Five workers were injured by an electric shock while hanging new gutters at a home in Grand Ridge, near Streator, in LaSalle County Tuesday. Fire officials said they got the call about the incident around 11 a.m. They said the five workers, from a company based in Roanoke, Ill., were putting up an aluminum gutter when it came into contact with a power line. The workers were all on aluminum ladders and touching portions of the house when the gutter became electrified. All five were shocked at the same time, the fire department said, and fell 25 feet off their ladders to the ground. A total of eight ambulances were called in response to the incident. Three of the workers are hospitalized in critical condition; the other two are in serious condition. One worker had to be taken by Life Flight from the scene to a hospital, while another worker had to be taken by Life Flight from a hospital in Peoria to a different hospital in Springfield, fire officials said.  

One person is hospitalized and a building was damaged after a driver crashed through the front glass in Moline Tuesday morning. According to the Moline Fire Department, the driver of the van had a medical emergency while driving in the 4000 block of Avenue of the Cities. That's when the driver lost control of their vehicle and crashed through an unoccupied building, according to the fire department. The driver of the van was transported to a local hospital for treatment, according to the fire department.  

Tazewell County will soon upgrade it's emergency radio system, aiming to create more efficient response times. Tech support for the current system ended five years ago, forcing fire and police departments to keep it maintained themselves. Tazewell was also the last county in the surrounding area to not use the same system as those around it. At the end of 2020, the Tazewell Emergency Telephone System Board, or ETSB, signed a contract with Motorola to bring all of its departments onto that same system, called ‘Starcom21,' making it easier to speak with first responders outside the county. Between the pandemic and supply chain shortages, getting the new system operational has been a challenge. But now, there's finally a timeframe to bring modern emergency communications into some of the region's most populated areas. Tazewell is entering into a partnership with Peoria County, providing 8 radio towers for Peoria's 11.  

The annual Central Illinois Emergency Expo brought eager crowds out to the Shoppes at Grand Prairie Tuesday night. Children and adults had the chance to get an up close and personal look at what it's like to be a first responder. The free expo kicked off at 4:00 and lasted until 7:00 Tuesday night. More than 20 machines, vehicles, and pieces of emergency equipment were on hand. First responders took participants through demonstrations of how they use the equipment every day in life saving situations.  

On Monday, a SpaceX booster test ended with an explosion on the Orbital Launch Pad triggering a fire near the base of the launch tower, as detailed in a recent video posted by NASASpaceflight. The Booster 7 test was conducted in preparation for a future Starship orbital test flight in Cameron County, Texas, according to the NASA video of the incident. "The methane-fueled Raptor engine has a complicated sequence of events that must unfold precisely in order for it to ignite, and SpaceX was testing the 'spin start' portion of this ignition sequence when the anomaly occurred" stated a portion of an Ars Technica report on the incident. "Something must have caused methane propellant to ignite, with the ambient oxygen in the air serving as an oxidizer, inside the vehicle," the report continues.  

The new mental health crisis number 988 launches Saturday, according to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The number will be available 24/7 for people to anonymously call or text trained counselors at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. In 2020, nearly 46,000 people died by suicide -- one death every 11 minutes. The new three-digit dialing code is intended to be easier to access and remember than the 1-800-SUICIDE number, according to the 988 messaging website. "Nonstop through my entire shift calls are coming through," said Dana, who works at Community Crisis Services in Hyattsville. At the crisis center, call takers like Dana communicate with people in crisis, and their conversations can be life-saving.  

A pair of large fires in the late-1870s in Alpena altered the shape of the newly incorporated city and the development afterward remains visible today thanks to tougher building requirements inspired by the blazes. The fires not only shifted future development from Alpena's north side to the other side of the Thunder Bay River, but also led to the establishment of the city Fire Department and motivated what was then called the Alpena Common Council to draft and implement new zoning and building codes to help bolster safety. Still, many people suffered loss of property, loss of livelihoods, and even lost their lives because of the intensity of the fires. Alpena incorporated as a city on March 29, 1871. Less than a month later, a large fire broke out in the business district along the north shore of the Thunder Bay River.  

The New Britain Fire Department and Local 992 have come to an agreement to randomly drug test staff members. The agreement will test a third of the department yearly. That is about 45 people of the 130 on staff. Chief Raul Ortiz says it's a robust and extensive policy. In January, a New Britain firefighter died at his Southington home. His cell phone had drug-coded text messages with a colleague, investigators said. This later revealed a drug problem within the department. A lieutenant was fired and seven more firefighters, including two lieutenants, were suspected of drug activity. "It's something we've been working on since I got here about four years and it really has taken a life of its own in the last six months to a year," the chief said. "Most of our members, if not all of our members, want this kind of policy in place for protections."  

VIDEO: An Ohio man is proving even though his body is different, he can do what everyone else can and more. Four times a week, Mike Diehl walks into Powerstation Gym, loads up the rack, concentrates on his breathing, and engages his core while working out. He continues to push the limit with every press, pull and squat. With only one arm, he's already stronger than most. He holds the title of the second strongest disabled man in the world. In March of 2015, the former firefighter was in an accident on duty and his arm was crushed by a firetruck. Four months later, he became an amputee. It was only about three and a half years ago when Diehl decided to start competing in the sport of disabled strongman. He competes in a class with others who only have use of one arm.