Fifteen area fire departments are among the 149 statewide sharing $3.3 million in small equipment grants from the Office of the State Fire Marshal. The office received 448 applications, requesting around $10.5 million in funding for this grant period. The Small Equipment Grant Program was established to provide grants of up to $26,000 each for the purchase of small firefighting and ambulance equipment. This program is designed to help eligible applicants purchase small equipment that they may otherwise not be able to purchase. "New equipment and gear can get expensive and place a strain on smaller fire departments' resources," said state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwarsdsville. "The Small Equipment Grant program helps departments replace outdated equipment so they're able to do their job safely and more effectively."  

A 4-year-old boy died in an apparent drowning after being pulled out of a retention pond in suburban Northbrook Monday evening, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office. First responders were first called to the pond in the 1700 block of Provenance Way at approximately 7 p.m. According to neighbors, a nurse who lives on the street performed CPR before firefighters arrived at the scene. The boy was then rushed to the hospital.  

Urbana firefighters continue to investigate a gas leak that caused an explosion at a privately-owned dormitory on the University of Illinois campus Monday. Urbana Fire Chief Chuck Lauss said 56 students were evacuated from Hendrick House, 904 W. Green St., following the explosion at 9:22 p.m. No one was hurt. An employee who Lauss called "very blessed" was investigating the heavy gas smell in the mechanical room in the basement. He checked things out, then left to call the company that does heating, air conditioning and mechanical work for the dorm. Lauss said he had just stepped outside the building when he heard the explosion. "He said it was probably about a minute," Lauss said, adding that man was not hurt. The explosion affected a small single-story building attached to the north side of Hendrick House at its rear dock. "It blew the roof completely off of it," said the chief.  

Two local fire departments have been awarded funding through the Illinois State Fire Marshal's Small Equipment Grant program, state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, announced Monday. "New equipment and gear can get expensive and place a strain on smaller fire departments' resources," said Stuart. "The Small Equipment Grant program helps departments replace outdated equipment so they're able to do their job safely and more effectively." The Small Equipment Grant program provides Illinois fire departments up to $26,000 each to purchase a variety of firefighting and ambulance equipment. A total of $3.3 million was recently awarded to 149 applicants, two of which are located in Stuart's district. The Edwardsville Fire Department is set to receive more than $9,500, and the Collinsville Fire Department will receive $20,000 through the program.  

A kayaker was found safe Sunday night after her two male friends reported her missing when they lost sight of her at Rock Creek waterfall in Kankakee River State Park, according to local fire and rescue officials. Manteno Fire Chief Scott O'Brien said his department was dispatched to the creek at North 5000W Road around 8 p.m. Water rescue teams from multiple agencies were involved with the search. According to Illinois Conservation Officer John Farber, the two men said all three people launched their inflatable kayaks just off to the west of 5000W Road. They said they both went over the waterfall, which is located south of the 4-H camp (Camp Shaw-waw-nas-see). They became concerned when they lost track of the woman, Farber said, and reported her disappearance. Around 9:45 p.m., the woman called to say she was at the concession stand near the suspension bridge — a mile south of where they launched, according to officials.  

VIDEOS/PHOTOS: A woman has been taken into custody as a person of interest after several homes and construction site in Ogden were destroyed in a fire Monday night. Fire officials believe the fire was human-caused, but did not provide any details as to why the woman is considering a person of interest. A total of five nearby houses are considered a complete loss following the fire as the American Red Cross of Utah provides assistance to those affected. Five businesses close by were also damaged. Two people were originally unaccounted for following the fire at 28th Street and Grant Avenue, but Ogden police later said that no one was believed to be missing. No one was seriously injured in the fire. The fire was first reported around 10:30 p.m. at the three-story, wood-framed complex under construction.  

PHOTOS: The town of Daytona organized its volunteer fire department in 1909. It took some work, though. "Daytona needs a fire department; Daytona wants a fire department and Daytona will have a fire department. But the citizens must awake to the fact that the matter needs their cooperation. 'Tis time to get busy," The Daytona Daily News exhorted on Dec. 7, 1909. The department bought a LaFrance hose truck in 1913 that was the pride of the city. "Pictures of it include nearly all the prominent men of that time. It was housed in the former railroad freight house between the old City Hall and the river," wrote local historian Ianthe Bond Hebel. This was superseded by a 1,000-gallon pumper bought in 1919. By 1925, the department was housed in the stucco Fire Station No. 1, still in use on South Beach Street.  

The stress and trauma that first responders experience can build up if it isn't addressed. The city of Huntington, West Virginia, is focusing on this concern with COMPASS, a wellness program that provides first responders and their families with mental and physical health services. It began with a grant of a million dollars through the Bloomberg Philanthropies' 2018 U.S. Mayors Challenge. The city also received additional funding from private organizations such as AT&T and non-profits like the Pallottine Foundation and the Tri-State Foundation. The COMPASS Wellness center was established on the 5th floor of the Jean Dean Public Safety Building, the same building housing the Huntington Police Department. Today, the program provides first responders a gym, lounge, sauna, meditation room, and a robust kitchen.  

A city of Pharr Firefighter, and author, is hoping the subject of his latest children's book will help make a difference in the perception of law enforcement officers. Many Valley residents are familiar with the questionable but sometimes effective form of discipline that inspired Santos Vallejo's, 32, new children's book titled ‘Protect and Serve'. Oftentimes, many well-meaning parents will tell their children that they will turn them into the police if they do not behave. While many can laugh at the empty threat in retrospect, Vallejo is using this example to teach children the lesson that police do not need to be feared. Vallejo often uses children's books to communicate messages to his own children. "It's an easy way to start developing their minds because a lot of the times they like to play video games, watch cartoons, and I feel like we're straying away from reading," said Vallejo.  

The face mask that you wear in the future could alert you of a coronavirus diagnosis, thanks to researchers at Harvard University and MIT. Researchers have created wearable biosensors that can detect the presence of the virus in a person's breath. These button-activated masks give COVID results within 90 minutes in a simple-to-read format similar to an at-home pregnancy test. The mask can diagnose COVID at accuracy levels comparable to standard diagnostic tests, according to the researchers from the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and MIT. The sky's the limit for this technology. It can be customized to detect a wide variety of other viruses, bacteria and toxins. "