VIDEO: The Fairbanks Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) responds to callers wherever they may be during an active crisis, and for two months in a row, they have handled a record proportion of cases without the need for hospitalization or law enforcement involvement. In both October and November of this year, the team has resolved 89 percent of calls without hospitals or police. That ties the record, and the two-month period is the only time that mark has been reached in consecutive months. November of last year also came in at 89 percent, but that number dropped to 80 percent the next month. Further comparison shows the average over the months from November 2022 to September 2023 was 79.8 percent for cases resolved solely by MCT, which is over 9 percent less than the 89 percent number of October and November 2023.  

PHOTOS: A raging 5-alarm fire raced through a row of Bronx businesses early Wednesday morning, leaving at least one person injured. The blaze broke out at Bunny's Deli Cold Cut City at West 231st Street and Broadway in the Kingsbridge section just before 3:30 am, the FDNY said. Two dozen videos uploaded to Citizen App showed huge flames and plumes of thick black smoke shooting into the air, and a crowd of firefighters battling the inferno both from the street level and from tower ladders. Seven businesses in the area have reportedly been gutted by the blaze, or sustained water damage from the firefighting efforts, including a meat store, seafood market, pizzeria, flower shop, cleaning company, barbershop and a tax preparation business. One person suffered a minor injury requiring medical attention.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Saturday's tornado left scattered supplies and a destroyed station for the Gibson County Fire Department in Rutherford. Though grateful for no casualties, John Baker, the Battalion Chief for the Gibson County Fire Department, calls the destruction unnerving. Damaged equipment is being gathered for inventory and assessed for usability. Firefighters were even searching across fields for scattered equipment. The focus is on general clean up. Damaged trucks are being looked at by insurance to see what can be fixed. "It appears that we have a 100 percent total loss of the station. Some of the equipment is salvageable," said Baker. "We don't have a home but we still make calls." Baker says he was in the office when the storm hit, causing the most damage to their truck bay.  

PHOTO: Current and former Mount Pleasant Fire Department members, along with car enthusiasts of all ages were partying like its 1941 at the Dec. 9 Charleston Cars & Coffee gathering at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre, as they collectively admired and marveled at the sight of an 82 year-old fire engine red service truck. But unlike any precious museum piece, this masterpiece from a bygone era had attendees touching it and climbing inside the ole Ford hand pumper. "We've been asked about putting it in a museum, but when we put it back together this last time, the idea was we wanted it to be out in the public," said retired firefighter Jimmy Lamb. The one-time first responder has teamed up with other current and former fire department personnel, including Jay Michel, in performing regular maintenance on the vehicle.  

VIDEO: More than 350 families of fallen first responders are taking part in a healing retreat at Walt Disney World Resort. The gathering was part of the Gary Sinise Foundation's annual Snowball Express event, which has been held since 2018 for families of fallen U.S. military heroes. The expansion to a second week focused on first responders and was one of the largest gatherings of the community to date, organizers said. "Our first responders keep us safe and protect us in our homes and we owe them," GSF Senior Vice President Jim Ravella said. "This nation owes them a debt of gratitude." On Tuesday, the families participated in a Walk of Gratitude at the Magic Kingdom theme park. "That is a time when there's a lot of fun. We're here to make new memories for them at this time of year, the holiday season," Ravella said.