Alarms were going off for some Chicago firefighters this week. First, there was a COVID-19 outbreak at the Quinn Fire Academy, and now, hundreds are expected to gather in one spot to take a test. As CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reported Wednesday, some firefighters believe their safety is being put at risk, as well as the safety of the public they serve when it comes to potentially contracting and then spreading coronavirus. It is a concern that Mayor Lori Lightfoot does not share. Over the next three days, about 1,000 Chicago firefighters will head inside McCormick Place to take tests determining if they can be promoted. That is not including the 100-plus firefighters who took the chief's test on Wednesday. These are all make-up exams after a technical fiasco caused them to be canceled in January.  

The Bartlett Fire Protection District and Northwest Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield are partnering to make the services of Mobile Stroke Unit available to local patients, ensuring them the benefits of the earliest possible intervention. The unit is the first of its kind in Illinois and takes the form of a specialized ambulance that will be sent along with Bartlett Fire District paramedics whenever an emergency dispatcher determines that a patient may be suffering from a stroke. While stroke is the leading cause of disability and fifth leading cause of death in the U.S., studies have determined that early intervention can improve patient outcomes, according to the fire district. The specialized equipment and personnel on the Mobile Stroke Unit allow the team to quickly diagnose a stroke on-site and coordinate electronically with a Northwestern Medicine neurologist to immediately begin treatment.  

The Illinois Labor Relations Board has ruled in favor of the Mattoon Fire Department over a dispute about privatizing ambulance service. The fire department operated an advanced life support ambulance service from 2010 to 2018. The Mattoon City Council voted to eliminate it as a cost savings measure. The Mattoon Firefighters Association, Local 691 ?filed a grievance, saying the adoption of the resolution violated its collective bargaining agreement. In a 21-page ruling, the board says the ambulance service should return as it operated in 2018. The city can appeal the ruling.  

PHOTO: A truck driven by a Texas man was damaged by fire along the interstate at Effingham Thursday morning. Effingham firefighters were called to the scene at the US Route 45 interchange along northbound I-57/eastbound I-70 at 7:39am. Effingham Assistant Fire Chief Matt Kulesza said the unit was a dually pickup truck pulling a trailer carrying a sea/land container with construction tools inside. The driver, from Hurst, Texas, got out of the vehicle unharmed. The vehicle is owned by Direct and Direct Tranport of St. Louis, MO. Kulesza said the unit had left St. Louis Thursday morning and was traveling to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  

A firefighter was injured Wednesday while battling a residential fire in the 1000 block of South Third Avenue. The firefighter was taken to a local hospital and was receiving treatment, Kankakee Fire Chief Damon Schuldt said. Firefighters were called to the multi-story residence at about 9:05 a.m. Schuldt said there was extensive damage to the attic with some damage to the first floor. The home appeared to not be occupied, Schuldt said. The cause remains under investigation.  

VIDEO: More than a hundred residents at a Buckhead apartment complex were displaced after a massive multiple-alarm fire broke out early Wednesday afternoon and quickly engulfed the building. As Chopper46 flew over the Avana on Main Apartments in the 500 block of Main St. N.E., heavy plumes of smoke could be seen billowing from the building as flames raged out of control. Multiple sections of the building's upper level collapsed during the blaze that started as a 2-alarm fire, but was later upgraded to a 3-alarm fire. Investigators are still working to determine what caused the fire, but some residents who evacuated told CBS46's Adam Murphy that at least one air-conditioning unit exploded on the roof of the building. They believe that A/C unit then caught on fire, and caused a chain reaction, setting more HVAC units on fire. Other residents told Murphy they heard a loud bang followed by the sound of multiple explosions.  

A new sense of urgency is emerging to get Seattle firefighters the gear they need at riots and other scenes of violence. Crews are being called upon to take bigger risks to help people who are hurt and this equipment is one way to keep them safe. "We're trying to be able to have every single firefighter be able to be protected," said Debbie Steinhauer, founder and president of the Seattle Fire Foundation. The nonprofit foundation is raising money to purchase specially designed ballistic vests and helmets for fire crews. The protective gear is lined with pockets to carry life-saving medical equipment. It also helps first responders feel a little more safe when there is a gunman on the loose or a riot underway. "This is the right tool to help us provide medical care to someone in need," said Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins. The deadly shootings in Lake City in March 2019 sparked the effort to secure this gear and the fire department now has 70 sets of vests and helmets.  

Alarms were going off for some Chicago firefighters this week. First, there was a COVID-19 outbreak at the Quinn Fire Academy, and now, hundreds are expected to gather in one spot to take a test. As CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reported Wednesday, some firefighters believe their safety is being put at risk, as well as the safety of the public they serve when it comes to potentially contracting and then spreading coronavirus. It is a concern that Mayor Lori Lightfoot does not share. Over the next three days, about 1,000 Chicago firefighters will head inside McCormick Place to take tests determining if they can be promoted. That is not including the 100-plus firefighters who took the chief's test on Wednesday. These are all make-up exams after a technical fiasco caused them to be canceled in January. But some firefighters said giving the tests now is dangerous.  

When American Girl, the maker of American Girl Dolls, announced its "Heroes With Heart" contest to honor frontline workers, one girl knew exactly who to nominate. April O'Quinn, an EMT with the Richmond Ambulance Authority, was nominated by her niece, Lacey. Families were asked to nominate a hero who makes a difference in their lives and goes "above and beyond." Nominators like Lacey had to submit a photo and answer how their nominee was supporting the community by late June. Last month, O'Quinn received an exciting phone call from her niece — letting her know she was one of five heroes who won the contest. "Lacey was on the other side screaming that we had won! I was in shock. I didn't know what to say so instead I cried for her," O'Quinn said. "The excitement and smiles as she opened her hero doll was all worth it."  

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread so rapidly since the first U.S. case was reported Jan. 20 that it's now the third-leading cause of death in the country, Thomas Frieden, MD, former director of the CDC, told CNN. "COVID is now the number 3 cause of death in the U.S. -- ahead of accidents, injuries, lung disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and many, many other causes," Frieden said. The CDC says heart disease and cancer are the first and second leading causes of death. The coronavirus has caused more than 170,000 deaths in the United States and has been taking more than 1,000 lives weekly for several weeks, Frieden said. "Last week, Americans were 8 times more likely to get killed by COVID than were Europeans," he said. The number of deaths -- and cases -- in the United States may be undercounted because not enough people are tested, experts have said.