The city's new fire chief will not be imported; he is already in the department. James Whiteford, the current deputy chief, will be elevated to chief Monday, with the retirement of current fire chief Richard "Rick" Welle. "The promotion wasn't a surprise. We have been working toward this for some time," he said by phone Wednesday. "But it was not a sure thing until recently." Whiteford, 51, joined the department as a volunteer firefighter in 1996, after three years with an all-volunteer department in Marion, the seat of Williamson County. He said he was only a volunteer in Edwardsville for a short period before he signed on full-time with the department. He will mark his 25th year in the fire service in September. "I'm very excited about the promotion," he said.  

Throughout the year, Illinois could weather any number of potential disasters — from a tornado and earthquake to flash flood or ice storm. That's why this month, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies are highlighting the importance of lifesaving skills like first aid, CPR, fire prevention and utility management. These are simple skills that can help save lives during a disaster. "Learning four simple lifesaving skills can transform your role during an emergency or disaster," said IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau. "Emergencies can happen fast and it can take time for first responders to arrive on the scene. By enhancing your skillset, you are trained and skilled to be the help until first responders arrive."  

A house fire in Sheridan before midnight heavily damaged a home. Around 11:30 PM Sheridan, Serena and Newark Fire Departments were called to the 400 block of West Pleasant Street. Before 6 AM Thursday crews had to return to the scene as the fire had rekindled. Nobody was present at the time the fire started according to Gabriella Campbell, who lived in the home. She did say that her three cats did not survive the blaze. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.  

A man considered to be an "honorary" member of the Peoria Fire Department for his photographic work has seen some of his efforts result in an art gallery display. Peoria Fire Department's Facebook page posted Thursday that photos at fire scenes taken by Dr. Elsburgh Clarke will be on display at The Roberts Gallery in Indianapolis. There are four photos on the Facebook page that Peoria Fire officials say will be featured as part of the gallery. The Roberts Gallery is an annual display that's part of the Roberts Camera store in Indianapolis as part of a "Gallery Night" event scheduled for August 7. The event, organizers said, will be virtual this year. "[Dr. Clarke] is not only a caring and talented physician but also an incredible photographer," the Facebook post said. Clarke has been involved with the Peoria Fire Department for the past fifteen years.  

VIDEO: Two workers were pulled from scaffolding that was dangling from the side of an apartment building in Boston's Chinatown on Thursday morning. The incident happened 13 stories in the air at Tai Tung Village, a housing and business complex. Witness Andres Mateo told NBC10 Boston he saw the scaffolding drop. "I saw the guy hanging from the rope," Meteo recalled. He said as he started recording with his cellphone, one man was pulled inside a window by firefighters. The other man was taken in after firefighters broke through the glass. "Both workers were brought in safely and they were immediately taken to Boston EMS just for an evaluation. They both appeared to be fine," said Jonathan Hernandez of the Boston Fire Department.  

As coronavirus cases surge in much of the country, issues with testing availability and access have once again arisen in nearly every aspect of the testing supply chain, local officials and hospital leaders in several states told ABC News -- a troubling echo of the shortages that plagued the nation's initial response to the virus months ago. Testing issues have manifested differently in different parts of the country, from states in the midst of a renewed battle against COVID-19 and those who still fear one might be coming, officials said. In California and Nebraska, some testing sites were forced to close down because of a shortage in testing kits, chemical reagents, and other supplies. Arizona and South Carolina reported slower turnaround times for test results from labs due to lack of capacity. In New York, private labs now take up to a week to return test results.  

A 100-year-old technique is still being used by firefighters to save lives in St. Bernard Parish. Firefighters at the St. Bernard Fire Department say they are incorporating the use of tourniquets when responding to emergencies. "How are you going to help somebody with a gunshot wound," said Mark Caruso, with the St. Bernard Fire Department. "We're thinking about things like tourniquets to stop the bleeding." Caruso said his crew had to make the decision to use a tourniquet while responding to a shooting. It helped stop the victim's bleeding until EMS arrived, according to Caruso. "When EMS arrived on the scene I was able to transport the patient to the trauma center," Said Raul Vallecillo, EMT. Three lives were saved that day and another the following month, all thanks to tourniquets.  

Survivors of the Camp Fire can get an online sneak peek of the Ron Howard documentary Rebuilding Paradise this weekend. The original plan of the filmmaker to have it first shown in the Paradise Performing Arts Center. This couldn't happen, however, due to the coronavirus outbreak. Instead, the film's debut was at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, which was attended by former Paradise mayor Woody Culleton, who was one of several survivors featured in the documentary. "The first 10 minutes are of live fire footage and people escaping," said Culleton, saying it can be traumatic for some survivors. "Once you get beyond that it's the story about how does a town come back from total destruction," he said. "Ron did a really good job of showing that side of our community." Showings of the film online will be at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.