PHOTOS: Governor JB Pritzker Joined the State Fire Marshal to honor Firefighters for their heroic efforts and remember those who lost their lives at the Fallen Illinois Firefighters Memorial Service and Firefighting Medal of Honor Awards Ceremony on Tuesday. Eight firefighters will be awarded the Medal of Honor and four will be awarded the Medal of Valor award, among other award winners. Two firefighters from the Peoria Fire Department, Capt. Nick Hansen and Tobi Roderick will receive the Firefighting Medal of Valor, for rescuing an unconscious victim in a house fire on April 17, 2023. The other Medal of Valor recipients were from the Chicago and Metropolis Fire Departments.  

PHOTO: Benton's fire captain retired on Sunday morning. Captain Jeff Coleman worked for the Benton Fire Department for 26 years. He fought his last fire on Sunday morning when officials were dispatched to a structure fire in the 400 block of N. Madison Street. "Coleman, we thank you for your time, help and most of all the friendship we've built," wrote the West Frankfort Fire Department. Details were slim on the fire itself, but the department did not suggest there were any injuries or major tragedy. The department followed up the post with a video of the other firefighters hugging Captain Coleman goodbye.  

The coroner has released the identity of a man who died after he became trapped in a house fire near Grayslake that also killed at least one dog Sunday morning. A preliminary autopsy showed that Thomas Morley, 44, of Grayslake, died as a result of inhalation of products of combustion from a fire, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek. Toxicology testing, including carbon monoxide testing, is pending. The Gurnee Fire Department, Grayslake Fire Protection District and Lake County Sheriff's Office responded around 12:45 a.m. Sunday to the 17800 block of West Winnebago Drive in unincorporated Grayslake for a report of a structure fire. Gurnee Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Steffens said at the scene that crews received reports of a victim trapped inside the house.  

VIDEO: Chopper 6 was over a dramatic crash rescue that unfolded in Chester County on Tuesday. Firefighters responded to a collision on the 400 block of Hilltop Road in Tredyffrin Township just after 10:30 a.m. Authorities say a man had been trapped under a red SUV for at least 30 minutes before he was freed. It's something firefighters weren't sure would happen. "You're expecting the worst, obviously. A car is on top of a patient, the entire car was covering the body," recalled Captain Bob Robie with the Paoli Fire Department. Action News has learned that the driver of the vehicle was backing down a steep driveway after dropping someone off. As he was backing up, investigators say his tires went into the grass, so he opened the door and leaned out to get a closer look. When the driver was leaning out of the car, however, he was pulled under, police say.  

PHOTOS: The rain was pounding in the Mojave Desert on the Saturday before Easter when the first call came in about a crash along Interstate 15. Details were sketchy: head-on collision, Mercedes versus another car, a 7-year-old not breathing, a nurse on scene performing CPR. San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Capt. Dan Tellez and his crew were more than a half hour away. The next closest responding ambulance was more than 70 miles away, and the nearest trauma center was more than an hour away by road — if there was no traffic. Fire Station 53 in the tiny town of Baker, home to the "world's tallest thermometer," has the only dedicated emergency medical services to cover a 93-mile span of the four-lane highway between Yermo and the Nevada border.  

PHOTOS: "New York's Bravest" want to look more like New York. The Fire Department announced a new campaign Tuesday aiming to diversify its rank-and-file with hundreds of new recruits from all walks of life in the Big Apple. FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh announced the call to arms, dubbed "All Heroes Welcome," at the department's Downtown Brooklyn headquarters on May 14. Officials say they are urging qualified residents to transform themselves from everyday New Yorkers into the next generation of New York City firefighters. "We are looking for young people from around the city to do something special with their lives, looking for a job that is more than a job, a career that is more than a career," Commissioner Kavanagh told amNewYork Metro. "This really is a high stakes, critical thinking job."  

VIDEO: It's time to sharpen up their skills, first responders trained for a real life situation in the water. Behind Martin State Airport in Baltimore County a group of 50 people conducted an airplane rescue. "This is not anything a school can teach you or you can learn to do in a book, you just have to get in the water in different conditions with different people," said Brian Key, who is Corporal with the Maryland State Police. The Maritime Tactical Operations Group, MTOG, consisting of six teams, are practicing underwater recovery. These were the first responders on scene when the Key Bridge collapsed. "Baltimore County Police, my team, we actually put on the training so it's my team, Maryland State Police is here, PG County, Natural Resources Police, the State Fire Marshals and the Strike Team from the Coast Guard," said Officer Derek Sennett, Marine Unit Officer with the Baltimore County Police Department.