A Chicago firefighter has been "critically injured" while fighting a Gold Coast blaze Wednesday morning, one day after another firefighter died battling a multi-home fire in West Pullman. The Chicago Fire Department responded after flames broke out on the 27th floor of a high-rise building at 1212 North Lake Shore Drive Wednesday morning. While there, the CFD called for a mayday and an emergency medical response after one firefighter suffered critical injuries. The firefighter was removed from the building by 8:30 a.m. and was en route to a hospital in "very critical" condition, a CFD spokesperson said. A second firefighter was also injured, but is in "good shape," according to the department. As of 9:35 a.m., firefighters had put out the main body of the fire, which had been confined to one large apartment on the 27th floor.  

Tuesday was Election Day in Illinois, and a referendum in Boone County affected Fire Protection District #2. Voters were asked to approve buying and operating two fully-staffed ambulances. A "yes" would raise annual taxes to right around $130 a year for a $100,000 house. It looks like voters gave the county the green light to make the purchase. Boone County Fire Protection District #2 Chief Brian Kunce said that having a dedicated ambulance service to help in times of trouble will be a great thing for the community in many ways, including response times. With the recent ambulance agreement no longer in place, this will give two vehicles that are committed to serving the taxpayers of the district. It also includes a 24/7 staffed service.  

VIDEO: Belvidere Fire Department Lt. Dan Drall was among the first on scene when the ceiling collapsed on people in a packed metal concert at the Apollo Theatre. Immediately, he said, firefighters jumped into action. "The first five minutes dictates the next five hours of the scene. We've always talked about that. In those first five minutes, these guys just excelled," Drall said. He quickly realized the structure was compromised after a tornado tore off the marquee. He had to make the life-altering decision of sending firefighters into the unstable building that could cave in any moment. "That's the hardest thing an officer has to do, is to command somebody to go inside. This is my brother, this is my sister. This is family. I'm putting them in harm's way," Drall said.  

The Bloomington Township Fire Protection District now has authority to raise its tax rate to cover rising expenses. Voters in Bloomington Township approved a referendum Tuesday that enables its fire and ambulance service to raise its tax rate from 30 cents per $100 equalized assessed valuation (EAV) to 40 cents per $100 EAV. The referendum secured close to 75% "yes" votes. Results are unofficial until are mail-in and absentee ballots are counted on April 18. Township officials have said they don't plan to add the higher tax right away. "This is not an immediate tax increase but rather the ability to increase the rate in the future up to .40% rate," the township fire protection district said in a social media post. The township cites higher equipment costs and the need to remain competitive with other fire departments in recruiting emergency medical personnel, along with Illinois' annual increases in the minimum wage to $15 in 2025.  

VIDEO: Firefighters battled a large blaze in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood that left 12 adults and nine children unable to return home Tuesday afternoon. The fire was reported shortly before 1 p.m. in a home on Cushing Avenue. Flames burst through the roof of the building. "Seeing their faces and trying to figure out what's going to come next. Starting over is not easy," said Geisa Silva, whose mother lives in the building. "It's sad to see everything destroyed. A lot of memories." Heavy smoke made the fire difficult for crews to extinguish. "There were difficult conditions to get in the building," said Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke. "There were holes in the floor, so we couldn't keep them in that long — once the thing got going, we had to pull the firefighters out, so the fire was fought from the outside."  

VIDEO: Belvidere Fire Department Lt. Dan Drall was among the first on scene when the ceiling collapsed on people in a packed metal concert at the Apollo Theatre. Immediately, he said, firefighters jumped into action. "The first five minutes dictates the next five hours of the scene. We've always talked about that. In those first five minutes, these guys just excelled," Drall said. He quickly realized the structure was compromised after a tornado tore off the marquee. He had to make the life-altering decision of sending firefighters into the unstable building that could cave in any moment. "That's the hardest thing an officer has to do, is to command somebody to go inside. This is my brother, this is my sister. This is family. I'm putting them in harm's way," Drall said. It's a decision that, days later, still weighs heavy on him.  

Police, fire and other government agencies across Florida must ground millions of dollars in aerial drones because of a new state rule banning the agencies from using devices made by China-based DJI. The DJI drones are among the most widely used in the world, but the DeSantis administration said they pose a security threat and did not include them on a list of approved drone manufacturers. In addition to a Florida Statute change that went into effect at the beginning of 2023, requiring all government agencies to use drones only from approved manufacturers, another rule went into effect Wednesday. The Unmanned Aerial Systems Minimum Security Requirements rule prohibits government agencies from purchasing or using any drone made by a manufacturer in a "foreign country of concern," which includes China.  

VIDEO: Inside the Atrium Health Dome on Monday, there was a different mission: one that didn't require anyone to put on a helmet and pads. Instead, there was a bigger lesson -- one that is possibly life-saving. "I always grew up wanting to be a football player, wanting to make it to the NFL. This situation has just brought a whole bigger life purpose for me," said Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Hamlin teamed up with the Carolina Panthers and the American Heart Association to bring awareness about the importance of learning CPR. Inside the dome Monday, players, staff members, and PSL owners received the opportunity to learn the valuable skill. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests happen in homes so knowing how to perform CPR is critically important. "I just want to keep raising awareness and trying to get as many people that we can CPR certified because you never know when you can be a hero," Hamlin said.