CHARLES HOOD

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 – A woman and her dog have died as a result of a fire that broke out in their North Side apartment Thursday morning. They quickly found out that the fire in a ground floor unit already had a head-start. When firefighters were able to get inside, they found the woman down on the floor in a hallway. He said they also found her dog, dead inside the apartment. Members of the American Red Cross arrived at the apartment complex to assist them in finding other accommodations.

SAN ANTONIO – A longtime local sushi chef says city leaders should’ve done their homework before criticizing the San Antonio fire chief for appearing in a photo depicting a Japanese tradition that dates back centuries. “Nothing derogatory about it,” said longtime local sushi chef Goro Pitchford. He said he was appalled to hear city leaders like manager Erik Walsh and Mayor Ron Nirenberg criticize Chief Hood for taking part in the Japanese practice. SAFD Chief Charles Hood poses for a photo while eating sushi off a nude woman's body during a private party in January 2020. RELATED: City attorney: Photo of SAFD chief eating sushi off nude woman is a ‘serious issue’ under review

It shows Chief Hood at the private party, not in uniform, holding sushi while kneeling next to the model. 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 incident happened while Chief Hood was attending a firefighter’s birthday party in January, he said. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said during Friday’s coronavirus briefing that he is in support of Walsh’s directive for the city attorney to conduct the review involving the photograph. “The scene in that photo is counter to the standards and values that we expect from the city of San Antonio organization.

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.

SAN ANTONIO – Standing on a podium after accepting an award for Fire Chief of the Year, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood admitted he felt pressure to be successful when he earned his post in 2007. As the first African-American fire chief in San Antonio’s history, he carried it on his back and has “been silent” about it over the years. Earlier this week, the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, made up of fire chiefs from large metropolitan areas, voted Hood as Fire Chief of the Year. “I suffered and experienced racism throughout my career,” he said to media members, city officials and SAFD staff, getting emotional at times. Hood said he was named chief because he was the best candidate and has a “stellar career."

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood received a huge honor on Tuesday morning. The Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association named Hood as Fire Chief of the Year during a ceremony at Public Safety Headquarters. “I’m happy to share this award with the City of San Antonio,” he said during the ceremony. Mayor Ron Nirenberg, City Manager Erik Walsh, Deputy City Manager María Villagómez and SAFD command staff attended the ceremony. Metro members belong to the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Fire Protection Association.

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.

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio fire station where six firefighters tested positive for COVID-19 will remain closed until the quarantine period is over for 41 personnel, SAFD Chief Charles Hood said Tuesday during a special City Council meeting. 14 has been cleaned professionally, and work is pending on air conditioning ducts and other station maintenance issues, Hood said. You can view Hood’s Power Point presentation below:Metro Health Director, Dr. City Attorney, Andy Segovia, also presented a Power Point presentation to the city council. The first case confirmed in the U.S. was in mid-January and the first case confirmed in San Antonio was in mid-February.

SAN ANTONIO – The city of San Antonio has 840 hotel rooms available for people who test positive for COVID-19 and have to quarantine themselves, said Chief Charles Hood of the San Antonio Fire Department. During a special virtual City Council meeting Tuesday, Hood told Mayor Ron Nirenberg and council members that 62 rooms, known as isolation care facilities, have been secured and ready for occupancy. The rooms are available for people who test positive for the virus but don’t require hospitalization, officials said. Security will be provided by the San Antonio Police Department. San Antonio firefighter tests positive for COVID-19, officials sayHood also talked about how the department is protecting firefighters and emergency medical technicians.

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.

Eight of the 60 staff members at Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation have tested positive and are in self-isolation away from the facility, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said. “Of the eight staff members who are COVID positive, we know that two of them worked in other facilities," Hood said. “And the staff members who have not been tested, we know they worked in at least 7 facilities in the city. Metro Health will test 17 other staff members at the nursing home today, and health officials are still trying to contact 28 of the staff members for testing. "Finally, there should not be any sick personnel at nursing facilities.

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.

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Fire Department and San Antonio Metropolitan Health District announced a COVID-19 outbreak at a local nursing home on Wednesday. A San Antonio Metropolitan Health District spokeswoman confirmed the new positive cases, but said they would not be included in the city’s tally until numbers are updated on Thursday. Hood said one of the deaths that was reported yesterday in San Antonio was a resident at the nursing home. All we can do is just pray and hope things get better.”Hood said there are 68 nursing home facilities in San Antonio. The city of San Antonio health officials have been extremely helpful to our facility and we cannot thank them enough.

SAN ANTONIO – The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the third victim of a deadly plane crash that occurred Sunday in San Antonio. On Wednesday, the 71-year-old woman who died in the crash was identified as Maureen McFarren Garrow, who died of multiple blunt force injuries. What we know about the deadly plane crash in San AntonioThe flight took off Sunday from Sugar Land and headed toward Boerne, Fire Chief Charles Hood previously said. The pilot, who is believed to be Womble, activated an alert and notified San Antonio International Airport traffic controllers that he had an engine failure. Three killed in plane crash near San Antonio International AirportAccording to the flight path provided by FlightAware, the plane reached the airport, but looped around before landing.

(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.

SAN ANTONIO - Although neighborhoods east of downtown have become trendy places to live, East Side businesses are fighting the long-held stigma that crime in certain areas is widespread. You have to unlearn it," said Joe Linson, a partner of Tony G's Soul Food, one of the East Side's most popular restaurants. Linson will be among East Side business owners attending a public safety briefing Thursday from 8-10 a.m. on the terrace level of the AT&T Center. Knight said getting the facts and figures directly from law enforcement and emergency services agencies could help business owners encourage others to invest in the East Side. "We know this community deserves to have businesses come into the community," Knight said.