Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly and Statewide 911 Administrator Cindy Barbera-Brelle announced Wednesday the state's intent to move forward with a new 911 system known as Next Generation 911 network. The announcement of an intent to award a contract to AT&T is expected to lead to a system that will allow for video sharing and text messages to be sent to 911 telecommunicators, according to St. Clair County 911 Director Herb Simmons. "I think it's going to give our 911 telecommunicators the tools to have a lot more available information at their to fingertips to relay to our first responders," he said. Simmons said the ability to send a text message could be helpful in some situations. He cited a scenario where an intruder is inside a home and the victim is concerned about being heard making a phone call.  

VIDEO: Friends and family are remembering firefighter Kody Vanfossan who died while serving on the frontlines. For the second year in a row, the Christopher Fire Department had a memorial parade. Vanfossan died in 2019 while fighting a structure fire with his father Brent Vanfossan in downtown Christopher. Brent tells News 3 what he misses most about his son. "Besides his smart-aleck attitude, it's him being by my side to fight fires with me," he said. About one dozen fire engines and ambulances from Southern Illinois joined together for a parade through the city and stopped at St. Andrew Catholic cemetery, where prayers, kind words and tears were shed as they reflected on his life. "Respect, honor and tradition is a big thing in the fire service. And unfortunately, Kody lost his life in the line of duty, so therefore, respect his memory, honor his memory, and keep the tradition alive of all of that," said Vanfossan's best friend, Travis Skinner.  

Four people are displaced after a duplex in the 3000 block of Broadway Street catches fire early Thursday morning. According to the Rockford Fire Department, smoke and flames were coming from the building when crews arrived just after 1:30 a.m. and all four people living in the duplex escaped safely. The cause of the fire has been deemed incendiary, anyone with information is encouraged to contact Rockford Area Crime Stoppers. The estimated damage from the fire is $40,000 and the Red Cross is assisting those displaced; half of the building has been condemned due to the fire. An investigation into the fire has been opened.  

VIDEO: Service along multiple Long Island Rail Road lines was suspended Thursday morning between Hicksville and Mineola after a fire ripped through a large Westbury recycling facility overnight. Nassau County Traffic Management and the LIRR confirmed fire department activity on Grand Boulevard between Monitor Street to Broadway just before 9 p.m. Wednesday, with drivers told to expect delays. The massive five-alarm blaze was still burning early Thursday at the 500,000 square-foot plant as firefighters tried to put out all the flames. Westbury Fire Department Chief Kenneth Gass Jr. said the blaze is something that cannot be remedied in a day as far as full extinguishment. Portions of the building have collapsed and parts of the roof have collapsed, according to the fire chief. "The entire building is compromised," he said. Officials confirmed Thursday morning there appeared to be no injuries.  

Clark County Fire District 6 officials say it's the deadliest job in America: towing disabled cars off the side of the freeway. In just the past few months, three tow truck drivers were in serious crashes in southwest Washington. "I think people have been cooped up for so long that they really want to get out and get going and we've noticed it," said David Schmitke, the public information officer and public education coordinator for CCFD6. On Wednesday, people from AAA Washington, WSP, WSDOT, and local towing companies came together to shoot a public service announcement to remind drivers of the law: to slow down and move over. "For me, if people don't do it, we don't get to go home. We've had too many operators hit, a couple struck and killed lately in our local area," said Jake Beals with Triple J Towing. "We want to go home to our families, too. If you don't slow down and move over, there needs to be penalties. And it's not the lives of us that needs to be penalized."  

Governor Ron DeSantis announced one-time pandemic bonuses for about 174,000 first responders in Florida Wednesday. DeSantis says the $1,000 bonuses will be given to law enforcement officers, paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and firefighters. "Supporting our law enforcement and first responders has been a top priority for my administration, and it has never been more important than over the last year. As a state, we are grateful for their continued service to our communities," said Governor Ron DeSantis. "This one-time bonus is a small token of appreciation, but we can never go far enough to express our gratitude for their selflessness." "When the coronavirus came to Florida, our first responders worked overtime to protect our communities and get people the care they so desperately needed," said Florida Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis.  

The State Fire Marshal closed 53 cases of arson in 2020, and the office is working to make that number go down. The United States Fire Administration says that over 210,000 fires every year are classified as arson. Those cases also result in 375 civilian deaths, 1,300 civilian injuries, and $1 billion in property damage. Firefighters go through particular training to deal with arson cases. Sometimes fires are set to mask other crimes, according to John High from the University of Illinois Fire Institute. He helps train firefighters to spot other hazards that can come with dealing with arson. The Illinois State Fire Marshal is encouraging departments to revisit their plans for dealing with Arson. "Arson is a serious crime and I encourage communities and fire departments to work together to help raise awareness to prevent these fires that are costing people their lives and needlessly putting firefighters in dangerous situations. If you see something, say something," said Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez.  

With demand for coronavirus vaccines declining in parts of the country, the Biden administration announced a change in strategy this week, adopting a more targeted approach for reaching America's not-yet-vaccinated population. Despite the nation's relatively smooth and speedy rollout, there's still a lot of work to do—and a fair amount of doubt, per the week's reports on herd immunity, that it'll get done. As of May 5, 148.6 million Americans, or 44.7% of the total population, had received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine, up from 142.7 million a week ago, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That relatively small change is dwarfed by the increase in the number of fully vaccinated individuals in the past week: 107.3 million Americans, which includes 70.1% of seniors, 41.3% of adults, and 32.3% of the total population have been fully vaccinated, up from 98 million last week.