VIDEO: Surrounded by key public safety staff, including Anchorage's police and fire chiefs, Mayor Suzanne LaFrance announced a series of hires she says will ensure the actions she plans to take under her "Safer Streets" agenda will be a success. "My top priority for the first 100 days — and we are only on day 80 — has been to build a strong team to make real progress on Anchorage's challenges and take advantage of our opportunities," LaFrance said during a Wednesday morning news conference. During the news conference, LaFrance called filling top public safety leadership jobs "mission critical" to filling vacant jobs. And, as part of what she characterized as making public safety her number one responsibility, LaFrance referenced the Anchorage Fire Department hiring a wildland firefighter, Jon Glover, to start a new wildfire coordination position on Oct. 7.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: A rollover crash on an Orange County freeway left eight firefighters hospitalized Thursday night. The crash occurred in Irvine on the 241 toll road near SR-133 shortly before 7 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. Authorities said a ladder dropped on the road forced the oncoming fire truck to swerve away from the object. The maneuver caused the vehicle to strike a guardrail and overturn. Eight firefighters were inside the truck at the time. They were crews who were heading home after battling the ongoing Airport Fire in Trabuco Canyon. The collision left six firefighters with critical injuries and two with minor injuries, CHP said. They were all transported to local trauma centers and hospitals for emergency treatment. "We ask that you pray for our firefighters and their families," said Brian Fennessy, fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority.  

VIDEO: The Chicago Fire Department is raising awareness about the increasing number of fires caused by faulty lithium batteries in the city. As technology use expands, so does reliance on lithium batteries, which the department says are becoming a growing fire hazard. Fire officials have seen a rise in incidents involving devices such as electric bikes and computers igniting, prompting the department to release a public safety announcement (PSA) on Thursday. Advice from the department is not to use aftermarket products, batteries or chargers, and to make sure that your rechargeable lithium batteries are certified by a nationally recognized lab, like Underwriters Laboratory (UL). "Some party has to look at them external to the manufacturer to make sure that the product has been made safe and deemed to meet safety standards," said UL Global Director of Consumer Technology, Ibrahim Jilani.  

PHOTOS: A massive fire broke out early Friday morning at Columbus Auto Shredding on Alum Creek Drive, engulfing a large outdoor pile of junk cars in flames. The blaze, which started just after midnight, was captured on video by an ABC 6 News viewer. In response to the fire, police shut down parts of Alum Creek Drive from Winslow to Refugee Road, as well as Refugee Road at Route 104, to aid firefighting efforts. And more than 12 hours later, at about 1:30 p.m., ABC 6's Nick Viland reported that the exit (94) ramp on 104 South toward Interstate 71 is closed and causing delays. Viland also reported that Lockborne and Refugee roads are open to local-traffic only, and closed at Refugee and Refugee Park. A battalion chief from the fire department said fighting the flames will still take multiple hours. Firefighters who began working the fire initially have been switched out because of how long the fire already had been burning.  

The PulsePoint Foundation announced that ZOLL has donated the National AED Registry to PulsePoint. ZOLL's donation will increase emergency call taker access to known AED (automated external defibrillator) locations for use during cardiac arrest call processing. The donation represents a shared belief that every AED in the U.S. and Canada, regardless of brand, should have the option of being accessible to all communities. Donating the National AED Registry, which was created in 2004 and managed by ZOLL since 2017, to the Emergency AED Registry increases the number of devices that can be identified for nearby need, regardless of manufacturer or whether they are part of a paid service. "ZOLL is proud to support accessibility to AEDs as a free service," said Elijah White, president, ZOLL Acute Care Technology.  

Volunteering used to be a mainstay of U.S. culture. But in recent years, giving back to their community hasn't played as big a role in many Americans' lives. New research from the University of Georgia suggests the economy may be to blame. The researchers found that people living in disadvantaged communities or areas that have high levels of economic inequality were less likely to volunteer. "Historically, rural areas have had higher volunteering rates than urban ones," said Rebecca Nesbit, lead author of the study and a professor in UGA's School of Public and International Affairs. "These communities often have closer ties and more social interaction with each other, and those close ties may make them more likely to volunteer. Because when you're volunteering for the local food bank in these communities, you're helping people that you have a personal connection to."