July 4 marks the 40-year anniversary of the house fire that killed Pete DiMaria's mother, brother, sister and grandfather. DiMaria was just 11 years old when it happened at his house in Pompano Beach. The fire sparked overnight. He still doesn't know how it started. His grandfather tried rousing the family awake, but the smoke knocked them out.
- PUB DATE: 6/8/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: naples daily news

They’re called “superusers,” and in 2015 alone, the top 40 superusers in Los Angeles accounted for about 2,000 emergency responses. “When ambulances are responding to these individuals — sometimes the same individual two times a day, taking the same patient to an ER twice in one day — that ambulance is not available to respond to the rest of the community,” said Los Angeles Fire Department Medical Director and physician Marc Eckstein.
- PUB DATE: 6/8/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KPCC-FM

Botetourt County Fire & EMS Chief Jeff Beckner died Friday morning at the age of 57. Beckner worked in fire and EMS for more than 30 years, and he was known for his strong leadership and hands-on style. He worked in Roanoke before becoming chief in Botetourt County in September 2014. “He’s the kind of fire chief that doesn’t come around very often,” Roanoke Fire-EMS Chief David Hoback said.
- PUB DATE: 6/8/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Roanoke Times

Companies spanning the telecom, tech, and security industries announced a partnership on Tuesday that seeks to win a $6.5 billion contract to build a national emergency network. Their bid also contains a major economic twist that could, if successful, see the companies shake up how companies buy and sell precious wireless spectrum.
- PUB DATE: 6/8/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: fortune.com

Five Huntsville firefighters were injured Tuesday morning when a balcony collapsed from under them during a training exercise. The incident happened around 10:15 a.m. as Huntsville Fire & Rescue participated in the last day of fire training at one of three donated structures at 4020 Independence Drive.
- PUB DATE: 6/8/2016 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: al.com