VIDEO: One chest compression at a time, the Evanston Fire Department is now even more equipped to save lives with a new machine. The machine is called a LUCAS device, and it provides non-stop chest compressions during an emergency. "It's extremely important, because, every time you stop doing CPR, you kind of lose progress of what you captured," Evanston Fire Department Captain Megan Kamarchevakul said. Three EFD ambulances are now equipped with these life-saving machines in memory of a person who lived to serve. Oliver Leopold, 19, died unexpectedly in 2021, leaving behind both of his Evanston families. "This donation of this device is kind of a perfect representation of what Oliver represented," Kamarchevakul said.  

A family in O'Fallon, Illinois, is having to start completely over after a house fire destroyed nearly everything they own. The fire happened on Friday, April 28, around 1 p.m. Investigators believe the fire started in the Dunns' family garage. While thankfully everyone is OK, it's going to be a long road to recovery before they can call this place home again. Grace Hindman, Hannah Dunn's sister, said her sister's home was always an open door for anybody. "It was just always a place that you felt so welcomed and it's just her whole being really," she said. Caution tape and soot now cover the Dunns' family home on North Parc Grove Court. "When we walked inside, it was just, I had never seen anything like it before," Hindman said. Hindman said her older sister, Dunn, lived in this home with her husband and two boys for years.  

A Champaign firefighter helped lead the charge in training classes when his department needed it the most, and now, he's being recognized for it. JP Childers helps make sure first responders are always ready and prepared to help you during emergencies. "The only way we can stay sharp for the public is by continual training," Childers said. He's Champaign's 2022 Firefighter of the Year. Childers has been with the department for 19 years, but he said it feels like he just got started yesterday. "As a firefighter, I've loved every minute of my career here," he described. "It's a real family, we take care of each other when the chips are down." But, growing up, he never imagined himself in the shoes he's in today. Childers wanted to work with computers until a friend of his convinced him into volunteering.  

A driver in Rockcastle County is unharmed after a scary moment caught on video. The Mount Vernon Fire Department said their chief, David Bales, was on his way to the fire station Friday morning when he was met by a truck on fire. The driver was headed north on Highway 25 approaching Mount Vernon when the chief noticed the fire coming from the hood and engine compartment area of the truck. An official with the department told WHAS11 News that fire crews hadn't been notified at the time and the chief was able to turn around and located the vehicle while calling for an engine to respond. They said the driver was making every attempt to stop the vehicle, but the fire had disabled everything besides the steering. The man was finally able to stop in the yard of a home on West Main Street, three miles from the location where the chief initially noticed the truck on fire.  

VIDEO: Tiara Grant said that since he was a little boy, her 11-year-old son Darrien has always dreamed of becoming a firefighter. Tiara said she has been taking Darrien to visit fire stations since he was three years old. "It just never stopped. It was always ‘I want to be a firefighter for Halloween,' or he would watch shows about being a firefighter," said Tiara. Darrien said the reason he wants to become a firefighter is to keep people safe. "I would like to help people," said Darrien. A few days ago, Tiara came up with the idea of setting up a firefighter training drill for Darrien. "He just has so much energy, and I know that he really wants to be a firefighter because he puts on the outfit all the time. So, I was like, you know, what, let me put something together, so he can actually feel like he's a firefighter," said Tiara.  

VIDEO: May 2013 is a month many Oklahomans will not soon forget. The May 20th Moore tornado and the May 31st El Reno tornado combined caused dozens of deaths, hundreds of injuries and billions of dollars in damage. As the 10-year anniversary approaches, KFOR is bringing you a special series of reports as we remember those lost on May 20 and May 31, 2013, as well as reflect on what we've learned in the decade since. No other fire department knows the devastation of May's Fury quite like the Moore Fire Department. KFOR's Emily Sutton recently checked back in with a Moore firefighter who opened up to News 4 for the first time five years ago about pulling children out of the rubble at Plaza Towers Elementary. It's been 10 years since Battalion Chief Corley Moore dug through the rubble pile of Plaza Towers Elementary.  

VIDEO: Flames and smoke took over the basement of a house in Washington County on April 24, but from the outside, you'd never know. A special fire suppression tool saved the home. "I got visible flames in the basement," a first responder said. "Looks like it's filled with smoke." On the morning of April 24, the Washington County Sheriff's Office responded to a house fire in Addison. Deputies saw fire coming from the dryer vent area. That's when they grabbed their fire suppression tool, also called an FST. "To get in there and reset the clock, buy some time for when the fire department gets there," said Mark Mock, Fire Suppression Solutions president. Deputies knocked down the door and then tossed in the FST. Sheriff's officials said the home suffered heat, smoke and water damage, but it was still intact after the fire. First responders believe the FST played a role in saving it.