It was a painful vote, but the Peoria City Council told its city manager to look at ways to cut $10 million in expenses that would mostly come in layoffs or furloughs. By a 7-4 vote, the council took the first step to addressing the massive budget shortfalls that have been caused due to the coronavirus crisis. Voting no were Rita Ali, Beth Jensen, Chuck Grayeb and Jim Montelongo. What will happen now is that City Manager Patrick Urich and his staff will analyze how to make the cuts. As council member John Kelly said, "plan for the worst and hope for the best." But it wasn't clear what those cuts would look like. While a majority of the council approved the idea of $10 million in operational cuts, there was no consensus on what those cuts should look like.  

Like a lot of people his age, the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks inspired Ryan Ahlemeyer to become a firefighter. "I was in high school at that time," he recalled. "I joined the fire service a year after graduation, when I was 19." A Cahokia native, Ahlemeyer graduated from Cahokia High School in 2003; he graduated from McKendree University in 2008 then again in 2010. For the past 16 years, Ahlemeyer, 34, has worked for the Cahokia Fire Protection District, where he's served as a lieutenant and a captain. He was promoted to assistant chief in January 2019. He also worked as a firefighter at the St. Louis Downtown Airport as a part-time firefighter in 2015 for about 18 months.  

Firefighters were working to put out hot spots late Tuesday night after a building caught fire in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The fire broke out in the building at 4138 W. Madison St. Officials said the building was an abandoned funeral home. Officials said the building is vacant, but the blaze spread to the building next door. As of 10 p.m., no injuries had been reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation late Tuesday.  

No one was injured Tuesday in a fire that left a Ringwood home uninhabitable, officials say. The McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded about 5:30 p.m. for a reported riding lawn mower on fire next to a garage in the 4900 block of Patty Lane, according to a news release. When firefighters arrived, smoke and fire were visible in the the one-story, single-family home. Fire officials learned that the blaze had spread quickly to house and into the attic, according to the release. The building was searched for any residents inside and officials confirmed that everyone had safely exited. A crew cut two holes in the roof to confine fire in the attic space. A MABAS Box Alarm was initially requested because the neighborhood in which the fire took place does not have fire hydrants, according to the release.  

The University of Nebraska Medical Center has signed an agreement with a New York-based testing company to provide large-scale antibody testing, the kind intended to determine whether a person has been infected with the novel coronavirus. The partnership between UNMC and COVAXX, a subsidiary of United Biomedical, launched with last week's testing of Omaha firefighters. "There is an immediate need in the United States to provide trusted lab-based antibody testing and processing on a massive scale to help our society develop important strategies against COVID-19, so that our communities can return to work safely and with confidence," Dr. Jeffrey Gold, UNMC's chancellor, said in a statement. "We are pleased to partner with COVAXX for this important work." The intent is to provide large-scale testing — expected to begin "in the very near future" — for other health care workers, first responders, members of the military, schools, ag enterprises, businesses and other groups across communities in Nebraska and throughout the United States, according to university officials.  

What is red and white and shows up with flashing lights and sirens sounding in times of need? The answer is York Ambulance Association, celebrating its 48th year serving the communities of York, South Berwick and Rollinsford, New Hampshire. May 17-23 is national EMS Awareness Week, which, according to the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians' website, "brings together local communities and medical personnel to honor the dedication of those who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services of medicine's ‘front line.'" The YAA wants to remind people that it continues to provide emergency medical services to residents in need and raise awareness of the services provided. "People see the ambulance and assume we're part of the hospital or the fire department," said YAA Board member Marc Alterio.  

The call comes over their radio — the patient is having trouble breathing, they need an ambulance. Then, "call the center for special patient information," says a Westmoreland 911 dispatcher. The paramedics know it's likely they're heading toward the invisible threat that everyone else is trying to stay away from — the coronavirus. But for a few at Mutual Aid in Greensburg, the potential danger doesn't faze them. "At this point, we get the information and we go," paramedic Shawn Penzera said. "You just take the necessary precautions. We've done a great job so far." Paramedics and EMTs across the state for two months have been on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, connecting those in need of treatment with hospitals. Many say it's all part of the job — the increased measures and gear necessary to keep themselves and patients safe amid a trying time.  

Facing criticism from the Mansfield firefighters union, the city announced Tuesday that two fire stations will not be closed at the same time when not enough personnel are available to work. "Speaking to the mayor, he would prefer to have one maximum closed," said Safety-Service Director Lori Cope, referring to Mayor Tim Theaker. The city, facing a 20% reduction in revenue due to the pandemic, last week ordered the fire department to eliminate "non-emergency" overtime, which halted the practice of backfilling positions so that at least 19 personnel were on duty across all five stations. Firefighters and paramedics were routinely paid overtime to fill in for others who were out sick or on vacation, which Theaker has claimed costs the city about $80,000 a month. Station No. 2 on Brookwood Way has been closed for three days and operated at half capacity on Monday because there had been less than 16 personnel on duty.  

As one of the country's first cities impacted by COVID-19, Kirkland was initially given the undesirable distinction of being the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States. Yet, the way in which the city has handled the crisis has garnered positive press, launching Kirkland into the spotlight as a role model. Mayor Penny Sweet says that her city's response has been a natural progression, and she feels grateful for the solid infrastructure that was already in place. "We were fortunate that it hit a city with an established emergency medical system," Sweet said. Even after a significant number of firefighters were forced to quarantine at home, there was never a time when Kirkland didn't have a full response team available.