A lot of small communities rely on firefighters to respond to emergencies, and several departments don't have enough volunteers to answer calls. The number of firefighters in Illinois is dropping, and responsibilities for the ones doing the work keep getting bigger. They also handle a lot of EMS calls. In Illinois, there's a new plan to help solve that. The Illinois Firefighters Association wants a tax break for volunteer firefighters. It would be a $500 credit on their income tax. President John Swan, of the Colona Fire Department, spoke with Local 4 News this week. He calls the plan a first step to a problem that's leading to burnout. "The definition of a firefighter is so much more than just a firefighter. They're asked to do everything today. It isn't like 30 years ago," said Swan. "They're doing EMS … 70% of the service they provide is EMS. They do water rescue, rescue, auto extrication, hazardous material. They're asked to do everything today."  

Inspired by a Chicago firefighter who has pushed hard for his fellow first responders to be screened for lung cancer, this weekend will see the launch of a special series of screenings for firefighters. Bill Nolan, a retired Chicago firefighter who has battled cancer in both of his lungs, has long spoken about the importance of screenings for those brave men and women who battle fires to keep the community safe. "If one guy goes to the doctor and gets testing and saves his life and helps him out, it would be worthwhile," he said. Pat Cleary, the vice president of Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, was inspired by Nolan's message. "I just thought ‘wow, that's a great idea,'" he said. "Maybe we should do that for the rest of the firefighters in Chicago. So I reached out to Dr. (Christopher) Seder and he responded."  

PHOTO: A Springfield Fire Engine collided with an SUV Thursday morning. Springfield Fire Chief Brandon Blough says it happened at 8:45 a.m. near the intersection of MLK and Cook Street. The SUV hit the fire engine and then crashed into a light pole. The driver of the SUV was taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No firefighters were injured, but the engine sustained significant front end damage. We're told the driver of the SUV was ticketed for disregarding a traffic control device.  

Abandoned and vacant homes create an eyesore for neighborhoods but can also be a safety hazard. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are roughly 62,000 households in the City of Rockford. More than 6,000 of them are vacant. On Saturday, Rockford firefighters responded to a blaze at an abandoned house. Firefighter Nathan Carden says in his 17 years of experience that's common and cause for concern. He says homeless individuals or even kids will enter the houses for various reasons. The city implemented programs over the years to help restore some of the vacant houses, but Rockford officials says up-keep falls on the owner of the property. "Mayor McNamara's made it clear that it's not acceptable to be a property owner and not invest in your property. In the code, it's your responsibility as a property owner to have your grass maintained and not over grown," said Karl Franzen, Rockford community and economic development director.  

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal was investigating an arson incident in Jacksonville's north end from yesterday morning. An initial call was placed at 3:56AM yesterday for a structure fire at 603 North Fayette Street in Jacksonville. Upon arrival, Jacksonville Fire officials spoke with Jacksonville Police and found that the structure was unoccupied. Heavy fire involvement was shown on the first floor of the two-story structure. According to a fire department report, the main body of the fire was at the center of the home on the first floor and they were quickly able to knock it down. A search for potential victims of the home was made with no one found. Jacksonville Police noted in their report that the back door to the home was open when they arrived and a foot print was found on the back deck.  

A fire at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver was extinguished after it sparked a plume of smoke that could be seen for miles on Thursday afternoon. Investigators are holding a news conference at 3 p.m. to discuss the fire. Watch it live on CBS News Colorado. Fire crews arrived at the stadium to find heavy, thick black smoke and flames. Firefighters got the fire under control shortly after arriving. Sprinklers from the fire suppression system attempted to stop the fire but firefighters were needed to completely extinguish the fire. Six rows of seats in two sections were destroyed in the fire near the suites. About 100 people were attending an event on the second level, but the stadium was otherwise empty. Six rows of seats in two sections were destroyed in the fire near the suites.  

Trey Anthony Loomis might have died that horrible day 26 years ago. The 2-year-old was trapped in a 1995 Kansas City house engulfed in flames. A firefighter found the child in a closet and pulled him free. The firefighter who rescued him probably never thought the toddler, burned over 90% of his body, would live. At that time, people died from burns half as bad. Only his soaked diaper kept him from being burned everywhere. Had Loomis not survived, a Kansas City Public School teacher would not have had the pleasure of teaching "one of the most beautiful people" she said she's ever met. His guardians, Debra Hughes and John Walker, would never have had the satisfaction of raising a severely injured boy into an active, funny and loving man. "Our family owes a tremendous debt to that firefighter who saved Trey's life," said Hughes, Loomis's older adoptive sister, who took responsibility for him after their mom died in 2009.  

In 2021, ahead of the 20th anniversary it the 9/11 attacks, a Howell Township man penned his thoughts into a song and then recorded it and released it for all to hear. Vinnie DeMarinis focused on what happened that day and in the days, weeks, and months that followed in a song named 'Hold On (A Tribute to 9/11)' which was just one of the many ways people all over continue to grieve, remember, honor, and keep what happened that day in the front of everyone's minds. The importance of remembering what happened and honoring our heroes is what helped State Senator Anthony Bucco (R-25) pen legislation that could soon require schools to include 9/11 instruction in the curriculum. It has gained some traction as on Thursday, the New Jersey State Senate, approved this legislation.  

VIDEO: Thieves made off this week with thousands of dollars worth of life-saving firefighting equipment taken right off of a parked fire engine in Graham and the city's Fire & Rescue Department is working to find ways to protect its gear. The thefts have become more and more common across Western Washington in recent months. Battalion Chief in training Matthew Black said it's heartbreaking that thieves are targeting the fire department considering that the thefts can keep them from serving the rest of their community. He said firefighters had just wrapped up a safety training exercise on Wednesday and drove their fire truck to a Safeway for lunch when the most recent theft happened. In the brief time the crew was inside, they said someone opened a compartment of their fire engine and stole a large red bag that contained equipment used to save trapped firefighters, like an extra air supply and other tools.  

Two-and-half years after a fatal propane explosion in Farmington, a federal agency is sharing new insight into the tragedy. The 73-page report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reveals new information on the moments leading up to the tragedy. It includes the clearest timeline to date of events leading up to the explosion which claimed the life of Captain Michael Bill and injured six firefighters. WMTW News 8 spoke to Farmington's interim Chief Tim Hardy off-camera. Hardy stated the department participated in the report voluntarily after the tragic blast in an effort to ensure nothing like it occurs in the future. Representatives from NIOSH spent weeks speaking with his department, says Hardy, in the immediate aftermath.