VIDEO: Firefighters called to battle a blaze Monday morning had no choice but to adapt to some additional challenges. Conditions called for periods of heavy snowfall partnered with extremely low wind chill values between 9 and 19 below zero and gusts reaching a potential high of 21 mph, according to a forecast by the National Weather Service in Lincoln. The frigid conditions were made most apparent by the dense excess smoke billowing from inside the home at Railroad and Mueller avenues. Despite the harsh weather, Decatur firefighters continued with the task at hand. But, battling fires during brutal conditions like those on Monday can be a bit more strenuous, said Fire Chief Jeff Abbott. "One of the problems is the equipment because we normally shut off a nozzle when you're done spraying water, but here you have to leave it cracked open so the water's moving and it doesn't freeze," Abbott said.  

One person is dead after a structure fire reported early Sunday morning on Pine Street in Galesburg. According to a release from the city, 11 firefighters from all three stations were dispatched to the 200-block of Pine at around 1:45. Upon arrival, it was discovered that the structure was already completely engulfed by flames. The city says that per operation guidelines, Battalion Chief David Farrell requested a call back for extra manpower. Six firefighters were called back to help rotate crews on the scene and provide emergency coverage for the city. Additionally, the Galesburg Street Department was called in for equipment and additional salt on Pine Street as freezing water was an issue that firefighters had to maneuver around. The city says that fires that occur during sub-zero temperatures present especially dangerous and challenging problems, saying that firefighters experience higher levels of fatigue battling the temperatures, freezing water, and trying to maneuver in snow and ice.  

Chicago firefighters battled several problems while trying to put out an overnight house fire on the South Side. Multiple hydrants froze, which hampered efforts to fight the fire near 84th and Gilbert Court in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood. A wall collapsed as firefighters dealt with exposure to dangerous cold. Another fire caused a temporary evacuation from parts of the Rivers Casino in Des Plaines late Sunday night. Firefighters from several departments responded. They used extension ladders to gain access to the roof and put the fire out amid the freezing conditions. The small fire began in the kitchen of Hugo's Frog Bar restaurant on the property, according to casino officials.  

VIDEO: A fire in the north suburbs may be a cautionary tale in the cold weather Sunday, as the residents think it may have been started by an electric blanket. Firefighters were called just after 11 a.m. for a fire at a house at 1026 Timber Ln. in Wilmette. The residents, who were already outside, said they had an electric blanket on in the front room. That is where crews discovered a small fire. The official cause of the fire was under investigation late Sunday, but with the cold temperatures, the acting Wilmette fire chief advised everyone to be careful.  

A home in the 900 block of Hawley Avenue in Alton suffered major fire damage on Saturday afternoon. Alton Fire Department issued a Box Alarm for East Alton Fire Department and Godfrey Fire Protection District firefighters responded. Alton Fire Department had a pumper at the scene of a shooting on 11th Street in Alton at the same time, so the fire department called for assistance. "The homeowner said they had been without heat and they were using space heaters and it kept shutting down breakers," Alton Fire Chief Jesse Jemison said. "They said they were on their way to get more breakers. When they got back home they saw the fire and contacted the fire department." The fire was very involved at the call and firefighters battled and had it under control in about 45 minutes, the chief said. Chief Jemison said other Alton firefighters were called in to relieve the ones at the scene because temperatures in the low teens. The chief said the conditions were extremely cold for those at the scene.  

Eight families were displaced by an intense fire that destroyed a Passaic multi-family home Friday night. No injuries were reported. Flames blew through the roof, part of which collapsed less than a half-hour after the four-alarm blaze broke out on the second floor of the wood-frame building at Hope and Highland avenues around 8 p.m. "Thank God everyone is out, safe and accounted for," Mayor Hector Carlos Lora said. Eighteen people in all received temporary food, lodging and clothing thanks to the Red Cross and the city. Most were able to find shelter with family, Lora said. Firefighters had to deal with low pressure, among other challenges, but had the main body of the blaze knocked down within an hour. The fire was declared under control around 10 p.m.  

PHOTO: The morning a Winter Storm Warning was issued for Austin and Central Texas, a fire truck in Travis County rolled over, injuring four firefighters. Austin-Travis County EMS confirmed to KVUE's Mike Marut that a Pedernales Fire Department truck rolled over at around 8:39 a.m. in the 16000 block of W. State Highway 71 Saturday. Four firefighters had non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to the hospital. They have since been released from the hospital. The ATCEMS told KVUE that this crash demonstrates the importance of wearing your seatbelt. If the firefighters weren't wearing their seatbelts, this crash could have resulted in more serious injuries, ATCEMS said. Crews with ATCEMS have been responding to crashes all over the area Saturday, with ice reported on all types of road surfaces. Typically, bridges, overpasses and flyovers are the main concern, but cold temperatures and drizzly weather have created icy conditions on many roadways in Central Texas.  

In the public safety world, they are known as LODDs -- line of duty deaths. And now the biggest cause of those deaths in public safety jobs isn't from rushing into burning buildings or getting shot, it is from COVID-19. That's why researchers in the Triangle have developed a way to track coronavirus infections in the public safety group most likely to get them -- firefighters and emergency medical technicians. And it's important to remember that while working, many of them live, eat, and sleep dormitory-style. "You take people who have an increased number of exposures to at-risk individuals and members of the public through their occupational sort of goings-on, and then you put them in close proximity indoors to one another for extended periods of time," Robert Furberg told ABC11. Furberg, a medical researcher for the Research Triangle Institute in Durham said if not a recipe for disaster, it's at least a recipe for spreading SARS-CoV-2.  

A pilot program could leave first responders better equipped with additional training, tools and resources to handle the steady volume of mental health-related calls that come through emergency dispatch. After months of discussions that included behavioral health professionals and the safety forces, City Council put $100,000 into this year's budget for a "hybrid" Crisis Response Pilot Program. The program is expected to begin with the training of two police officers per shift, along with paramedics in the fire department. "We estimated that mental health calls amounted to about 15 percent, or 470, for 2019, averaging a little more than one a day," Chief Administrative Officer Jeri Chaikin told council in a Feb. 8 work session held online. "Some days there might not be any calls. Other days, there might be two -- or three." And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic, as figures for last year were still being compiled on 911 calls -- both emergency and otherwise -- that include disturbances, family or neighbor disputes, trespassing, a suspicious person, substance abuse, addiction or suicide threats.  

Broward County has invested millions in a new emergency response system experts say is helping firefighters and officers to respond to emergencies faster. "You as a resident at home when you call 911, you want the closest available unit to come handle your emergency," said Sunrise Fire Rescue Chief John McNamara. That's already happening over a section of Broward. It's one of many improvements made to the county's emergency system after issues were revealed in the response to the shooting in Parkland three years ago. New communications towers and new radios for every police officer and firefighter went online two months ago. There were also updates made to the 911 system. "This new system grabs that unit, sends them to your house and gets you there much faster than the older system," McNamara explained.