In all, members of 14 area fire departments will make up the new Heights-Hillcrest Technical Rescue Team that will provide special rescue services.

"This all fits in with the spirit of regionalism," Mayor Georgine Welo said of the departments joining together. Welo pointed out that this action comes after South Euclid elected to form a police and fire dispatch group with Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights and University Heights.

"By joining together, we're looking for a reduction of equipment and operating costs, and it's an opportunity to reduce our overall costs," said South Euclid Fire Department Assistant Chief Dave Csire. "And, maybe most importantly, it gives us a greater opportunity for us to seek outside grants because there will be more of us applying.

"It also allows for an even distribution of our resources."

Councils from each member community must pass a resolution to bring the two teams together. South Euclid has been part of, since its formation in 1995, the Heights Area Special Rescue Team, or HASRT.

Other member departments included those from Cleveland Heights, University Heights, Beachwood, Shaker Heights and Euclid.

HASRT will join forces with the Hillcrest Technical Rescue Team (HILLTECH), which consists of Lyndhurst, Beachwood (Beachwood pays dues that make it a member of both teams), Gates Mills, Highland Heights, Mayfield Village, Mayfield Heights, Pepper Pike, Richmond Heights and the lone Lake County community, Willoughby Hills.

On Monday, the Missouri Opioid-Heroin Overdose Prevention and Education or MO-HOPE Project, a partnership between the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Missouri Institute for Mental Health, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and the National Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse launched an overdose education and naloxone training and distribution program for first responders.

The Eureka Police Department, St. Charles City Police Department, Warrenton Fire Department, Wright City Fire Department, Marthasville Police Department and the Columbia Police Department participated, according to a press release.

"The potency of heroin and the circulation of strong prescription painkillers have been increasing," wrote Rachel Winograd, MO-HOPE lead investigator at MIMH. “Among other things, this grant will improve access to naloxone for emergency responders and community members to most effectively intervene when the worst happens.”

St. Charles County was the first police agency to start using the antidote in the area in November 2015. St. Louis County, Wentzville, Clayton and others have since followed suit.

Attorney James Davis represents George Matis Jr., of Republic, who remained jailed on criminal homicide and reckless endangerment charges in the Sunday shooting of 16-year-old Parker Hess at the Republic Volunteer Fire Company.

Hess was shot when Matis removed his legally owned gun from a holster and it fired, striking Hess in the cheek, state police said in a criminal complaint. Investigators haven't said whether the shooting was accidental, but Davis believes it was.

"Mr. Matis is distraught over all this," Davis told The Associated Press. "This is a horrific incident and of course it's our position that this was just a terrible accident."

The homicide charge Matis faces allows prosecutors to pursue a murder conviction, but also voluntary or involuntary manslaughter, which occurs when a shooting was reckless or grossly negligent. Davis said he expects the case will be prosecuted under a manslaughter statute, but didn't want to presume anything.

Fire & Rescue NSW Zone Commander Greg Lewis said the most important thing was that crews could respond safely and come back safely on a fire fighting vehicle with all the latest bells and whistles on it.

Superintendent Lewis said it was more ergonomic and stored a large amount of equipment as well as having the latest technological advancements needed to fight fires.

"They are a good asset and they are liked by the firefighters," he said.

"The layout of the cabin is a lot bigger, it has a lot more capabilities for IT inside as well as the operation of the pump and the advancement of the storage capability.

He was taken to the hospital by a private party.

A report of smoke in the house came from a home occupied by Sheena Flink and Dan McLaren, Jr. and their five children. They all got out safely.