A camper caught fire and claimed the life of one person, according to the Menard County Sheriff's Department. On Sunday at 8:21 p.m. authorities were called to a camper fire at NSPOA (formally Jellystone) Campground. Menard County deputies, Athens and Petersburg police officers arrived on scene and found a camper fully involved in fire, with it spreading to other campers and structures nearby. The Petersburg Rural Fire Department and Petersburg City Fire Department arrived soon after deputies and police, and worked to get the fire under control. Authorities noted multiple liquid propane tanks were involved in the fire. One person was found dead, their identity is being withheld. Athens Fire Department, Greenview Fire Department, Menard County Rescue Squad and Menard County EMS also responded to the scene.  

The Illinois State Fire Marshal is investigating a fire that occurred in the early hours of Friday morning at the 20's Hideout Steakhouse. Marion Fire Chief Tim Barnett said the fire started around 12:35 a.m. Friday. They toned out a MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) commercial alarm which activated several fire departments throughout Southern Illinois. That alarm drew several fire engines from Herrin, Carterville and Lake of Egypt, as well as chiefs from four other departments, a ladder company from West Frankfort, an air truck from Carterville and other help. Barnett stressed it is protocol to have the State Fire Marshal investigate to determine the cause of the fire, but no foul play is suspected. "There is significant damage as far as smoke damage inside. They might be shut down up to a month, but hopefully they will be up and running sooner than that," Barnett said.  

A fire destroyed an abandoned Decatur home, firefighters said. Authorities responded at about 7 p.m. Friday to 855 N. Edward St. They battled the flames for about two hours, and the fire was out sometime after 9 p.m. A total of four engines, two ladder trucks and 22 firefighters responded to the scene and found the roof and second floor heavily involved in the fire. When conditions didn't improve after an aggressive interior attack, responders evacuated the building. The roof and second floor then collapsed into the structure. As the home was vacant, there were no injuries. The structure had a value of about $24,000. The cause remains unknown late Friday. Responders said the fire originated on the second floor. There is no health risk to the public, crews said.  

The International Association Firefighters (IAFF) and the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters (WSCFF) issued a joint statement reporting that several firefighters have been exposed to the virus. The statement reports that members from Kirkland Fire, Redmond Fire and Woodinville Fire had been exposed to the coronavirus, and were isolating themselves for evaluation. IAFF and WSCFF say they spoke with infectious disease experts and medical professionals to find resources and information, and develop a way to make that information more accessible. They announced the creation of their ‘Coronavirus online toolkit,' which aims to provide up-to-date information on the coronavirus and what has transpired so far in Washington.  

VIDEO: Falls happen on ice, in homes, and outside. When EMS and fire crews respond, Des Moines Fire says it's easy for them to get hurt when lifting someone that has fallen. That's why Jeff Downing, an engineer with Des Moines fire, created the Jak Harness. "I felt the need to create this because in recent years we've been going on more and more calls of people that have fallen down and they're not injured and they can't get up," Downing said. Des Moines fire crews have gone out on 700 public assist calls since last September. The thought is that the Jak Harness will make the calls easier. "I had this idea and I'm like, 'I'm just going to try it,' explains Downing. "It's been working really well!" The Jak Harness has been in the hands of first responders for a month and was used on four different apparatus calls. Downing says that the Ames and Bondurant fire departments are one of the few stations in the area testing out the product.  

First responders in Nebraska would be offered annual "resiliency training" to help combat and cope with post-traumatic stress disorder under a bill given initial approval by state lawmakers on Wednesday. State Sen. Mike McDonnell, a former Omaha fire chief, said that 1 in 4 firefighters on average will visit an emergency room during their career for physical injuries on the job. But, he said, "We don't think about the mental injury. A lot of times we don't see it. It's hidden." McDonnell made Legislative Bill 963 his priority bill. It was introduced by State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, a decorated military veteran, who said that he received treatment for PTSD, but that was 11 years after he was shot and wounded in battle. Brewer said that PTSD has contributed to an epidemic of suicides among veterans that now numbers 22 a day.  

It isn't easy to describe the life of an emergency responder, but Jonathon Gould, with Chatham EMS, sees it as "sheer boredom interrupted with complete chaos." Gould, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician from Ludowici, has wanted to help others since he was a teenager, putting himself through EMT school at the age of 17. "What we do isn't glorious," Gould says. "You're supposed to fix people, but sometimes we can't. That's the most frustrating part, is throwing up your hands and saying: 'There's nothing we can do. They need more intensive care.'" Despite being a first responder for nearly a decade, the hardships of the stressful line of work can still be challenging. From these stresses and hardships, Gould created a way to make time go a little more easily. "We found this random rubber duck," Gould says. "We hid this duck to see who could find it, which ambulance crew could find it. Then police got involved, and they wanted to go find rubber ducks."