A person trapped nearly 100 feet off the ground in Waukegan no longer needs to descend on a ladder guided by a firefighter paramedic. People can now be rescued and lowered to the ground in a basket affixed to a crane mechanism attached to the Waukegan Fire Department's newest piece of equipment. The Fire Department took possession of its $1.4 million 95-foot Seagrave Aerialscope fire truck earlier this month at its headquarters station on Belvedere Road in Waukegan enabling four firefighters and their equipment to reach the top of nearly any building in the city simultaneously. Lt. Todd Zupec said the new truck is the first of its kind in Illinois. Unlike the older models, no ladder climbing is necessary. "It's a really unique apparatus," Zupec said. "The lift operates off a crane beam."  

Peoria firefighters responded just before 12:30 a.m. Friday to a structure fire in the 1800 block of W. Millman. Fire Battalion Chief Clint Kuhlman said crews found smoke showing from outside the home upon arrival. "They arrived to find the dining room on fire. We did call in a Peoria fire investigator. He determined the cause of the fire was electrical, due to an overloaded extension cord," Kuhlman said. Residents of the home got out safely before firefighters arrived. "We were able to rescue three dogs. A mother dog and her two little puppies from inside the house," said Kuhlman. No firefighter injuries were reported. Damage is estimated at $25,000.  

At its July 22 board meeting, the village board and Mayor George Yukich proclaimed July 19-25 as First Responders Week in Homer Glen. According to board documents, the proclamation reaffirms the village's support for all first responders that serve residents of the village. "During this week the village is encouraging residents to share their support of first responders and will be delivering gifts to stations to thank them for their service," board documents state. The board presented a copy of the proclamation to Homer Township Fire Protection District, Mokena Fire Protection District, New Lenox Fire Protection District, Northwest Homer Fire Protection District, village of Homer Emergency Management Agency and the Will County Sheriff's Office.  

VIDEO: Geiger Grade and Veterans Parkway have reopened after a large apartment fire broke out at a vacant complex in south Reno. According to the Reno Fire Department, the massive blaze was reported by several people at about 3:15 a.m. on Thursday. When crews arrived on the scene shortly after, there was heavy smoke and flames as a six-story building burned. The Sparks Fire Department and Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District were called in to assist the Reno Fire Department. The fire took place at a vacant apartment complex — the Espirit Town Homes — located at Geiger Grade and Veterans Parkway. One nearby home suffered heat and smoke damages, but no injuries have been reported at this time. RFD reports that 14 of 21 apartment buildings were destroyed, with unit completion ranging from move-in ready to still under construction.  

A person trapped nearly 100 feet off the ground in Waukegan no longer needs to descend on a ladder guided by a firefighter paramedic. People can now be rescued and lowered to the ground in a basket affixed to a crane mechanism attached to the Waukegan Fire Department's newest piece of equipment. The Fire Department took possession of its $1.4 million 95-foot Seagrave Aerialscope fire truck earlier this month at its headquarters station on Belvedere Road in Waukegan enabling four firefighters and their equipment to reach the top of nearly any building in the city simultaneously. Lt. Todd Zupec said the new truck is the first of its kind in Illinois. Unlike the older models, no ladder climbing is necessary. "It's a really unique apparatus," Zupec said. "The lift operates off a crane beam."  

For the first time in 108 years, Rockland's volunteer firefighters' parade and convention will be canceled. Both events were casualties of the coronavirus pandemic. The Rockland County Volunteer Firefighters' Association board of directors voted on Wednesday to cancel the convention. The annual parade, which was to be hosted this year by West Nyack Fire Engine Co. 1, was canceled in late June. "We just couldn't get a convention venue that would safely hold the membership while practicing safe social distancing," said outgoing Association President Chris Nau, a volunteer with the Columbian Engine Co. of the Spring Valley Fire Department. "I think, for the safety of the public and our membership, it was the right thing to do." The convention, which started in 1912, is the highlight of the association's annual events, featuring the firefighter of the year and unit citation awards. It includes the awarding of 25-year life memberships and the annual election of officers.  

First responders providing emergency medical services routinely face high rates of depression, burnout and suicidal thoughts. The added stress of the pandemic is making it worse. Speaking at a Wisconsin EMS Association town hall meeting on Thursday, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, said she is working with a group of Democratic senators on legislation that would boost mental health services in the COVID-19 relief legislation that's being debated in Congress. "In addition to my reliance on input from constituents who are seeing issues of depression, anxiety and (post-traumatic stress disorder) rise at alarming rates during the pandemic, we also relied on a lot of national experts to try to identify what can be done now to supplement the mental health work force and to deal with the fact that many people are dealing with these struggles in isolation," Baldwin told the gathering of EMS workers from around the state.  

One of the leading doctors on the White House Coronavirus Task Force warned state and local leaders on a private phone call that 11 cities, including Cleveland, needed to take "aggressive" steps to limit the virus' spread, a report said. According to a report from the Center for Public Integrity, Dr. Deborah Birx, a leader of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, identified Cleveland along with Baltimore, Columbus, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis as cities needing to get outbreaks under control. The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit newsroom based in Washington D.C., obtained a recording of the private phone call on which Dr. Birx warned of the spread of the virus. "What started out very much as a southern and western epidemic is starting to move up the East Coast into Tennessee, Arkansas, up into Missouri, up across Colorado, and obviously we're talking about increases now in Baltimore," she said.