Delta Junction city officials are trying to find a way to maintain ambulance service after the present contract expires next year. But costs are rising and funding is limited, and some area residents say they don't want to pay taxes to support the service. The problem and perspectives from area residents were discussed, sometimes emphatically, by city officials in a meeting three weeks ago. Mayor J.W. Musgrove told more than a hundred people who packed the community center on Sept. 28 that the city is facing a deadline on finding a way to pay for ambulance service. "The current contract ends June 30th, Musgrove said in his opening remarks. "If the contract bid goes higher … we don't have enough grant money to make it through FY24."  

VIDEO: A dramatic two-alarm fire erupted Monday afternoon at a commercial building in Monrovia, prompting a quick response from at least two local fire departments. The blaze, fueled by stacks of pallets, was reported about 5 p.m. at a structure in the 800 block of East Huntington Drive. Firefighters arrived at the scene to find flames shooting through the roof. No injuries were immediately reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.  

VIDEO: At just 18 years old, Jah'ere Robinson became a hero in the same Palm Beach County neighborhood where a stray bullet injured him as he took out the garbage. Jah'ere spent six months in the hospital and months recovering. Two years after surviving the shooting, a neighbor credited him for acting quickly during an apartment building fire. Jah'ere grabbed a fire extinguisher, stepped inside through the smoke, and he remained calm. "I see the fire from the stove to the roof and it caught the cabinet. It caught the roof and it was almost to the attic," Jah'ere told the ABC News affiliate in Palm Beach. "I'm trying to breathe and see at the same time and just happened to put it out." John Curd, the city's fire chief, and Keith Golden, the city's assistant fire chief, both agreed his decision to take action in August deserved recognition, and when they learned he is an aspiring firefighter knowing what to do next was easy.  

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott along with the Baltimore City Fire Department, elected officials launched its Unsafe Vacant Marking Initiative Monday. The initiative will help first responders identify unsafe vacant homes, buildings, or structures when determining the structural integrity before entering by noting the secured 12x12 inch red square reflective signs on properties considered unsafe for anyone to enter. Fire Chief Niles R. Ford also noted when identifying an unsafe vacant property, firefighters will consider the stability of a structure & the roof, previous fire damage, and visible signs of a collapse. "Vacant properties present a danger to our entire community. My administration has committed to addressing this issue with the utmost urgency. We refuse to leave anything on the table and are working to improve all operations, procedures, and processes connected to how the city government deals with vacant houses," said Mayor Brandon M. Scott in a news release.  

VIDEO: A daring rescue off a cliff at Peninsula State Park in Door County this weekend saved a woman's life. She was in stable condition Monday after the difficult task of getting her safely off the cliff. Multiple agencies responded to make this rescue mission a success. Video shared by the Gibraltar Fire Department is just a glimpse of the treacherous rescue at the park in Door County after a 32-year-old woman fell from a parking lot on top of Eagle Bluff, landing on a ledge about 50 feet below. Gibraltar Fire Capt. Bob Volpe said, "We had very little space and it was on an incline, probably 15-20 degrees where she was." Getting to that ledge was no easy task. "I had all my resources that were coming on scene," Ephraim Fire Chief Justin MacDonald said. "I would tell them you need to take all your equipment, go down the trail."  

One City of Erie fire department is celebrating Halloween with a carved pumpkin that weighs more than 1,000 pounds. It's the second time an Erie firefighter has grown a pumpkin for the community to enjoy. Erie Fireman John Stewart grew a pumpkin that weighs over 1,000 pounds. The pumpkin sits outside Firehouse 13 on East 28th Street. It took an artist seven hours to carve and create the display. "People stop by, they'll take a lot of pictures, they'll have their kids run up next to it, get some pictures with them. Yeah, it's really cool. Something different to focus on, especially this time of year, and kids love to come check it out with their families, and it's a really cool thing," said Matt Vickey, Erie firefighter.