VIDEO: City officials on Wednesday celebrated the opening of the largest firehouse in the city, a $30 million state-of-the-art facility in West Pullman that nearly brought Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) to tears, after more than 15 years of trying to get a new fire station built on the Far South Side. "It will stand as a beacon of light for this community and the surrounding community," Austin said. "This is a safe haven for our community." The firehouse at 1024 W. 119th St. will be the new home for Engine Company 115; and houses two fire engines, one tower ladder, two advanced life support ambulances, a radio communications tower for the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications, an EMS field chief, and a deputy district chief. "This firehouse is beautiful, state of the art, and what the community from the Far South Side has needed for more than a couple of decades, and more importantly what it deserves," said Fire Commissioner Richard Ford II.  

VIDEO: Firefighters contained a rubbish fire to the city's yard waste facility on Wednesday amid high winds that had fueled and spread the flames. Crews had nearly extinguished the fire by late afternoon at this site along North Logan Street, where thick plumes of smoke had been flying eastward in the wind a couple hours earlier. "We basically had three different piles (of yard waste) all burning at the same time," said Chief Jeff Hilligoss of the Mattoon Fire Department. Hilligoss said he was fueling a vehicle at approximately 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Mattoon Public Works Department building, 401 DeWitt Ave. East, when he noticed smoke to the west emanating from the yard waste facility. Fire crews were then sent to the scene and found that the south face of the giant pile of mulched yard waste at the facility was burning and that the wind had spread the fire east to two smaller piles of plant materials.  

Lisle-Woodridge Fire District firefighters and paramedics responded about 7:50 p.m. Tuesday, March 30, 2021 to a report of a house fire at 22W574 Sycamore Drive in unincorporated Glen Ellyn. A neighbor noticed smoke coming from the residence and called 911. A General Alarm assignment was dispatched which consists of four engines, two ladder trucks, two ambulances and command staff, according to Lisle-Woodridge Fire District. The first crew arrived on the scene at 7:55 p.m. and reported smoke showing from the roof and first floor windows. An initial report by a neighbor advised that there were no occupants in the residence, but two family pets were inside. An aggressive interior fire attack, and search of the home was initiated by firefighters.  

PHOTOS: The $105,000 purchase of a used 17-year-old pumper truck with 70,000 miles was an excellent find for the La Harpe Fire District, bringing their fleet of 11 trucks more current.The truck was made ready Saturday and went out on its first structure fire this Tuesday night with at least six firemen on board. When the department tried to get a FEMA grant for a new truck, it required them to get a bid, so they went to Alexis, IL was given a bid of between $400,000-$500,000, La Harpe Fire District Chief Jerry Brown said. "It was almost exactly like this one, but that was two years ago." "We didn't get the grant and we couldn't afford a new truck ," Brown said, so the began looking in trade magazines and after two years, ran across this one.  

A fire truck crashed into a gas station Wednesday after colliding with an SUV on Detroit's east side. According to Detroit police, at about 6:50 p.m. Wednesday a fire truck was traveling westbound on E. Outer Drive near Dequindre Street with lights and sirens activated when a Lincoln Navigator crashed into the truck. Video shows the fire truck then collided with a Dodge Ram parked at a gas station and then a gas pump, causing a fire. Police say the driver of the Lincoln lost control of their vehicle following the crash and struck a pole. "You see people running ... I saw the fire truck run up on the curb, I saw it hit the gas station. People just started running like it was going to be an explosion," said witness James Dorsey. Three firefighters, the driver and passenger of the Lincoln and the driver and passenger of the Dodge were all taken to the hospital, where they were being treated for minor injuries.  

PHOTOS: Renovations are nearly complete to Fireboat Station No. 15, the Long Beach Fire Department's 20,000-square-foot facility equipped to handle maritime emergencies at the Port of Long Beach, officials announced this week. The upgrades include advanced communications technology, a workshop where crews can maintain and repair gear, modern living quarters for a six-member team and a garage large enough to house a fire engine and a second emergency vehicle. From the outside, the most noticeable feature is the protruding red and white roof that will protect the station's 11,200-square-foot boat bay from adverse weather. This is the first fireboat station with a protective roof in the port's history, officials said. The facility will house the fire department's fireboat named Vigilance. Construction of the new fireboat station began in the spring of 2019, port spokesman Lee Peterson said.  

VIDEO: Five firefighters and an EMS worker were injured in a large fire at a factory on Staten Island. More than 200 firefighters responded Wednesday as the blaze at 60 Davidson Street quickly grew to a 5-alarm fire around 2:30 p.m. The flames were mostly out by 5 p.m., but smoke could still be seen from several miles away. The fire was under control shortly after 7:30 p.m. Firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading to nearby homes. Officials say five firefighters suffered minor injuries and an EMS worker was seriously hurt. The FDNY says there were workers in the building when the fire started, but all of them have been accounted for. The cause of the fire is not yet clear.  

One local fire department is doing much more than just putting out fires. Officials with the Charlottesville Fire Department have been working hard over the past year to identify inequity in city neighborhoods. CFD is split into three sections, one of which is the Community Risk Reduction Branch. Its goal is to prevent emergencies before they happen. "It's all about providing the right services to the right people at the right place and at the right time," said Deputy Chief Joe Powers of the Community Risk Reduction Branch. The branch is where the department tries to prevent emergencies, specifically in 19 city neighborhoods that are the most in need. "Using data we have both within the fire department and outside of the fire department, we can start to dive deep into those neighborhoods to tell the story of the risks and challenges that our city and residents are facing every day," said Powers  

About 45 minutes away from Jackman on U.S. Route 201, cellphone reception drops. On this long stretch of road, surrounded by pine trees and the occasional pothole, the term "rural" takes on a new meaning. A logging truck passes by every few minutes, but other than that, it's quiet. Nestled among rolling hills is the small town of Jackman, made up of about 1,000 people -- maybe less. The downtown is lined by a couple of rundown homes and gas stations. On the left-hand side, is the only health care option in the area -- Jackman Community Health Center. Across the nation, the pandemic has taken a toll on health care systems, as they struggle to keep up with the surge in patients. That problem isn't specific to the coronavirus in rural areas, though. Over the years, the Jackman Community Health Center has had a difficult time recruiting full-time medical assistants and physicians.