There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among first responders in Sangamon County. But, that is not stopping local police and fire departments from taking precautions ranging from adjustments to department policies and procedures to quarantining first responders displaying any signs of illness. This latter step of self-quarantine has been utilized by at least three Sangamon County law enforcement agencies as they seek to keep their ranks healthy amid the pandemic. Springfield Fire Chief Allen Reyne, one of the leaders of the county's COVID-19 emergency response team, said they have "thought of the worst case scenario" of a police or fire department's ranks being depleted by a cluster of cases. But, he declined to discuss those plans in detail. To prevent it from getting to that point, some local departments instituted new protocols.  

From the South Side of Chicago to the western suburbs, from robot makers to design companies, businesses across the area are reprogramming their machines to make personal protective equipment (PPE) for first responders and medical professionals. They're doing what they can to help as COVID-19 eats up resources across the country. CBS 2 Morning Insider Tim McNicholas shows us how it all comes together. The team at Bridgewater Studio thinks up designs for storefront displays and museum exhibits; from the Shedd Aquarium, to Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles, to Facebook's Chicago office. Their machine at 35th and Paulina cuts out some of the materials needed to build. It's pretty cool, but is it essential? Not if you ask partner Eric Cup. "We do 98% of our production in house so we can pivot manufacturing at a moment's notice," he said.  

People across the Stateline are taking unprecedented steps to protect themselves from the Coronavirus, and that burden is hardest on workers on the front line, like the Rockford Fire Department. "We've just increased that level of questionnaire and following other directions as far as what's the best way to minimize the risk to the emergency responders while keeping that level of service to the citizens," Rockford Fire Chief Derek Bergsten said. The department adopted new procedures for its crews, starting with strict personal protection guidelines, and most recently changing the way crews respond to possible COVID-19 cases. "If you meet the criteria of an illness that we are looking at with specific symptoms we will ask you to come out of your house, our paramedics will give you a mask to place over, over your face," Bergsten said.  

For the first time, Nolan Weddell was going to have an all-kids birthday party and it was going to be held at Elevate Trampoline Park in Peoria. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and recommendations to practice social distancing, his party was canceled. But thanks to the Granville Fire Department, Weddell's eighth birthday will be one to be remembered. Granville fire chief Ron Campbell drove by Weddell's home in Granville late Tuesday morning with sirens blaring and lights flashing. "It made me feel really good and excited," said Weddell, whose 5-year-old brother, Kael, also was excited by the drive by. "His sirens were on and he sang happy birthday to me." The fire truck drive-by was scheduled after the Granville Fire Department Facebook page posted Monday evening that it would offer the birthday celebrations.  

Mayor Jack Young will give employees in the city a stipend to ease financial burdens as they continue to work during the coronavirus pandemic. The COVID-19 Pandemic Mission Critical Stipend will be meant for "frontline public-facing employees" including firefighters, EMTs and police officers. They will receive an extra $200 bi-weekly. He said other "mission critical employees will receive an additional $100 bi-weekly. "It is critical that we provide any relief we can to our front line employees to ease burdens at home while they continue to go to work on behalf of the city and its residents," Mayor Young said. The stipend becomes effective on Monday, March 30, and will be on employees' first scheduled payroll checks.  

With the number of people in the city testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) growing by the day -- 84 members of the FDNY have tested positive for the virus, according to an FDNY spokesman. The number of FDNY employees who have tested positive has almost doubled since yesterday, when FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro stated during an interview on Fox News that 46 members had tested positive for coronavirus. According to a spokesman for the FDNY, the department has taken several countermeasures to ensure that the virus isn't transmitted. Firefighters in each firehouse are broken up into four shifts. Each shift will work a 24-hour tour and each firefighter will only work with those people who are on their shift in order to avoid transmission of the virus.  

VIDEO: The New Haven Fire Department has a new weapon in the war against Covid-19. The department purchased an AeroClave device, which is a fogging system that disinfects on contact. "We are using it for firefighters or medics that go into a building of potential exposure. When they come out, we can actually decontaminate the firefighters gear and spray the firefighter right down on scene," said Mark Vendetto, Assistant Chief Operations with the New Haven Fire Department. It takes about three minutes for the machine to disinfect an ambulance. Assistant Chief Vendetto said, "right now we are doing routine cleaning around all the fire stations around the city, including our emergency operations center, also including our 911 center." The department bought it in response to COVID-19.  

Kentucky firefighters say they struggle still to get COVID-19 tests and don't get workers' compensation for missed days while self-quarantining or waiting for test results. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announced Tuesday a Louisville firefighter was the first to test positive for the coronavirus. The man is self-isolating at home, Fischer said. But the firefighter was fortunate. He got tested almost immediately because of a relationship with a physician who waived the Centers for Disease Control guidelines restricting who can be tested due to limited test kits available nationwide, said Joe Baer, the president of the Kentucky Professional Firefighters Association. The group represents 44 unions and 3,000 professional firefighters statewide.  

Mansfield Fire Chief Steve Strickling has issued a directive to his employees to limit their exposure working at other jobs, including township fire departments and hospitals, for the time being due to COVID-19 concerns. Strickling said he does not know the exact number of his employees who work elsewhere too but said "there are quite a few." He asked his employees, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics to devote their interest to their primary job for now. The directive raised concerns for firefighters union, said Scott Miller, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local 266. "Obviously it's a very significant decision by the chief and the administration and the union feels it affects the bargaining union and the administration to negotiate and bargain those terms," he said.