PHOTOS: The fire district is reminding motorists to use caution after one of their firefighters was seriously injured recently when a car struck a fire department vehicle in Barrington Hills. The Barrington-Countryside Fire Protection District posted a public service announcement Saturday about the dangers first responders face. The district said there are several dangerous aspects, including driving emergency vehicles and working an emergency scene such as a car crash. "First responders are trained thoroughly on how to operate and drive during an emergency situation, but do you know what you're supposed to do when approached by an emergency vehicle using visual and audible signals?" the fire district said. When approaching a stationary emergency vehicle using visual signals, Illinois law requires motorists to yield, change to a lane away from the emergency workers when possible and proceed with caution.  

Salem Assistant Fire Chief Bill Fulton says two observant girls may have prevented a large downtown fire Sunday night as they spotted a fire burning out one of the back doors of Steve's Antiques at 120 South Washington at the East Main Street intersection. Fulton says as a result of the fire being spotted early they were able to put it out quickly. "We had a couple of young people show up at our fire station saying they had a fire in the back of a building in the 200 block of East Main. When we got here we had fire showing from the rear of Steve's Antiques. The first truck was the initial knockdown on it and then we took out a door and found we had fire in an elevator shaft extended up through the 2nd story. We got that all knocked down. We checked all 3 floors and found we were comfortable with that, and we were just real lucky."  

The New York State Police said its troopers stepped in to assist fire crews with a huge house fire. NYSP said Troop A- Lockport Troopers helped with the devastating house fire on Royal Pkwy North in Lockport. The troopers broke down the door rescued a dog and assisted with the fire hoses.  

VIDEO: More than 90% of Omaha firefighters are taking part in a comprehensive physical exam aimed at cancer prevention and wellness, thanks to a $1.1 million federal grant just for firefighters. The hope is that in the future, Omaha will support ongoing wellness efforts for this group with an exponentially higher rate of cancer and cardiac health issues. "It's hard to tell the next generation of firefighters, come to our job. It's a great job. It's a rewarding job. But you can get sick from it. You can die from it," said Trevor Towey, President of Fire Union Local 385. Those taking part in the assessment are pleased they're surrounded by so many others. "It's difficult to get nine out of ten firefighters to do anything, so getting 90% is remarkable," said Omaha firefighter and paramedic Lowell Ferguson.  

Most people don't view pennies per se as being valuable. But in Manteca and Lathrop pennies have shored up public safety. Measure C — a one cent sales tax on top of the basic one cent local sales tax Lathrop voters imposed in 2012 — last year generated $10.4 million for the city of 32,500. It includes $4 million sent to the Lathrop Manteca Fire District enabling the hiring of nine firefighters, 1.98 battalion chiefs, and a deputy fire marshal. The Lathrop tax also funds 7.5 police officers in addition to various park and community crime prevention upgrades. Measure M — a half cent sales tax on top of the basic one cent sales tax Manteca voters imposed in 2006 — last year generated $10.292 million for the city of 90,000. Unlike the Lathrop tax measure that that was twice the size of Manteca's, Measure M is restricted to public safety expenditures.  

Drug users and dealers who recklessly expose first responders to fentanyl and cause them to overdose will now face additional penalties thanks to a new law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis Monday. Body camera footage from August of last year, captured a Flagler County Sheriff's Deputy suffering a suspected fentanyl overdose after handling narcotics that later tested positive for the substance. The incident is one of a growing number of incidents where first responders have exhibited signs of overdose after coming in contact with fentanyl, oftentimes resulting in the use of Narcan to reverse the symptoms. "When law enforcement personnel are responding to these situations that fentanyl may be involved in, you know they really are putting themselves at risk," said Governor Ron DeSantis during a Monday press conference.