HFD tells 2 Investigates it's done buying environmentally friendly ambulances after report of issues that resulted in “reducing fleet readiness and response capacity.”

With Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo stepping down, the question now is who will take the lead in the 2026 election. Several prominent candidates have already entered the race, setting the stage for a high-profile contest.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s office confirms she is not running for reelection next year.

A $5 million budget has been approved by lawmakers to study cancer risks among firefighters.

The Houston Fire Department was called just before 5:30 a.m. for an apartment complex on fire, and a mayday call was initiated after 3 firefighters were hurt.

Deal may not be done until June

Soaring temperatures, searing heat and hot temp advisories every day for weeks: That is what the men and women of the Houston Fire Department have to deal with on the job but at Fire Station 23, they are also dealing with the fact that their air conditioning system is not working and hasn’t been working for more than a week.

The extreme heat can be dangerous for first responders and now, several Houston Fire Departments across the area are dealing with air conditioning problems.

The city of Houston is sounding the alarm regarding staffing for its firefighters.

In San Antonio on Wednesday, Governor Greg Abbott’s Texas Task Force for Concert Safety met for the fifth time in less than two months. Friday afternoon Brendon Anthony, the Chair of the Task Force, spoke with KPRC 2 Investigates, admitting many are watching the recommendations the committee is working on closely.

The city of Houston spent more than a million dollars on counterfeit masks, according to court documents.

Captain Tommy Searcy is in critical condition at Memorial Hermann in the Woodlands, officials said, Tuesday. After hours of communication and battling red tape, early Tuesday morning, Searcy’s colleagues brought over an experimental drug which they hope will help save his life. Unrelenting determination is the feeling consuming Lancton and Searcy’s colleagues, including Searcy’s twin Tony, who is also an HFD captain. With dwindling options, firefighters had hoped an experimental drug being used in Houston could be an answered prayer, but the trial is being facilitated at Houston Methodist. Searcy is at Memorial Hermann in the Woodlands.

HOUSTON – The Houston Fire Department chief said the staff was “maintaining operations” but “stretched thin” after additional firefighters were quarantined on Monday. Fire Station 68′s ladder truck is one of six HFD trucks and other vehicles currently out of service because there aren’t enough firefighters to staff them, said Marty Lancton, HFD’s union president. “On a perfect day, take COVID out of it, we don’t have the minimum staffing required for each apparatus,” Lancton said. As expected, residents who live near the fire station said they were unaware of staffing problems at the fire department. Chief Pena said many firefighters are voluntarily working extra shifts to make sure Houston is covered.

HOUSTON – COVID-19 cases continue to climb in Texas and Harris County as the state reopens. According to the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association, it’s beginning to strain manpower at the fire department. Since March, over 500 HFD employees have been quarantined and 75 have tested positive for COVID-19. Now, he said due to COVID-19 cases, the losses have created a serious manpower problem. At the Houston Police department, 11 new cases were confirmed over the weekend, raising the total of Houston police employees testing positive to 90 since March 22.