Residents in the Lockport Township Fire Protection District will decide on a ballot question to raise their property taxes to pay for more personnel and equipment. The ballot questions asks for a 0.1% increase of equalized assessed value, according to the district. If voters approve it, that would mean a resident with a house worth $250,000 would see an increase of about $83 a year on their tax bill. The district covers Lockport, Crest Hill and portions of Romeoville, New Lenox and unincorporated Will County. Lockport Township Fire Chief John O'Connor said the ballot question comes at a time when demand on the fire district has "drastically increased." Over the past 20 years, its call volume and number of specialized teams have tripled and the number of emergency personnel and fire stations in the district have doubled.  

The Village of Hillside, along with their Public Safety Departments are remaining diligent, proactive, and prepared to respond to any potential Coronavirus (COVID-19) threats. Our Fire/EMS providers are in constant contact and supplied with continuous updates from our Region 8 Resource area Hospitals, including Loyola, Good Samaritan, Edwards/Elmhurst and Central DuPage Hospital. Here, they receive updated information directly from Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC), Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) pertaining to; emergency medical treatment, preparation, precautions, personal protective equipment, responding to, and safe transportation of any potential Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergencies. For more up to date information on the Coronavirus, you can log onto any of the below websites.  

The Elk Grove Village Fire Department has earned accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, making it just one of 250 agencies worldwide and 16 in Illinois to achieve that status. To earn the designation, the department underwent a two-year process that included a community risk assessment, an update to response plans, and a review of operations by a team of outside assessors. To maintain accreditation status, the department must meet certain annual performance metrics and undergo the accreditation renewal process five years from now. "This accreditation marks a new, modern way for the Elk Grove Village Fire Department to keep our community safe," said Fire Chief Richard Mikel. "We have adopted a cycle of planning, performing, evaluating, and planning again, to keep current in addressing the needs of our residents and businesses."  

An investigation is underway after a fire damaged a garage and attic, according to the Decatur Fire Department. On Friday morning, firefighters responded to the 3000 Block of Olympia Drive to a report of house fire. When crews got on scene at 11:45 p.m. and found flames coming from the front of the house. Firefighters knocked the flames down quickly and had the fire under control. They noted the fire only caused extensive damage to the garage, attic and a portion of the living area. The homeowner told WAND News he was alerted by the alarms, but had no clue how it started.  

Concerned about the effects of coming into contact with the coronavirus, unions representing firefighters, paramedics, nurses and hospital workers are asking lawmakers to act on their behalf. As workers on the front lines of the epidemic, the unions said they want assurances — perhaps requiring additional legislation — that their benefits won't be exhausted if they contract COVID-19 or miss work because they're under quarantine after coming into contact with people with coronavirus. The push came Thursday in letters to lawmakers and public statements from three unions: Minnesota Professional Firefighters, the union representing firefighters, paramedics and dispatchers throughout the state, including in St. Paul; Minnesota Nurses Association, which represents nurses at a number of Minnesota hospitals; and two branches of the Service Employees Union International, which includes healthcare workers and custodial staff at hospitals.  

Fighting fires is no easy task. The work is often intense and physical. But that's not stopping about 10,000 women from joining their male counterparts on the front lines. Except, there is one big difference: their gear. With every zip, pull of a boot, and tug of a coat, the volunteer firefighters of Chaires and Capitola prepare themselves for the toughest of fires. Jennifer Plaster has been with the department for three years. She says their department just recently got new gear that is customizable for their body, but her old gear was made for one kind of body. "The more comfortable we are in our gear, because we live in it pretty much, the better off we are with it," Plaster says. But more often than not the gear they count on, which is known as a turn-out suit, does not always have their back. Plaster shimmied into her gear and showed off the waistband.  

Ed Parkinson today was named by the FirstNet Authority Board as executive director—operationally, the chief executive officer (CEO)—for the FirstNet Authority, becoming the organization's third full-time staff leader and its first in more than 17 months. FirstNet Authority Board Chair Ed Horowitz said that Parkinson was selected at the conclusion of a "comprehensive and thorough search" to lead the FirstNet Authority staff. Parkinson has been serving as the FirstNet Authority's executive director for external affairs while splitting the FirstNet Authority's CEO functions with Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Jeff Bratcher since last May, which followed Parkinson's seven-month stint as acting CEO. "Ed's leadership has been instrumental to the success of FirstNet, and he brings a passion and vision for the job that will ensure the organization continues to deliver for our nation's first responders," Horowitz said in a prepared statement about Parkinson.  

With Engine Company 11 set to be decommissioned on March 22, some residents and city councilors are still fighting to keep it running. At Thursday night's City Council meeting, Councilor-at-large Brian Gomes submitted a petition to the council with 1,164 signatures in support of keeping Station 11 open. "The battle continues," Gomes said in submitting the petition. Several protestors who are opposed to the closing attended the meeting holding signs that read "Keep New Bedford Safe Prioritize Public Safety." Gomes said though some on talk radio believe the fight to keep the station open has fizzled out, "It has not fizzled out, our position is the same." At the end of February, the council voted to request the administration reconsider its decision to close Station 11 or any other fire station and fund all 10 companies in the Fiscal Year 2021 budget.  

The Department of Public Safety of Newark, N.J., is warning residents they could be prosecuted for falsely reporting coronavirus cases in the city. The city's public safety director, Anthony Ambrose, cautioned Newark residents against posting false information about cases on social media, saying it can cause "unnecessary public alarm." Ambrose said in a statement that the department will investigate and try to identify those making false claims on social media, adding that state laws carry penalties for causing false public alarm. "The State of New Jersey has laws regarding causing a false public alarm and we will enforce those laws," Ambrose said. "Individuals who make any false or baseless reports about the coronavirus in Newark can set off a domino effect that can result in injury to residents and visitors and affect schools, houses of worship, businesses and entire neighborhoods," he added.