Rockford city leaders take steps to make Rockford a safer place to live. Officials like Mayor Tom McNamara, Police Chief Dan O'Shea, Fire Chief Derek Bergsten and The Office of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Prevention Manager Jennifer Cacciapaglia held a public town hall meeting Tuesday night. Those leaders shared accomplishments from 2019, and areas to improve on in 2020. "No matter where you live, no matter where you worship, no matter what your favorite restaurant is or your place of employment you should feel safe at any address you're at in the City of Rockford," says McNamara. He believes public safety needs to be a top priority across the city. Crime rates in every category dropped from 2018 to 2019. Violent crime is down 17 percent, aggravated assault is down 16 percent and shots fired is down 11 percent.  

Buffalo Grove will not ask the Illinois Supreme Court to overturn a landmark lower court ruling that grants full pension benefits to the widow of Kevin Hauber, a village firefighter who died in 2018 after a four-year battle with colon cancer. Village Manager Dave Bragg announced the decision in a written statement Tuesday, stating that while the village continues to disagree with the decision, it will no longer challenge it in court. "The village maintains this decision sets a dangerous precedent for all property taxpayers; not only for those who live in Buffalo Grove, but for all taxpayers in Illinois," Bragg wrote. "The implications for other cases to occur where legal standards are not met and causation is not proven could prove financially devastating to an already stressed pension system in the state of Illinois."  

It was a busy day for Danville firefighters as they battled three early morning fires. According to the Fire Marshal Christopher McMahon, the first was in the 1200 block of McKinley Avenue just after 1 a.m. The house is a total loss. The second and third fires happened in the 200 block of New York around 2 a.m. The two properties are part of the demolition for the new Carle medical facility. No one was hurt. There was no power or gas at any of the three properties. The cause of the fire is under investigation.  

Glenview Battalion Chief Lawrence Kane will report for duty Monday as the Harvard Fire Protection District's new fire chief. Roger Hugg, president of the Harvard Fire Protection District's Board of Trustees, said in a news release that Kane was selected to be the new chief following a candidate review and evaluation performed by the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association. Following this process, two names were presented to the board for final consideration. After two rounds of interviews, Hugg said that Kane was selected.  

The Springfield Fire Department is investigating the cause of a fire that displaced one person and two cats Tuesday afternoon. Chief Allen Reyne said crews were called to a home in the 2000 block of North 11th Street at about 1 p.m. He said firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the house when they arrived on scene. The flames started in the interior of the house and spread into the attic, where the most damage was caused. Reyne said it took firefighters about 20 minutes to get the fire under control and an hour to ensure that it was completely extinguished. No injuries were reported, and the house's occupant did not request assistance from the American Red Cross. Reyne said only one of the occupant's cats was found at the scene. He said the missing cat likely ran away during the fire. The fire heavily damaged the house, Reyne said, but a damage estimate was not available Tuesday afternoon.  

With climate change spurring intense and longer wildfire seasons, fire safety and preparation is no longer an option. As seen in the United States and across the world in Australia and the Amazon, wildfires are devastating and can dramatically affect the economy of a region. With the growing frequency and severity of wildfires, firefighters are needed more than ever to protect cities and communities. It's also important to note that today's firefighters do much more than fight fires. These brave men and women are often the first to be called on to respond to medical, environmental, and chemical emergencies. In 2018, there were 332,400 jobs for firefighters, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for firefighters is expected to grow by 5% over the next ten years. With so many areas in need of firefighters, where are the best cities for firefighters to work in the United States?  

"Gray Death" is a particularly dangerous mixture of heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil and other synthetic opioids, and it has made its way to Indiana. Carfentanil, which is used as a tranquilizing agent for elephants and other large mammals, is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. They say a persistent increase in opioid overdoses tied to carfentanil have been seen around the country. Carfentanil and other fentanyl-related compounds can be absorbed through the skin or accidentally inhaled, making them dangerous to first responders and other medical personnel. Indiana Department of Homeland Security reports the following: State medical personnel and responders are sounding the alarm on a continuing drug trend that could overdose, or potentially kill, Hoosiers and responders with minimal contact.  

York City's Fire Chief had to make a choice. So, he chose his home. But because of that decision, he could lose his job by the end of this month. Residency requirements in the city of York require the fire chief to live within the city limits. Deardorff lives in West Manchester Township with his children and wife. "I'm less than, less than 3 and a half miles outside the city," said Deardorff, who adds he's never missed a call where he was needed on scene. He adds "I don't see the difference whether or not if I'm responding from my current house or in the city." Deardorff said he told the Mayor of his decision not to move late last summer after the city granted him an extension last year to discuss a possible move with his family. But, city council claims the Mayor did not tell them of Deardorff's decision until January. At a meeting late last month, council didn't approve the waiver that would have rid Deardorff of the requirement to move within the city limits.  

VIDEO: According to the National Fire Protection Association, firefighters are 9 percent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the average American. The Toledo Fire and Rescue department is teaming up with Cancer Dogs, a Canadian company that uses dogs to detect possible cancer in someone's breath. Cancer Dogs is currently running screening trials all across the U.S. More than 100 fire departments have taken part in the screenings. The goal is to detect cancer early. Here is how it works: you put on a surgical mask and breathe into it for 10 minutes. The mask is then put into a bag and shipped off to a lab in Nova Scotia. Specially trained dogs then sniff the samples and determine if they believe cancer is present.  

An interim report on conditions at the fire station include plenty of reasons for alarm. Consultants have documented problems with airflow. No ventilation air is being introduced into the apparatus and rescue vehicle area, and two exhaust fans "do not appear to be functional," MacRitchie Engineering, Inc., of Braintree, wrote. The presence of union-purchased exercise equipment in the same location "is leading to some serious health concerns" as the only apparent source of ventilation is opening the door, "which is not practical during the winter months." The interim report labels this "an extreme health hazard." The MacRitchie report on HVAC systems and an overall facilities analysis conducted by The Galante Architectural Studio (TGAS), Inc., of Cambridge, which were presented to the selectmen last night (Feb. 4), detail a building plagued with problems that still manages to deliver services but is too small to continue to meet modern expectations.