Several children were rescued from a fire that damaged an apartment building and left 18 residents displaced Friday in Lawndale on the West Side. The fire was first reported about 4 a.m. in a three-story apartment building in the 1200 block of South Central Park Avenue, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Curtis Hudson. The fire damaged the second-floor unit and the building's rear porches, Hudson said. It was out by 4:33 a.m. and no injuries were reported. Firefighters rescued eight children from the building using ladders, including some who lowered themselves out a third-floor window and onto a second-floor landing, according to Hudson. A total of 10 children and eight adults were displaced as a result of the blaze, Hudson said. A warming bus was brought to the scene and the Illinois Department of Human Services was contacted to help displaced residents find shelter.  

The East Joliet Fire Department announced that Fire Chief Robert Scholtes died on Thursday morning. "The department would like to express our gratitude for all the support we have received during this difficult time. Please continue to keep the Scholtes family in your thoughts and prayers. Arrangements to follow," the fire department announced. Information concerning the cause of death was not revealed. The East Joliet Fire Department Facebook page received a flood of responses from people saddened by the unexpected loss: "Another great one gone way too soon. Rest in Peace Chief Scholtes. You'll be remembered through memories in the ones you've touched." "So sad, he will be greatly missed. Prayers to the entire family and department." "So Sorry for your loss. He was a great man. thinking of his family and friends. Our prayers go out to all." "So sorry to hear this news. Prayers for Chief Scholtes family, friends, and FD members."  

Fire destroyed what was initially described as a two-story, abandoned farmhouse between Hudson and Carlock early Friday. Firefighters were called shortly after 2 a.m. to the property just east of the intersection of McLean County roads 2100 North and 1200 East (Ropp Road), which is about 2 miles west of Hudson and about 3½ miles north of Normal. Firefighters from Carlock, Hudson and Danvers and McLean County sheriff's deputies were called to the scene. Other structures on the wooded property did not appear to be involved. Additional information, including whether there were any injuries, was not available early Friday.  

Two people required medical treatment after a fire in a west suburban Lombard home Thursday morning. Fire crews responded about 5:45 a.m. to a reported house fire in the 100-block of North West Road, according to a news release from the Lombard Fire Department. Flames were visible from the front of the home when firefighters arrived, but the two occupants were already out of the house. One was treated on the scene and the other was transported to Edward-Elmhurst Health Center in Lombard win non-life threatening injuries. Crews from across the west suburbs remained on the scene for hours. No firefighters were injured in the incident.  

A quick response from firefighters, a functional sprinkler system and working alarms kept a fire in an apartment building from causing any harm or spreading beyond a single bedroom, according to the Evanston Fire Department. "The fire alarm and sprinkler system worked exactly as designed, saving both lives and property," Chief Brian Scott said in a release. Fire crews arrived at a three-story apartment building at the corner of Barton Avenue and Cleveland Street shortly after 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, according to the release. The first firefighters to arrive could hear fire alarms going off and see residents evacuating from inside, it said. The crew from Engine 24 went inside and headed down a hallway filled with smoke to the burning bedroom.  

Municipal officials have agreed to set up what's called a 401(a) plan, tax-differed retirement saving accounts, for retiring public safety employees. Members of the City Council approved a measure on Monday allowing mayor Andre Sayegh's administration to set up the plan at the request of the police and fire unions. Under the proposal, the city will deposit the accumulated leave time payouts for police and fire employees into the tax-differed retirement savings accounts. Before the new year, the city is paying $1.2 million to 19 firefighters and police officers. The sum is a partial severance payout for the employees. Municipal official disclosed the city has to pay approximately $5 million in accumulated leave time payouts to firefighters and police officers. The lot includes approximately 30 employees, said officials.  

Major changes are coming to the Owen Valley Fire Department. Lt. Joe Frye said the department will lose a majority of its firefighters at the end of the year because the Owen Valley Volunteer Firefighter Incorporated Group could not reach a contract agreement with the Owen Valley Fire Territory Board. "You're talking guys that are career firemen," Lt. Frye said. "We have a lot of guys that work on career department part-time, you've got college graduates from fire science and public safety. There were some things in the contract that made it almost impossible to sign." Lt. Frye said they never had a chance to negotiate the terms in that contract. He said the department will lose about 20 volunteers, which could have a major impact on safety in the area.  

The city's firefighters union is pushing for more emphasis on mental health after losing an officer to suicide. "One of our brothers passed away of this disease," said Shawn Weeks, president of Local 1891, the union that represents Boynton's paramedics and firefighters. "Nobody thought this was gonna happen." Noting Boynton's fallen officer will "guide us into changing this profession," Weeks rolled out an early-stage proposal calling for a joint venture with the city to make a doctor available to help when firefighters experience trauma or suffer symptoms of mental illness. The union would cover treatment and travel costs. Suicide in 2017 claimed the lives of at least 103 firefighters, according to a white paper commissioned by the Ruderman Family Foundation. The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance estimates that number was underreported and actually exceeded 250.  

Knowing how to properly handle all the equipment that's used to fight fires is a crucial part of a firefighter's job. Joseph Cross looks like he's adept and ready to go to battle, but he is actually not a firefighter – yet. He is training to become one after fighting some personal demons and ending up in prison. "It was a series of mistakes, decisions I made," Cross said. "I had some issues with alcoholism, and I ended up making some mistakes like drinking and driving, and a hit-and-run." While in prison, Cross was given the opportunity to become an inmate firefighter. He was also told that doing that work would take two years off of his four-year sentence. "That was an incentive, but at the same time you're going to be able to give back to your community, fight fires, and it makes you feel good when you go out there and give back, so it made me feel good," he said.  

Looking a the numbers at the end of the first year of the Racine Fire Department's home visit program, department Division Chief Brian Wolf said he's seen how the program "is greatly needed." For its first year, the program has been focused on cardiac patients. Fire Chief Steve Hansen said the department's partners in the program at Advocate Aurora and Ascension All Saints would like to see the program expanded, but the department's plan is to grow the program incrementally. The Mobile Integrated Health program sends specially trained paramedics to check in on patients who were recently discharged from the hospital. During those visits, the paramedics ensure the patients are following their discharge instructions, check their vital signs, provide long-term health guidance (regarding diet, exercise, quitting smoking, etc.), and check the home for potential health risks, such as tripping hazards.