Jacobs served 23 years as Spring Garden’s chief and 25 years as association president. The association said he devoted decades to protecting his neighbors, supporting firefighters and strengthening emergency services across the county.

During his leadership, the association established its Honor Guard in 2008, integrated volunteer fire departments into the county’s emergency medical response system and developed an interoperable land mobile radio communications system.

Colleagues remembered Jacobs as a humble, selfless leader who helped bring Cherokee County’s 13 volunteer fire departments together.

WBMA-LD ABC 33/40 Birmingham

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Two officers are pulling double duty. Leighton Police Chief Austin Evans is the chief of Leighton Police and Austin Smith is an officer for the department.

But the two now incorporate firefighting into their shift when needed.

“We went and got a truck and while other firefighters were in route and started to extinguish the fire,” Chief Smith said.

Just this weekend, the two noticed smoke at a mobile home and jumped into action.

Thankfully, no one was living there.

Chief Evans and Smith say it’s important to be able to help fire departments, especially now.

WAFF-TV NBC 48 Huntsville

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Prattville Fire Chief Josh Bingham said the department has put three public-access AEDs in key downtown locations. The devices are at the back of the Strickland Business Center next to the Lyric, inside City Hall, and near the restrooms at the Spillway parking area.

“Our big push is that we’re seeing that through our training, through our equipment that we’re provided, through the partnerships that we have with the city council and the finance department, that we are much more successful in achieving ROSC, which is a return of spontaneous circulation on patients that go into cardiac arrest,” Bingham said.

This effort follows the American Heart Association’s Cardiac Chain of Survival, which emphasizes early recognition, rapid emergency calls, and rapid defibrillation.

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According to the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service, firefighters were called to the 1500 block of Druid Hills Drive about 6 p.m.

Fire crews arrived and saw a two-story apartment building with flames and smoke coming from the structure.

The BFRS says two people had to be pulled from the building during the fire.

A woman died and a child was transported to Children’s of Alabama.

No other injuries were reported.

The fire is under investigation.

WVTM-TV NBC 13 Birmingham

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A spokesperson for Huntsville Fire said crews responded to the fire at an apartment complex on Governors House Drive around 10:15 p.m. When they arrived, HFR said crews found smoke and flames visible from the 16-unit complex.

The spokesperson said eight to 10 Huntsville Fire & Rescue units responded to the scene and worked to get the fire under control.

During their efforts to control the fire, HFR said crews encountered issues with the apartment complex’s privately maintained fire hydrant system, which did not function properly.

WHNT-TV CBS 19 Huntsville

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After being named Alabama Fire Chief of the Year in 2024, Green walked into his first city department head meeting and dropped the award on the table. It was a belt — an oversized championship belt, the kind a wrestler holds up over his head.

“I bet none of you have a belt like that,” he said. Everyone laughed.

Nine years into the job and 30 into the fire service, that is about as close as Green gets to bragging. He has not held a hose since a condo fire in 2016.

“Our guys don’t like to see me work in the field,” Green said, then added with a grin, “I have to sneak in.”

What he does instead is run a department of 120 people — nine in administration, 111 on shift — across five stations in a city that keeps expanding at the edges. In 2022, Vestavia Hills earned an ISO Class 1 rating, the top grade the Insurance Services Office gives, based on staffing, training, water supply and response capability. The department had been Class 2, held back mostly by manpower. Fewer than 1% of departments in the country hold a Class 1.

Vestavia Voice

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Palmerdale Fire District crews arrived to find heavy smoke coming from above the garage. A 360-degree assessment found the fire had begun extending into the attic above the garage.

Firefighters from Palmerdale and the Glennwood Fire District worked together to extinguish the fire. Jefferson County sheriff’s personnel provided traffic control, and Regional Paramedic Service remained at the scene.

Crews checked for hot spots and additional fire damage by opening walls and ceilings. The home’s main living area had no direct fire damage but sustained smoke and water damage, according to the fire district.

WBMA-LD ABC 33/40 Birmingham

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Adam Bomar was appointed Mountain Brook’s new fire chief Monday, succeeding Chris Mullins, who is retiring after 30 years with the city’s Fire Department.

The leadership transition was celebrated during Monday night’s City Council meeting, where Mullins was honored for his service and Bomar took the oath of office.

For Mullins, the occasion was emotional.

“My career in general, it was a dream of mine and for me to get to live it out and to come to this night to be able to complete the task after 30 years of service,” Mullins said.

WBMA-LD ABC 33/40 Birmingham

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According to the Lipscomb Fire Department, crews were called to a junkyard on Avenue K earlier Tuesday and discovered several vehicles on fire when they arrived.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames.

Later that evening, just before 9:30 p.m., crews were called back to the same location for another fire.

The department said several vehicles were once again burning when firefighters arrived. Crews extinguished the second fire.

Lipscomb Fire & Rescue Lt. Zackary Miller said heat from three burning vehicles damaged the exterior of a house on the property during the first fire.

WBMA-LD ABC 33/40 Birmingham

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The new rating takes effect Nov. 1. ISO evaluates fire protection on a scale of 1 to 10, with Class 1 the highest. The review considers the fire department, water supply, emergency communications and community risk reduction.

Many insurers use ISO ratings when setting property insurance rates. Fultondale residents and business owners are encouraged to contact their insurance agents after Nov. 1 to ask whether the new rating affects their policies.

WBMA-LD ABC 33/40 Birmingham

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Firefighters on the scene say an adult and a child were taken to the hospital from the scene. According to HEMSI spokesman Don Webster, the victims are both being taken to UAB’s burn unit.

Neighbors say the family hasn’t lived at the house very long. They believe it was recently renovated and turned into a rental property.

WAFF-TV NBC 48 Huntsville

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According to the city, a fire broke out at TPC Paving in the Alabama City neighborhood of Gadsden, near Attalla, just before 2:30 p.m.

Gadsden Fire said two buildings that house the city’s paving crew caught fire near 35th Street and West Meighan Boulevard. Officials said 600 barrels of liquid caught fire, leading to a chemical fire.

During the fire, Etowah County EMA said all four lanes of Meighan Boulevard and 34th Street had been closed. Mutual Drive and North 35th Street were also closed. In addition to the road closures, officials also put a two-block evacuation notice in order as crews battled the fire.

“As a precaution, the surrounding area was evacuated, but there are no hazards, and residents can return, if they have not already,” city officials said.

An investigation into the fire is ongoing.

WAFF-TV NBC 48 Huntsville

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