Contact with potentially deadly synthetic drugs is a growing problem for first responders across Illinois and state officials want all public safety workers to have the latest training on how to deal with those drugs. The Illinois OSHA director Ben Noven said all first responders should be aware of the dangers they face when responding to overdoses and other drug scenes. Noven echoed the advice of a police commander for first responders at drug scenes, that they should treat everything as if it was fentanyl because the powerful synthetic opioid is commonly mixed with other drugs, such as heroin and even cocaine. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin that poses serious risks to first responders on aid calls and during criminal investigations.  

A fire Thursday ravaged a ranch home in the 7000 block of Rydberg Road. Firefighters were called about 6:45 p.m. and arrived to find smoke billowing from the roofline of the house and two occupants standing outside. A request for mutual aid was made immediately to provide water tanker trucks and to provide extra manpower, which allowed New Milford Fire Deputy Chief Jeremy McCullough to rotate 30 to 40 firefighters in and out of the subfreezing weather as needed. McCullough said the fire is believed to have started near a wood-burning stove. A state fire marshal will investigate. No injuries were reported. A damage estimate has yet to be determined, but McCullough called the damages "extensive" and said the occupants will be displaced.  

The Chicago Fire Department responded to an apartment fire in the North Austin neighborhood Friday morning. Large flames could be seen coming from the first and second floors of the house in the 1600-block of North Mayfield Avenue. Shortly after 6 a.m., the fire was struck. Warming buses have been called to the scene. There are no reports of any injuries.  

The St. Charles Fire Department will hold a traditional "push-in" ceremony and dedication for its new fire engine. All are welcome to come to the ceremony and dedication at 9 a.m. Saturday at Fire Station #1, 112 N. Riverside Ave. in downtown St. Charles. After brief remarks, the old Engine 101 will be retired and the new Engine 101 will be pushed into the station. Following this, Tri-Com will sound a still alarm. The push-in ceremony honors a longstanding fire service tradition dating back to the1800s when fire departments used hand-drawn pumpers and horse-drawn equipment, according to a news release from the St. Charles Fire Department. Upon returning to the station after a fire call, the horses could not easily back the equipment into the station, the release stated.  

Two city departments are trying to shake up their staffs. Asheville police and fire officials said they are lacking diversity. Both are actively working to recruit more diverse applicants. "We've not been able to keep up with our community," Asheville Fire Battalion Chief Patrick Crudup said. Interim Police Chief Robert White said there are a number of reasons. "It's more challenging to get individuals of color," White said. It's something some community members said is important. "We need the diversity to take place," Asheville resident Raymond Neal said. Asheville is below the national average for fire departments when it comes to minority representation. African-Americans and Latinos each make up 4 percent of the staff. Women make up 5 percent. "Over the course of the department, it has been not just our department in the fire service in general," Crudup said.  

On Wednesday, The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) and the American Heart Association unveiled a new hands-only CPR kiosk that has the ability to train and test travelers in bystander CPR in about five minutes. The kiosk, located in the Central Terminal, includes a touch screen display with video instruction and tutorials, followed by an interactive practice session and test. It even features a rubber practice mannequin to simulate CPR and give users feedback on the strength of their check compression and hand placement. Users can choose to take the course in English and Spanish. Sea-Tac is the first location in Washington to feature the hands-only CPR training kiosk. Randy Krause, Port of Seattle Fire Chief, hopes it will encourage more people to learn the lifesaving technique.  

Californians who lost their home insurance because of the threat of wildfires will be able to buy comprehensive policies next year through a state-mandated plan under an order issued Thursday by the state insurance commissioner. Devastating wildfires have plagued the state in recent years, destroying thousands of homes. Those claims have cost insurance companies, who have responded by dropping fire insurance policies for many homeowners who live in fire-prone areas. Most of those people turn to the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, an insurance pool mandated by state law that is required to issue policies to people who can't buy them through no fault of their own. But FAIR Plan policies are often limited to fire damage, forcing homeowners to purchase separate plans to get coverage for things other than fires, like theft, water damage, falling objects and liability.  

At an age many Milwaukee Firefighters are retiring from the department Hernan Galarza just got sworn in as a Milwaukee Firefighter Thursday evening. At age 51, he is the oldest recruit to successfully make it through the program. "I have always wanted to serve. I always wanted to do something for the community," said Galarza. The 51-year-old went through the Milwaukee Fire Department recruit training program with men and women who are the same ages as his daughters. He is not the oldest to try, but he is the oldest to succeed. Hernan had no experience in firefighting. He spent his career in sales and as a small business owner. But he is very into fitness. He completed four Wisconsin Ironman competitions before he decided to try to become a firefighter.  

In 2017, Police Chief Michael Spellman said that it's not a matter of "if" an officer will come in contact with a citizen on the autism spectrum, but rather, a matter of "when." Indeed, one out of every 59 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, the Centers for Disease Control said in 2018. City of Groton Police officer Bobby Harris, who has two decades of training in working with people on the autism spectrum and is himself a trainer in the field, noted that first responders should know how to approach a person with autism and, "Not just barge in here if I have a problem and expect my son to act like a normal kid would act," he told local media last year. His son has Asperger's. Now, the city has signed a formal agreement to begin using a specialized software in its emergency dispatch center that was designed to better help officers and first responders how a person with autism communicates, might react, and identifies special sensitivities, like flashing lights, and very loud noises, police and fire sirens, for example.