The DeKalb Fire Department saw a decrease in the number of calls for emergency services in 2020 due to COVID-19, Fire Chief Jeff McMaster said at Monday's City Council meeting. McMaster presented the annual report for 2020 for the DeKalb Fire Department at Monday's meeting. He said members of the DeKalb Fire Department were fully committed to serving the community in 2020, which was a "mysterious and challenging time." "Twenty-twenty was a year that everybody will remember, and at times, want to forget," McMaster said. "What was remarkable about 2020 was how our community rallied around each other from every angle." In 2020, the Fire Department responded to 6,325 requests for emergency services, a decrease of 343 calls compared to 2019, which saw 6,668 calls, according to the May 24 City Council agenda.  

Authorities in Berwyn responded to an explosion and gas leak Tuesday afternoon in an empty office building across the street from MacNeal Hospital. No injuries were reported, and police said the explosion was determined to be accidental. Crews were called at 2:05 p.m. to the explosion in the 3300 block of Oak Park Avenue, police said in a statement posted to Facebook. The office building was leased to MacNeal Hospital, according to a hospital spokeswoman. A sign on the front of the building read "MacNeal human resources." Firefighters were working to "extinguish fires and contain an active gas leak," police said. Surrounding buildings were evacuated. Video from a news helicopter showed fire crews spraying water in a building adjacent to the Familia Fresh Market. Debris appeared to be strewn along the sidewalk outside the building.  

VIDEO: The Naperville Fire Department will honor fallen firefighters at a memorial service this week. The "Ladder of Light" memorial was dedicated in December. The ladder illustrates a firefighter climbing a ladder that can only be seen at night, when beams of blue light shine from beneath the base. The ceremony will be held at Thursday at 8 p.m. at 1072 W. Jefferson Ave. at the city's new "Ladder of Light" sculpture.  

The Joliet Fire Department will be honored by the Chicago White Sox today. Joliet Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Carey tells WJOL that when he called for tickets the White Sox would not take their money and gave them free tickets. The Joliet Fire Department and their volunteers who helped administer vaccines at Joliet West High School will be honored for their efforts during the 3rd inning. Since February of this year, volunteers at Joliet West administered more than 60,000 vaccines. More than 80 volunteers to include nurses, retirees and fire fighters will be in attendance for today's game at 1:10 p.m. The Lion Bus Company is offering their services to drive them to the game today. Carey says this will be a good time for Cubs fans to cheer the White Sox as they play the Cardinals. A win would help in the Cubs division.  

It's unclear what caused an overnight fire in East Peoria, that left seven people displaced. The call came in around 1 a.m. Wednesday in the 100 block of Anderson Avenue. Assistant Fire Chief Garry Grugan said residents of the home were outside when crews arrived, but firefighters had to rescue 11 cats and dogs. The fire was under control in about 10 minutes. Several departments were called to help fight the fire or cover the East Peoria Fire Station. The Red Cross and family members provided temporary housing for the family. Damage was estimated at $50,000.  

VIDEO: A firefighting helicopter crashed into a marsh near Leesburg Airport in during a training exercise around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The Leesburg Police Department said the four people on board were from a company called Firehawk Helicopters, a fire suppression company. One person has been confirmed dead. At this time, no other survivors have been found. The FAA and NTSB are investigating. A spokesperson with the Leesburg Police department said witnesses saw the helicopter go into a tailspin and at some point the tail broke off from the main body. The helicopter then went into the woods, where a fire started. Most of the fire from the crash was under control as of 9 p.m. Tuesday. US forestry officials were on the scene, plowing a line around the scene to prevent any vegetation fires. FFA has been notified of the crash and will start their investigation Wednesday, officials said.  

VIDEO: The first responders who warned Selden residents after sirens failed during Monday's tornado saved lives, an official said Tuesday. A power outage caused the city's sirens to fail just moments before the tornado hit town. Sheridan County Fire Department Capt. Micah Goscha and two other volunteer firefighters acted as the backup warning, driving around town in two fire trucks and using the PA system and sirens to tell people to take shelter. Sheridan County officials reported the tornado hit around 6:30 p.m. Monday, tearing off roofs, crumbling the stone and brick walls of downtown buildings, uprooting trees and crushing at least one farm silo. It damaged most of the buildings in the town of 200-plus people in northwest Kansas. The only reported injury was minor, and involved a volunteer firefighter who was out warning people to take cover. Goscha was in a fire truck near downtown when something hit the vehicle. It broke the back window and a side window, causing minor injuries.  

VIDEO: A fire broke out at a liquor store early Wednesday in Compton, officials reported. The fire erupted about 5:45 a.m. at the liquor store located at 2430 E. Alondra Blvd., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Video from Sky5 showed firefighters battling the blaze from outside of the building, with flames and smoking emanating from the roof. No injuries were reported.  

VIDEO: Firefighters raced to the scene of a north Austin city-owned warehouse fire on the afternoon of May 6, arriving within five minutes of the first call. But it wasn't until a third alarm unit arrived a little over an hour later that crews were told the smoke swirling around the warehouse could be laced with asbestos, according to internal city documents obtained by KXAN that reveal new details of the incident that potentially exposed 115 firefighters and civilians to the cancer-causing building material. After battling the fire at the corner of Blackson Avenue and the North Interstate 35 service road, those 115 city employees were sent to get chest X-rays as a precautionary measure in case they later develop health problems, according to an AFD spokesperson. In May, the city's payroll had just over 600 firefighters. The city had been aware of the asbestos in the warehouse since at least 2013.  

As the employment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) increases, a recent report has named North Dakota as the state most prepared for commercial drone use. North Dakota has dedicated time and money to researching, designing, and providing the necessary tools for widespread drone use. UAVs can be deployed very effectively for a broad range of applications, including aerial imaging, emergency rescue, and delivery of goods, but, in some cases, legal issues have slowed their adoption. North Dakota's state laws for drone users, together with its pioneering UAV network, mean that it is ready for widespread commercial drone use in the near future. Its residents have already benefited from a pilot scheme for delivery of essential items, and, with drone technology to survey specific sites, a range of essential industries and emergency services are being served.