IS
IS A
IS A FUNCTION YOU LOVE AND CARE ABOUT YOUR FOLKS BECAUSE YOU
KNOW HOW DANGEROUS IT IS. GET
ON MY KNEES EVERY SINGLE
MORNING I PRAY FOR THE SURVIVAL
TODAY. OUR CITY LOST A SON LOST
A HUSBAND. WE LOST A BROTHER
EVERY LIFE IS PRECIOUS BUT WHEN
WE LOSE ONE OF OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS IT'S DEVASTATING FOR
THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY. WE'RE
THE BIGGEST TALL GREGARIOUS
PEOPLE YOU EVER WANT TO MEET.
NEVER SAW I ALWAYS SAW HIM
SMILE. ALWAYS BY DOING
SOMETHING HE LOVED. YOU HAVE TO
LOVE THIS JOB TO DO IT BECAUSE
I LOVE THIS JOB. FUSING AMAZING
PERSON HE'S GOING TO BE MISSED.
THE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITY IN
MOURNING AFTER A 17 YEAR
VETERAN OF THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE
DEPARTMENT DIED TODAY.
EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER HOLLY
SO FAR JOINS US LIVE NOW FROM
PUBLIC SAFETY HEADQUARTERS. AND
HOLLY THE SENATORIAL FIRE CHIEF
IS CALLING THIS A SIMPLE
ACCIDENT IN THE LINE OF DUTY
YES CHIEF CHARLES HOOD SAYS
THAT THEY RUN DANGEROUS CALLS
ALL THE TIME. JUST YESTERDAY
THEY RAN MORE THAN A THOUSAND
OF THEM. HE SAYS WHAT HAPPENED
WITH GARZA COULD HAVE HAPPENED
TO ANYONE IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.
HE WAS STEPPING OFF THE FIRE
TRUCK AT A SCENE NEAR DOWNTOWN
WHEN HE STUMBLED. AND THAT'S
WHEN THE CAR HIT HIM. THAT
DRIVER DID IMMEDIATELY STOP TO
TRY AND HELP PARAMEDICS ON
SCENE ALSO DID WHAT THEY COULD
BEFORE GARZA WAS TAKEN TO
SHAMSI. ONCE THEY ARE 20 TO 25
PEOPLE WERE FIGHTING TO SAVE
HIS LIFE. THE CHIEF SAYS THAT
THIS MAN WAS ONE OF HIS
FRIENDS. AND EVERYDAY HE STARTS
OFF WITH A PRAYER FOR HIS
FIREFIGHTERS ASKING GOD TO
PROTECT THEM WHILE THEY'RE ON
DUTY. HE SAYS THAT CALL ABOUT
CARDS THAT CAME IN 30 MINUTES
AFTER HE FINISHED PRAYING THIS
MORNING. AND WE GOT THAT CALL.
IT SHOOK HIM TO HIS CORE.
EIGHTEEN HUNDRED FIREFIGHTERS I
LOVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM
BUT I KNEW AND LOVED GREG
GARZA. HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH
HIM. SO THIS IS STUNNING.
THE CHIEF SAYS THAT THEY WILL
LIVE EVERY DAY FOR GARZA
REMEMBERING WHAT THEY DO EACH
AND EVERY DAY SINCE HE DIED
DOING WHAT HE LOVED BEING
FIREFIGHTER. WE DON'T KNOW
ABOUT ANY FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
ARRANGEMENTS AT THIS POINT ARE
STILL WORKING ON THAT? BUT
THE CHIEF SAYS THAT
FIREFIGHTERS FROM SAN DIEGO
DALLAS AND HOUSTON HAVE ALREADY
REACHED OUT OFFERING THEIR
SUPPORT LIFE PUBLIC SAFETY
HEADQUARTERS. HOLLY STOVER KENS
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS TRIBUTES ARE
POURING IN FROM ACROSS THE CITY
AND BEYOND AFTER FIREFIGHTER
GARZA WAS KILLED IN THE LINE OF
DUTY. OUR TEAM COVERAGE
CONTINUES NOW WITH EYEWITNESS
NEWS REPORTER MARIA MADINA.
SHE'S LIVE OUTSIDE FIRE STATION
NUMBER ONE RIGHT WELL
THE COMMUNITY HAS ABSOLUTELY
RALLIED AROUND THE INDIVIDUALS
HERE AT FIRE STATION NUMBER ONE
WE'VE SEEN FLOWERS FOOD PEOPLE
COMING IN JUST TO OFFER THEIR
CONDOLENCES. WE TALKED TO A
FIREFIGHTER EARLIER WHO SAYS
THAT IN THE HOURS AFTER
THE PASSING FIREFIGHTER GARZA.
THIS HAS JUST BEEN ABSOLUTELY
CONSISTENT TAKE A LOOK AT SOME
OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA TRIBUTES
THAT ARE ROLLING IN FROM SAN
ANTONIO AND ABROAD. YOU HAVE
HARTFORD CONNECTICUT NEW
BRAUNFELS SPOKANE WASHINGTON
LAREDO SUPPORT COMING IN FROM
ALL OVER. AND RIGHT HERE AT
HOME ON MEMORIAL OUTSIDE FIRE
STATION ONE CONTINUING TO GROW
FIRE CHIEF CHARLES HOOD
ENCOURAGING THIS OVERFLOW OF
SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
TAKE YOUR PEOPLE HAVE HAD
THE WORST DAYS THEIR LIVES BUT
ON THIS DAY THIS DEPARTMENT
SUFFERED ONE OF ITS WORST DAYS.
SO I ASKED A COMMUNITY
ASSISTANCE FOR YOUR PRAYERS FOR
MY FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY HURTING
RIGHT AND FOR THOSE AT HOME
WONDERING HOW THEY CAN HELP
THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT
SAYS IT'S ESTABLISHED A
MEMORIAL ONE AT GENERATIONS
CREDIT UNION. JUST ASK FOR
THE GREG GARCIA MEMORIAL FUND.
REPORTING LIVE OUTSIDE A FIRE
STATION NUMBER ONE MARIAH
MADINA KENS 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
THANK YOU MARIAH HB IS ALSO
EXTENDING THEIR SUPPORT TO
THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT
SEVERAL STORES DELIVERED
SANDWICH TRAYS TO THE STATION
IN A STATEMENT THE COMPANY SAYS
WE ARE INCREDIBLY SADDENED BY
THE LOSS OF FIREFIGHTER GAZA.
SOME OF US JUST HAD
THE PLEASURE OF MEETING HIM ON
9/11 WHEN WE WERE AT STATION
ONE FOR OUR HELPING HEROES
EVENT. OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES
GO OUT TO FIREFIGHTER GAZA'S