Firefighters and public safety employees in two unions were approved for pay raises on Wednesday when the Chicago City Council approved two collective bargaining agreements. In a news release, the council said its approval of the agreements came on the heels of similar agreements police unions that were approved in July. Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 represents more than 5,000 firefighters and paramedics. The council said salary increases approved Wednesday are in line with those already dolled out to public safety workers like police but will still save the city $10 million through several reforms including a requirement that active members contribute 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health care costs.  

A firefighter was injured during a fire Wednesday at the Thirsty Turtle in Antioch, which caused significant damage to the restaurant. The firefighter was taken to the hospital. No other injuries were reported. Battalion Chief Tim Taylor said the Antioch Fire Department was called about 5:30 p.m. to the Thirsty Turtle, at 42273 N. Woodbine Ave. The fire took about two hours to put out, Taylor said. About 10 fire departments from surrounding areas came out to help. The State Fire Marshal also was called in. The cause of the fire and a property damage estimate were not immediately available. An investigation is ongoing.  

Three workers were rushed to the hospital Wednesday when a stack of pallets fell on them in Aurora. At 10:44 a.m., the Aurora Fire Department was called to the 900 block of Bilter Road. The workers were on the job inside a warehouse when the pallets fell and they became trapped. Multiple ambulances and fire trucks were called to the scene. Firefighters found two patients with minor injuries who could walk and were taken to an area hospital. A third patient had to be extricated and was taken to an area hospital in serious condition, according to the Aurora Fire Department. No firefighters were injured. There was no word late Wednesday about what caused the pallets to collapse.  

As the COVID pandemic affects communities across the United States, it has also impacted in-person fundraising for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). For 66 years, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has collected critical funds in the community - one dollar at a time - as part of the Fill the Boot program. But this year, due to social distancing, that's not possible. Donations collected by Springfield Fire Fighters Local 37 help meet the urgent need for MDA's Frontline COVID-19 Emergency Fund to continue services for people living in our community with neuromuscular diseases across the country. In 2020, Springfield Fire Fighters raised over $25,000 to support MDA's mission, and have a goal of raising $5,000 this year.  

VIDEO: A massive fire erupted early Thursday in Sanford when a gas line ruptured, prompting officials to evacuate more than 800 nearby homes. The fire broke out around 1 a.m. near Michigan Avenue and Oregon Street, west of I-4 near the St. Johns River. A ball of smoke and flames shot 100 feet into the sky for nearly two hours, with News 6 viewers saying they could see flames and smoke from miles away. Fire officials said they received so many calls about the fire that they had difficulty pinpointing the exact source of the blaze. Crews discovered the ruptured 12-inch gas line, owned by Florida Public Utilities, in a remote area near the Black Bear Wilderness Area. "We got reports of a structure fire, we got reports of brush fires and there was some limited area of brush fires, but because the winds were only approximately 1 mph, those were very small," said Seminole County Fire Chief Otto Drozd III. Drozd said 837 homes were evacuated via reverse 911 calls.  

Chicago firefighters will soon receive $95 million in back pay thanks to a four-year contract, approved by the City Council Wednesday, that dramatically increases health care contributions to generate $10 million in sorely-needed savings. The détente between Mayor Lori Lightfoot and a Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 that gave her a crucial run-off endorsement may be short-lived. Firefighters' current contract expired in 2017, so the new four-year deal lasts only through June 30. And Budget Director Susie Park has warned that treasured union perks and staffing requirements costing taxpayers millions will be "back on the table" to help the city erase a 2021 budget shortfall Lightfoot now pegs at $1.25 billion. The contract already has been ratified by a 76% vote. It includes a 10% raise with all but 2.5% retroactive. In exchange, rank-and-file health care contributions rise 1.5 percentage points. For single coverage, firefighters and paramedics contributing 1.3% of salary will kick in 2.8%.  

The Great Depression was a tough time in America. Today we can see the effects of 10-11 percent unemployment due to the economic slowdown caused by COVID-19. Imagine what life in the United States would be like if unemployment was around 50 percent. No one was driving Uber to make ends meet in the 1920s, so they had to resort to some pretty spectacular money-making schemes. One of these schemes was murdering alcoholic bums – which turned out to be pretty lucrative. But you couldn't do this alone; you needed conspirators. Michael Malloy was a victim of this kind of scheme but his death would end the lives of four of his conspirators, some former friends. Those "friends" would try to kill him seven different times, seven different ways. Malloy was an out-of-work firefighter who became the target of his favorite bartender at his favorite speakeasy.  

The Solon Fire Department has received the 2020 American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Plus Achievement Award. Fire Chief Mark Vedder informed Mayor Ed Kraus and members of City Council of the award in an email Sept. 2. Several council members congratulated Vedder and the fire department on the achievement at the council meeting Tuesday (Sept. 8) "I think it's outstanding," Ward 7 Councilman Bill Russo said. "It shows the professionalism of our firefighters and the training that they go through to be able to obtain an award such as this." In his email, Vedder said the award honors the fire department's paramedics for adopting and successfully implementing protocols to help them recognize a specific type of heart attack, called a STEMI, as it is happening.  

The FDNY added the names of 27 department members who died of illnesses related to their work in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center to the FDNY World Trade Center Memorial Wall in a closed ceremony at FDNY Headquarters Wednesday. Those 27 former New York City firefighters died of 9/11-related illnesses in the past year, bringing the total number of firefighters killed after the World Trade Center attacks to 227. That's in addition to the 343 FDNY members killed on September 11, 2001. "Our department made a solemn promise to never forget the bravery and sacrifice of the 343 members who gave their lives on September 11th, and the growing list of heroes who have died due to illnesses related to their courageous work throughout the rescue and recovery effort," Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.