On Sept. 2, Cecil "Buddy" Martinette will begin service as fire chief for the Wilmington (N.C.) Fire Department, reports the News & Advance. Martinette is the former five-year chief of Lynchburg (Va.) Fire and Rescue. Prior to that, he served 21 years as a firefighter in Virginia Beach.

Omaha, Neb., expects mayor Mike Fahey soon will name Mike McDonnell as fire chief of the 700-person, $70 million department. According to the Omaha World-Herald, at 42, McDonnell would be the youngest chief in the city's history, and if appointed, also would mark the first time a former union president took over the position. McDonnell currently serves as acting chief.