VIDEO: Friday morning, 18 firefighter recruits graduated from the Vernon A Gudat Training Academy. The graduation was put on by the Peoria Fire Department at the Gateway Building in Peoria. Each graduate spent the last 12 weeks training and getting their OSFM certifications in basic operations' firefighter, hazardous materials operations and several emergency medical classes. Peoria Fire Department will get seven recruits, East Peoria will get six, Pekin will get two, and Sterling Fire, Mattoon Fire and Carbondale will all get one recruit. "Mentally, I feel stronger. Physically, I feel stronger. I feel like a new man. I really do. Those 12 weeks in the academy really, really changed me, really morphed me into what I am right now," said graduate Christian Anthony Alanis-Mata. After the first year, all the recruits will be assigned a fire station.  

VIDEO: Police, firefighters and paramedics from Buffalo Grove responded about 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 17, 2024 to a report that the contents in a large semi-trailer dumpster were on fire next to The Clove mixed use — mostly residential — building that is under construction at 210 McHenry Road in Buffalo Grove. A black smoke header was visible from south of Dundee Road in Arlington Heights. Buffalo Grove quickly had two handlines led out with water on the fire from Engine 26 and an elevated master stream flowing from Tower 25. Fire and heat were threatening the building, but firefighters were able stop the threat within about 10 minutes. Fire command declared the fire was knocked by about 2:40 p.m. Firefighters checked for fire extension inside the 7-story residential building under construction and continued to soak the burned debris to prevent a re-kindle of flames.  

A tank battery caught fire near Bethany on Sunday night, causing massive flames in the area. Sky 5 flew over the scene near the Bethany water tower, and pilot Chase Rutledge said he could feel the fire from the helicopter. It wasn't clear exactly what caused the fire, but lightning from severe storms continues to strike in the area. The Yukon Fire Department said it was assisting the Bethany Fire Department with the scene near 30th Street and Rockwell Avenue. There were no reports of injuries as of 9:15 p.m. Sunday. People living near the tank battery fire have been told to keep their doors and windows shut, as well as their air conditioners off.  

VIDEO: Officials credited a smoke inhalation drug for likely saving the life of a New York City firefighter who fell unconscious and stopped breathing while battling a house blaze Friday. The firefighter was one of three injured during the response in the Bronx. All are expected to recover, Mayor Eric Adams and Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said at an evening news conference. John Hodgens, the FDNY's chief of department, said the firefighter was inside the house operating a hose when he began having problems breathing. He collapsed and was pulled from the building by other first responders, who put him on a sidewalk and started CPR, Hodgens said. Emergency medical workers also gave the firefighter the drug hydroxocobalamin, which combats the effects of cyanide poisoning that can result from smoke inhalation.  

VIDEOS/PHOTOS: At approximately 2:44 a.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2024, a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) deputy attempted a traffic stop on a 2014 BMW X1 for a traffic violation on Ulmerton Road near Railroad Avenue. The driver, 41-year-old Willie Lee Daniels, initially stopped for deputies but quickly conducted a U-turn and fled the traffic stop at a high rate of speed. Daniels fled, traveling north on Seminole Boulevard from Ulmerton Road. According to PCSO, the deputy did not pursue Daniels. He deactivated his lights and sirens and resumed normal driving. The vehicle failure to yield and flee the scene, prompted multiple deputies to track the vehicle. The PCSO helicopter "Eagle" was dispatched to assist in tracking the fleeing vehicle.  

Half a century ago, a presidential proclamation called on the nation to support efforts to improve emergency medical care across the country. It also established the first national EMS Week, a tradition we proudly continue today. Much has changed since 1974, yet there is still much we can learn from those trailblazing professionals who helped EMS evolve into the sophisticated branch of medicine it is today. Their dedication, commitment and sacrifice inspire us to take bold steps of our own, to continue to seek out ways to better serve our patients and our communities. This year, we celebrate EMS Week by honoring our past—by taking a pause to recognize the contributions of each generation, the people who dreamed that we could save more lives and have less suffering, and then found ways to make it happen.