A Springfield firefighter who was off duty provided life-saving measures at a retail store while a woman was having a heart attack. Peter Miller was shopping with his family when he heard the commotion and discovered a person in distress. The woman had collapsed and was unresponsive. Without hesitation, Miller initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to provide immediate assistance. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was provided at the scene. Miller efficiently utilized the AED, which successfully restored the woman's circulation and breathing. His rapid intervention played a pivotal role in stabilizing the patient's condition until additional medical assistance arrived.  

The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal is reminding residents to test, inspect and replace any broken or expired smoke and CO alarms as Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend. Sealed smoke alarms have a 10-year life span before they need to be replaced. The fire marshal's office says any alarm made before October 2013 needs to be replaced. "Materials used in modern home construction burn hotter and faster reducing the escape times to less than 3 minutes in most cases," said state fire marshal James Rivera. "Families need to review their fire escape plans and hold drills to ensure everyone in the house knows at least two ways out of every room and where to meet outside of the home in the event of a fire." These tips are offered to help families prepare an update their home fire escape plan.  

A fiery explosion rocked the Village of Wappingers Falls in Dutchess County on Thursday, injuring more than a dozen people. Four row homes on Brick Row were reduced to piles of debris, smoldering as crews rushed to help those injured. "I thought maybe something hit the house or the kids, so I'm running through the house. I didn't know what it was, so we came running out here and we saw that it was awful," resident Marcia Ward said. "We hear the exploding, it shakes the building ... and then we run, with my brother, we run over here to help the people," construction worker Floriant Shabanaj said. Shabanaj, a construction worker, is seen in dramatic video shot by his brother helping the injured. He also mans a hose and joins first responders in their protective gear working just feet from the smoke and flames.  

Will a self-driving car be able to get over for an emergency vehicle racing to a fire or car crash? Self-driving cars were put to the test in Ann Arbor on Monday morning. May Mobility – a self-driving transportation service that shuttles passengers throughout Ann Arbor – tested their vehicles' ability to detect sirens from emergency vehicles with help from the city's first responders. "We prioritize safety first and foremost and having good interactions with emergency vehicles is part of that," said May Mobility spokesperson Brittany Lockard. "... This most recent testing in Ann Arbor was part of our ongoing work to ensure that when our vehicles are truly driverless they will continue to be good road users." While issues with other companies' self driving vehicles interfering with emergency services have been reported across the country, Lockard said she is not aware of any issues between the May Mobility's vehicles and first responders in Ann Arbor.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: Asheville Fire Department firefighters began the transition to the new Broadway Public Safety Station on Thursday, Nov. 2, the day after the new facility received its official certificate of occupancy on Wednesday. The state-of-the-art facility located along Broadway Street in the Five Points neighborhood, will be home to Fire Station 13, a police substation, the relocated Emergency Operations Center and a small community conference room. The intent behind housing multiple agencies in one building is to bring together expertise of both AFD and Asheville Police Department, as well as to improve response times. APD's utilization of the facility will depend on its staffing levels.  

A Ware County firefighter is facing multiple charges including DUI in a traffic crash that killed his coworker in June, according to jail records. Luke Zimmerman, 26, faces charges of vehicular homicide in the first-degree, DUI, driving too fast for conditions, and failing to maintain lanes, according to Ware County jail records. Zimmerman has since been released on a $30,750 bond after being arrested Friday. He spent three days in jail, records indicate. On June 22 at 12:16 p.m., the Georgia Department of Public Safety says an officer responded to a single-vehicle crash on Manor Millwood Road near Manor Waresboro Road. Ware County 911 advised that a fire truck had overturned in a ditch and that the occupants were trapped inside, according to the incident report.  

PHOTOS: ‘Tis almost the season and the firefighters at Owensboro Fire Department's Station #5 are gearing up for another edition of holly and jolly hijinks. Over the last decade, the station has been creating some hilarious Christmas greetings and they're already planning their 2023 card. Andy Shively, who's a proud team member at Station #5, says, "This is a feel good story with everything that's going on right now." And Andy's right. The idea behind the cards is pretty simple. As Andy explains, the guys want all you elves to feel good and, historically, they've stayed true to that approach, even when things are pretty heavy around us. The guys at Station #5 have a history of creating cards that reflect what's "going on." During the COVID pandemic years, they masked up to continue their mission of spreading some holiday cheer. In 2020, they demonstrated how to social distance at the holiday gatherings and parties.