A bill adding criminal penalties for harassing 911 dispatchers or abusing the 911 system in Alaska is advancing closer to a vote in the state Senate after the Legislature failed to pass it last year. The bill from Sen. David Wilson, R-Wasilla, would make threatening a 911 dispatcher a Class B misdemeanor. Repeatedly calling 911 after being asked to stop would also be a misdemeanor. The Senate Finance Committee heard the bill on Wednesday. The legislation was inspired in part by an incident in which one person called 911 more than 85 times in an 8-hour period during a July 4 holiday. "The male was screaming and yelling profanities and threatening dispatch and anyone who would respond to his residence," according to an account provided to legislators by dispatchers for Matcom, which serves the Wasilla area.  

Huge flames from inside a Bronx supermarket sent smoke billowing into the air, as a fire erupted when the busy store was filled with shoppers and workers. The blaze broke out at a C-Town Supermarket on University Avenue in the Morris Heights neighborhood round 5:30 p.m., fire officials said, and quickly grew to 5-alarms. An employee said the grocery market was busy at the time when he noticed sparks and smoke coming from the ceiling, near some cables. The shoppers and workers were able to run out of the store safely, the employee told NBC New York. The FDNY later said four people were injured, one civilian with minor injuries and and three firefighters. Two people who live in the building next door said they heard a loud explosion and ran out from the home.  

VIDEO: As the world watches the deaths mount in Turkey following the devastating earthquakes, local firefighters are training to make sure they are prepared to respond to a similar disaster. Crews from all over Southern California gathered at a training center in Sherman Oaks, dubbed "Disaster City," to learn how to search for victims trapped under rubble brought by an earthquake. Equipped with listening devices and cameras, these teams of firefighters methodically searched behind every wall and building for hours Thursday. "We have people trapped in buildings and we have to use canines, cameras and listening devices to locate these folks and get them out in a timely manner," said Oxnard Fire Department Captain John Cecena.  

At the 7th Annual Public Safety Report meeting Thursday, Mayor John Hamilton announced a new $100,000 no-interest down payment assistance program for up to 10 police officers and 10 firefighters as an incentive to live in the city of Bloomington. Commencing immediately, the pilot housing program is the only such program known to exist in the country. After 10 years, participants will realize $100,000 in home equity. Attracting and retaining top firefighters and sworn police officers is a concern nationwide. Enabling police officers and firefighters to live where they work allows for better community connections and reduces crucial travel time in the event of an emergency situation. The new pilot program will support individuals in buying homes they may not be able to otherwise afford in Bloomington, enabling them to build wealth and stability over time while integrating 20 first responders into the community for the long run.  

When Jessica Markle — then Jessica Fink — walked into West Manchester Township Fire Department's (WMTFD) Shiloh Fire Company back in April 2015, she was a college student who decided to become a volunteer firefighter on a whim. Little did she know that she was about to meet somebody who would change her life. "I was at the station talking to a friend, and Jessica walked in and walked past us," Josh Markle said. "I looked at my friend and asked, ‘Who's that?'" Josh, who had been with WMTFD for a little over a year at that point, was certainly intrigued by the new volunteer. Over time, they got to know each other and became great friends. About two years later — March 2017 — the two friends began dating. They got engaged in 2019 and set their wedding for May 2, 2020. But like just about everything in the spring of 2020, the wedding was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.