In the past, when someone bucks Chief Berry, they are retaliated against.

SAFD firefighter suspended 90 days after writing ‘F--- the police’ on FacebookCity officials declined to describe exactly what Berry said, but some of the inappropriate comments were made in August 2018 after Berry was asked to make a job recommendation for a female firefighter, records show. A month later, in September 2018, Berry again made inappropriate comments after returning from a Battle of the Badges boxing event. On both occasions, Berry’s comments were made in front of subordinates and while on duty, his suspension records stated. SAFD Chief Charles Hood became aware of the corroborated comments in April, records show. During a discipline meeting with Hood, Berry apologized and said there had been a major adjustment moving from the field to a desk job.

SAN ANTONIO – Editor’s note: Johnson’s Facebook post included the expletive. A San Antonio firefighter who wrote ‘F--- the police’ multiple times in a lengthy Facebook post in late August has been suspended 90 days without pay, SAFD suspension records show. Engineer Christopher Johnson was originally handed an indefinite suspension in early October, but it was later shortened to 90 days after Johnson met with Chief Charles Hood. Bienek was fired for commenting on a Facebook post “concerning using a vehicle to ‘plow’ through protesters,” according to previously released suspension records. Johnson’s Facebook post came two days after the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

A woman and her dog died Thursday morning after a fire swept through her Northeast Side apartment, the San Antonio Fire Department said. According to Fire Chief Charles Hood, firefighters arrived at the Star Club Apartment Homes in the 8800 block of Starcrest Drive just after 9 a.m. to find a first-floor apartment completely engulfed with flames shooting out of the windows. Hood said firefighters had to break a window in order to to get water inside to cool it down before making entry. Yashika Clark was in her apartment, which sits behind the victim’s, and said her son smelled smoke during his online class. While she didn’t know the woman who died well, Clark said they would always wave and say good morning to each other while walking their dogs.

San Antonio firefighters on Thursday knocked down a fire at a Northeast Side apartment complex that they could see from miles away before they arrived on the scene. At one point, the fire was so intense at the apartment complex located in 12600 block of Uhr Lane, it produced heavy smoke that was visible for miles, Fire Chief Charles Hood said.

Judy Diaz was sitting in her apartment Thursday when the glass from her patio door suddenly blew out. Moments later, someone was pounding on her front door telling her to get out because the building was on fire. Diaz, her son and her dog Molly escaped from the apartment before it became completely engulfed in flames. She was one of 50 people who lost their home after a fire tore through the Avistar at the Crest apartment complex, located in the 12600 block of Uhr Lane on the Northeast Side. “Just thank god someone saw the fire and started telling everyone,”Hosein said.

Could California-esque wildfires happen in San Antonio? Although San Antonio has yet to experience destruction from wildfires on anything approaching that scale, Fire Chief Charles Hood said the area shares several contributing elements with California. The following year, San Antonio firefighters participated in a wildfire simulation at the Roseheart retirement community on the North Side. Hood noted that brush fires often spring up in the winter when vegetation dries out. Chief Hood said his department uses prescribed burns to clear some of the vegetation that fuels such fires.

Elderly man pulled from burning home on Far East SideOne person was hospitalized after a house caught fire on the Far East Side Wednesday, according to the San Antonio Fire Department. One person was hospitalized after a house caught fire on the Far East Side Wednesday, according to the San Antonio Fire Department. Photo: Mark Dunphy Photo: Mark Dunphy Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Elderly man pulled from burning home on Far East Side 1 / 8 Back to GalleryOne person was hospitalized after a house caught fire on the Far East Side on Wednesday, according to the San Antonio Fire Department. They discovered an 86-year-old man and pulled him out of the fire. I saw the man being pulled out, Rivera said.

During the coronavirus pandemic and its resulting shutdowns, Rivard Report photographers have chronicled San Antonio and its residents as everyone adapts to a different way of life. Each week, well share our most meaningful images as a visual account of San Antonios new normal. San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood leads an April 29 media tour of the Freeman Coliseums overflow coronavirus care area and a facility to decontaminate personal protective equipment. Greg Abbott under which retail locations were permitted to open at 25 percent capacity. Credit: Scott Ball / Rivard ReportSeniors from Warren High School decorate their vehicles with the school colors of the colleges they will be attending as part of a parade on May 1. Credit: Scott Ball / Rivard Report

Bexar County now has 1,195 cases of the novel coronavirus, an increase of 28 positive test results, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Friday. Though the daily increase of overall Bexar County coronavirus cases shrank Friday, positive cases at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center jumped by 21, the largest number reported at the facility so far. There are now 57 inmates at the jail who have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. The 21 inmates who most recently tested positive were asymptomatic, the sheriffs office said Friday. They were tested after several inmates from the same living unit tested positive.

Good Samaritans save man from burning South Side homeThe San Antonio Fire Department responded to a single-story residence on the 5300 block of South Flores St. shortly after 3 p.m. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inboxWithin an hour, Garcia and other bystanders were listening to a San Antonio firefighter thank them for pulling a person who uses a wheelchair out of the burning building. Garcia and his wife Alondra pulled over and called 911 when they saw the source of the smoke, a single-story residence on the 5300 block of South Flores. Neighbors heard the couple yelling, came outside, and informed them that a young man in a wheelchair was home alone inside the building. He was focused on saving the young man inside.

Some staff members at the San Antonio nursing home where a cluster of coronavirus cases occurred also work at seven other local care facilities, San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood said Friday. Sixty-seven of the 84 residents and eight of the 60 staff members at the Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center tested positive for COVID-19 this week. In case anyone in San Antonio needed a wake up call about the seriousness of COVID-19 to our community, this is it, he said. The latter of which is managed by the same company, Advanced Healthcare Solutions, as Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Just stay home.The outbreak at the Southeast facility is not the peak of the virus spread in San Antonio, she added.

San Antonio health officials are warning that two infected staffers at the local nursing home where 67 people tested positive for the coronavirus also worked at other facilities.Between them, the employees did work for at least seven other sites around the city, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said at a Friday morning news conference. Dawn Emerick said.What's more, Metro Health is sending notices to local nursing homes, care facilities and jails, requesting they document every other place where their staff does work.Mayor Nirenberg said he'll add language to his emergency order to stop nursing home staff from moonlighting at other facilities. From local politics and culture to national news that hits close to home, San Antonio Current has been keeping San Antonio informed for years. Its never been more important to support local news sources. If quality journalism is important to you, please consider a donation to San Antonio Current.

The nursing home where health officials identified 14 cases of the novel coronavirus was given a one-star rating from medicare.gov and cited for abuse. Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center was given 17 health citations in October, 10 more than the average for a nursing home in Texas. Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Resident health and safety is a top priority for Southeast Nursing and Rehab, stated nursing home officials. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Bexar County rose to 207 on Tuesday, including the residents and staff at the nursing home.

Health officials have confirmed 14 cases of the novel coronavirus at the Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Southeast San Antonio. Eight residents, one of whom died Tuesday, and six staff members tested positive for coronavirus. Resident health and safety is a top priority for Southeast Nursing and Rehab, stated nursing home officials. We have reviewed and updated our infection prevention and control plans and our emergency communication plan, nursing home officials stated. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Bexar County rose to 207 on Tuesday, including the residents and staff at the nursing home.

(Reuters) - Three people died when a small plane crashed on the north side of the San Antonio International Airport in Texas late on Sunday, NBC Chicago reported, citing fire officials. The plane was on its way from Sugarland to Boerne when it developed engine problems and diverted to the San Antonio International Airport, the report added, citing San Antonio fire chief Charles Hood. The plane crashed into a sidewalk killing all three passengers.

Hundreds of firefighters solemnly walked through downtown from the Alamodome to Main Plaza Tuesday morning to honor fallen firefighter Greg Garza. We lay our lives on the line every single day, Hood told reporters after the event. A lot of our firefighters are struggling, Steele told the firefighters during the ceremony. You guys [have] got to look out for each other.Scott Ball / Rivard Report permalink Scott Ball / Rivard Report permalink Scott Ball / Rivard Report permalink Scott Ball / Rivard Report permalinkTo Garzas wife and family, Steele said, I want you to see your family. He will rest in power, Hood told the crowd before a prayer.

SAN ANTONIO - With flashing lights and a huge flag dangling from a ladder truck, San Antonio firefighters and police officers escorted the body of fallen firefighter Greg Garza to a downtown funeral home Wednesday morning. The procession arrived around 10 a.m. at the Porter Loring funeral home on McCullough Street. RELATED: Funds being collected for fallen SAFD firefighter Greg GarzaGarza was part of a crew that had responded to a report of smoke inside a motel at the corner of Live Oak and Dawson streets, just east of downtown. Ayala said the news of the 49-year-old firefighter's death is sad and disturbing. RELATED: KSAT Community hosts phone bank honoring firefighter, Greg GarzaFor his fellow firefighters, his death is devastating.

click to enlarge San Antonio Fire DepartmentI have asked that area businesses and organizations join the City of San Antonio in lowering the State Flag to half-staff immediately through the time of interment in honor and remembrance of Firefighter Greg Garza of the San Antonio Fire Department. "I think people get immune to fire trucks, police cars and ambulances," Hood said. "This was a reminder for all citizens, please give us space around an accident, please don't look at what we are doing. "Hood also asked that the community pray for the San Antonio Fire Department as well as Garza's family. San Antonians wanting to help the family can do so by donating to the Greg Garza Memorial Account at Generations Federal Credit Union.

A San Antonio firefighter died Tuesday after he was struck by a vehicle at the scene of a fire, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said. Copyright 2019 by KSAT - All rights reserved.

SAN ANTONIO - A firefighter with the San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) has died following an accident Tuesday morning, according to San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood. ORIGINAL: SAFD firefighter struck by vehicle while on duty dies, sources sayThe SAFD is asking for prayers and continued vigilance. Mr. Garza was a son of San Antonio and honorably served as a San Antonio Firefighter for 17 years. Firefighter Greg Garza lost his life this morning while out on a call doing the job he loved. -Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda"I was truly heartbroken to learn of the passing of firefighter Greg Garza.

SAN ANTONIO - The 100-foot scaffold that collapsed in downtown San Antonio is still blocking streets Saturday. The scaffolding collapsed Thursday night after it was knocked down during severe thunderstorms in the area. While progress is clearly being made in the cleanup efforts, the scaffold still had a massive presence in downtown San Antonio. Residents could be seen stopping by the road closure to take pictures of the collapsed scaffold. Three people were injured after they ran from a bus park bench nearby the collapse, Fire Chief Charles Hood said.

Hood said the city could have been responding to more serious injuries had the storm hit earlier in the day. "If it would have been rush hour, it would have been a lot worse," Hood told KSAT The collapse damaged St. Mark's Episcopal Church and crushed cars parked on the street. No one was inside the church at the time of the incident. Due to the extensive damage, the church will be closed until further notice, said Rev. Beth Knowlton.A section of Martin will be closed until first responders are able to remove the 16 stories of scaffolding , which Hood said will be a "lengthy process."

SAN ANTONIO - UPDATE (9/12/19): The third and final town hall meeting on gun violence is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Ecological Center at Hardberger Park. The town hall will be a community forum, emphasizing steps that the public and governing bodies can take to reduce the risks of gun violence. (Previously)Public safety and support for people who witness shootings were just some topics discussed at the second gun violence town hall organized by District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez. The panelists included Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, Fire Chief Charles Hood and University of Texas at San Antonio Police Chief Gerald Lewis. The panelists also talked about the Fusion Center, which allows different agencies to all work and communicate together.

A dump truck crashed into a building Tuesday afternoon on the city's East Side, killing the driver, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said. Copyright 2019 by KSAT - All rights reserved.

The fire started just after 3 p.m. above Paciugo Gelato Cafe in the 900 block of E. Basse Road near The Quarry. All the businesses in the building were evacuated, including Pei Wei, Panera Bread, Sushi Zushi, Order Up and Slater White Cleaners. Hood said it started somewhere near the roof and could be related to the electrical or air conditioning systems. Employees at several of the businesses told firefighters they smelled smoke earlier in the day. Most of the fire damage occurred at Paciugo and to the breezeway in front of the shop, but the smoke reached all the businesses in the building.

SAN ANTONIO - Public safety and support for people who witness shootings were just some topics discussed at the second gun violence town hall organized by District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez. The training that our law enforcement departments undergo was also discussed by some panelists, who pointed out that they can't stop every shooting. The panelists included Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, Fire Chief Charles Hood and University of Texas at San Antonio Police Chief Gerald Lewis. The panelists also talked about the Fusion Center, which allows different agencies to all work and communicate together. The next town hall meeting is scheduled for Sept. 10.

SAN ANTONIO - About 100 firefighters were called to fight flames in the Medical Center after a fire spread around a shopping center. San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said it appears the fire started by accident at a nail salon near Gardendale and Datapoint Drive on Monday evening. So to be out in this heat, we have to make sure we are rehabbing them, Hood said. Hood said 80% of firefighters die in the line of duty because of heart attacks and strokes. Firefighters needed to get their vitals checked before returning to work, he said.

Kieschnick-Rivas is the first person in San Antonio to be saved by the San Antonio Fire Department's whole blood transfusion equipment that was added to emergency medical services units in October. She is now making it her mission to tell her story about how the whole blood transfusion equipment saved her life. When the program started, there were six units across the city carrying the equipment that makes the transfusions possible a cooler and a blood warming device. Now, eight SAFD units are carrying the equipment, thanks to two donors: Kieschnick-Rivas' father and Qinflow, a company that makes the blood warming devices. To donate toward the cause, contact the San Antonio Fire Department.