An Illinois Senate bill could help Chicago firefighters get promotions more easily and frequently by standardizing the process. Unlike other departments statewide, Chicago's force is exempted from the Fire Department Promotion Act, which oversees the process to ensure that is fair and free of bias. The Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 is in support of Democratic senator Willie Preston's bill and says the promotional exam is held irregularly, and sometimes happens only once a decade. This means some members may only get one chance at a promotion during a 20-year career. "Chicago firefighters you have been treated unfairly for far too long. You don't have clarity about the career that you have chosen to take on that is very dangerous and that protects all of us. And that ends now," Preston said.  

A young boy who suffered smoke inhalation earlier this week after the Montclare home he was in caught fire has died, the Cook County Medical Examiner said Thursday. Ezra Stewart, 7, had previously been listed in critical condition after police and firefighters Tuesday responded to a call of a house fire at 2550 N. Rutherford Ave. Wednesday, Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford confirmed to NBC 5 that the home belongs to a member of the Chicago Fire Department, who was on duty at the time of the blaze. The firefighter's wife, 34, and two other young children, ages 7 and 2, also suffered smoke inhalation, police said. They remain hospitalized and in critical condition. The firefighter, who heard the call come in through dispatch, was taken to the scene by a Battalion Chief and worked to performed life-saving measures on his family before they were taken to the hospital, Langford said.  

Illinois fire safety groups are speaking out about some proposed legislation they say is supported by out-of-state fireworks companies looking to legalize certain types of explosives in the state. The type of device in question reportedly has 500 grams of pyrotechnic component — the highest level of potency before you need a professional license to handle them. House Bill 2121 would re-classify these items as non-fireworks. The Illinois fire officials say that if the measure passes and these types of devices aren't restricted, sellers would not have to be licensed or have insurance. "They are not novelty items. They classify explosives in different categories. These folks form out of state, the fireworks companies, are trying to misclassify them and actually in the bill they're saying they're not fireworks. You can see by looking at that video that's definitely a firework," said Margaret Vaughn, Director of the Illinois Firefighters Association Govt. Affairs.  

PHOTOS: Crews from St. Clair County are fighting a massive fire at multiple structures on St. Clair's Harsens Island on Wednesday. SkyFOX was overhead metro Detroit covering other stories when they spotted a massive plume of black smoke billowing up from Lake St. Clair. As they flew east, the picture grew clearer as several structures appeared to be burning. FOX 2 has learned that structures are cottages from The Old Club, a resort and yacht club on the island. The cottages line the St. Clair River and face toward Canada's Seaway Island. It appears a total of six homes burned to the ground in the massive fire and firefighting boats were on scene to help put out the fire at the homes. Harsens Island is a small strip of land with a population of around 1,000. It is accessible only by ferry.  

Virginia firefighters will be required to complete a training program starting next year, about the risk of electric vehicle fires. Del. Israel O'Quinn, R-Washington, proposed House Bill 2451 to require the executive director of the Virginia Department of Fire Programs to develop a training program for electric vehicle fires. The program must be developed and available by July, 1 2024, according to the bill. All firefighters, including volunteer firefighters, must complete the training by Dec. 1, 2025. The bill unanimously passed committees and both chambers. Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, asked for one clarification in the Senate General Laws and Technology committee, about whether the program would be offered both in-person and virtual. "I heard from some of my fire folks, and they were concerned that this is more time away," Reeves said.  

VIDEO: An FDNY couple is preparing for the New York City Half Marathon later this month. Davon Howard is a firefighter at Ladder 162/Engine 304 in Queens Village; his wife, Natasha Howard, is an EMS Lieutenant at EMS Station 57 in Bed-Stuy. The pair met at the EMS Academy in 2007. "Honestly, I didn't really notice him, but I noticed he kept coming around and one day, we exchanged numbers and we went on a date and that was it," Natasha said. They already ran the New York City Marathon in 2021, but they're going into the half marathon with the same disciplined mindset. "We realized that we could face any obstacle put in front of us and it's also good for our job," Davon said. With three children and a German Shepherd, they've created a life many dream of, but getting to this point wasn't easy. Davon lost his mother 35 years ago and when she died, FDNY EMTs responded to the scene and it inspired him to become one.  

The North Tahoe Fire Protection District reported an alarming increase in gas leaks, carbon monoxide (CO) related emergencies and other hazard-related emergencies resulting from the repeated storms and heavy snow. Since January 1, hazard calls have accounted for nearly 20% of non-EMS incidents. North Tahoe Firefighters are responding to a significant increase in carbon monoxide emergencies throughout the region and authorities say many of these incidents are the result of heavy snow build-up on combustion-appliance venting, buried foundation vents and improper or snow-obstructed home generator ventilation systems. Gas leaks are also on the rise due to deeply buried propane tanks, above ground propane plumbing and buried natural gas meters impacted by the snow.  

Pre-hospital trauma care for patients in Kerr County took a giant step this week as the Kerrville EMS, the city and county's provider, rolled out a new program that will provide the option of whole blood infusions by paramedics to critical patients before they are transported to the hospital. "We are excited about this program that has been in the works since last year, but a goal for the past three years," said Kerrville Fire Chief Eric Maloney late last week. The first supply of whole blood for Kerrville EMS was picked up Monday at the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center in San Antonio. The blood will be type O-Positive that can be used on any patient. "We will be able to use the blood on unstable trauma patients who are going into hypovolemic shock. Currently the only fluid we can infuse is saline. The paramedics are specially trained to administer blood in the pre-hospital setting which will significantly improve, or reduce, mortality in our most critical patients," Maloney said.