Archive for category Coronavirus

 Peoria Fire Department news

Excerpts from CentralIllinoisproud.com:

For four days this week, the Peoria Fire Department said it’ll temporarily suspend service to Engine Company 2, which is out of Station #8 located on Hurlburt Street because staff have been affected by COVID-19, leaving the station empty-handed.

The temporary suspension runs from Dec. 22-25, but Battalion Chief Jim Bachman said there are no guarantees that the time frame will not expand. Engine Company 2 returned to service on Nov. 1 after the remainder of the existing operational budget for 2021 showed enough funds to bring the engine back into service. Bachman is confident that no matter what happens, the engine will be recommissioned in 2022.

Despite continuously monitoring their operational finances to stay within budget, Fire Administration said there were some unexpected expenses.

Residents will continue to receive service from the 11 fire stations within city limits.

“Regardless of how many people live in that area, I’m confident that the fire department can make whatever adjustments they have to so that when backups from other stations are needed, they are in a position to make those things happen in a timely manner,” said Jackson.

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Chicago Fire Department news (more)

Excerpts from Fox32chicago.com:

An arbitrator has ruled that several unions representing Chicago firefighters and other city employees must follow Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s COVID-19 vaccination policy. The ruling means that the union employees will lose pay if they do not receive a first shot by Dec. 31. They must get a second shot by Jan. 31 if they choose a two-dose vaccine.

The ruling issued Wednesday applies to the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 21, Service Employees International Union Local 73, Teamsters Local 700, and Coalition of Unionized Public Employees.

The ruling does not apply to members of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, which has been engaged in a bitter battle with the mayor over the mandate. A Cook County judge suspended the Dec. 31 vaccination deadline for police and sent the issue to arbitration, which begins Dec. 27.

 

The city’s law department praised Wednesday’s decision, which comes after dozens of firefighters and paramedics who defied the reporting requirement were placed on no-pay status and sent home.

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Chicago Fire Department news (more)

Excerpts from Fox32chicago.com:

A federal judge on Friday denied a motion by 130 Chicago firefighters and other city employees to temporarily halt enforcement of the city’s requirement that all its workers report whether they’ve received the COVID-19 vaccination or risk being put on no-pay status.

During an hourlong hearing, U.S. District Judge John Lee methodically dismantled arguments made in the lawsuit. He said, for example, that he saw no evidence that either Mayor Lori Lightfoot or Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker exceeded their authority by imposing mandates earlier this year to slow the spread of the deadly virus.

The judge also pointed to a host of problems and shortcomings in the lawsuit, including what he said was a lack of scientific evidence to support the contention that the natural immunity for people who have had the virus is superior to the protection from the vaccine.

Lee said employees were making the same arguments that the Chicago-based 7th Circuit Court of appeals rejected just this summer when it ruled that Indiana University could proceed with its plan to require students and employees to get vaccinated for the virus. And he said the court had rejected the argument made by the students and the city employees that forcing them to receive an unwanted medical treatment was a violation of their constitutional rights.

While the judge said attorneys for the city employees had shown a likelihood that they would ultimately be successful in any of their claims, he did not dismiss the lawsuit and told the attorneys to return by the end of next week to provide more information.

Lee’s ruling comes amid a heated battle over the vaccine mandate ordered by Lightfoot, with the police officers’ union arguing she has no right to penalize officers who defy it.

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Chicago Fire Department news (more)

Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:

Michael Pickering, a 45-year-old veteran Chicago firefighter, died from COVID-19 complications Friday morning. Pickering, who joined the Chicago Fire Department in 2003 and was assigned to Engine 29 in the Bridgeport neighborhood, is the fourth member of the department to die from complications of the virus.

His relatives said he got sick a few weeks ago and was eventually hospitalized and placed on a respirator. It’s unclear how he contracted the virus. Pickering, who is also a father to two teenage girls, was escorted Friday afternoon by honor procession to the funeral home where his sacrifice was honored. 

On April 7, 2020, Mario Araujo became the first member of the fire department to die from the virus. Firefighter Edward Singleton died a week later from COVID-19 complications. In December, Paramedic Robert Truevillian died from the virus. 

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Chicago Fire Department news (more)

From CFD Media on Twitter:

The Chicago Fire Department asks that everyone keep Firefighter Michael Pickering, his colleagues, and especially his family in their prayers.

Chicago Firefighter Michael Pickering age 45, of ENGINE 29 passed away after contracting COVID-19.

CFD Media photo

Chicago Firefighter Michael Pickering age 45, of ENGINE 29 passed away after contracting COVID-19.

CFD Media photo

Chicago Firefighter Michael Pickering age 45, of ENGINE 29 passed away after contracting COVID-19.

CFD Media photo

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Chicago Fire Department news

From CFD Media on Twitter:

Firefighter Michael Pickering age 45, of ENGINE 29 passed away after contracting COVID-19. This will be deemed a Line of Duty Death (LODD) His body will have a full ceremonial escort from McNeal Hospital to Hann Funeral Home at 82nd and Harlem shortly after noon today.

Firefighter Michael Pickering age 45, of ENGINE 29 passed away after contracting COVID-19

Firefighter Michael Pickering age 45, of ENGINE 29 passed away after contracting COVID-19

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Fire service news – Coronavirus COVID-19

Excerpts from wcia.com:

Fire departments in central Illinois have created contingency plans in case firefighters are infected with coronavirus.

This week twelve Springfield firefighters contracted COVID-19, including Chief Allen Reyne. The outbreak within the department caused a total of 37 firefighters to isolate or quarantine. The outbreak was traced back to a house party. Reyne said, “Once you get two or three positives, now you have to look back through contact tracing, who worked with who, what calls they ran together. We’ve done that over the last few days. At one point, we were at 48. Pretty quickly, we got that number down to 37.” Despite the big setback the department is still running on a full staff. But with fewer firefighters available, they are racking up the overtime.

The Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal shares daily stats on how COVID-19 has affected departments in Illinois. Champaign Fire Deputy Chief Tyler Funk said, “Since March 17th, there have been 2,039 firefighters that have been directly affected by this COVID-19 virus, and it effects 182 fire departments across the state. Those numbers include firefighters that have either been placed into quarantine or have tested positive.”

The pandemic has forced departments to prepare if exposure happens in their areas. In June, a Champaign firefighter had to isolate after testing positive for COVID-19. Twelve other firefighters self-quarantined as well. The department has made adjustments to adapt to the health and safety risks since the pandemic started. Funk said, “We’re doing symptom based checks in the morning before they enter the workplace. We’re obviously wearing masks and staying socially distant within the department.”

Smaller villages, like Tolono, have a volunteer department. They have also made changes to operations. Assistant Chief Chris Humer said, “Not as many responders will go inside of a house, for your average medical call, it may just be one or two.” With nineteen firefighters on their force, they can not afford a significant loss in staff. “We have contingency plans set up with mutual aid departments, such as Savoy. We’re in constant contact with their administrative team as well, consistently talking about staffing levels,” said Humer.

Both large and small fire departments have similar plans for coronavirus outbreaks. If they can’t make up for a loss in staff with their own firefighters, they have agreements with nearby departments for mutual aid.

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Elgin Fire Department news

Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:

Elgin firefighters went above and beyond to lift the spirits of a patient at a suburban rehabilitation hospital.

The only way for patients to visit with family members at that the Avondale Estates facility is to do so through a window, which makes Mary Moore’s third-floor room a big hurdle. She has been suffering from serious respiratory illness and transferred there  this week. She’s the matriarch of a large, tightly-knit family. Concerned relatives flew in from around the country to see her, except they weren’t really going to be able to see much looking up from the parking lot. When Elgin’s fire chief heard about it, he offered the solution; a ladder truck to bring them to the window.

The family kept the visit a secret, waiting to just appear in front of her window Thursday afternoon – and the reaction was worth it.

While her family was only here to visit Mary Moore, administrators said everybody in the facility got a boost at a time when many may need it the most.

“It’s not something we can do every day, take another ladder truck out of service,” Elgin Fire Chief Robb Cagann said. “But the circumstances around this particular situation gave us the opportunity to do it and we thought it warranted our ability to do that.”

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Fire service news – Coronavirus COVID-19 (more)

Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:

A somber ceremony honored Mario Araujo, the first Chicago firefighter EMT to die from the coronavirus. His colleagues saluted, his family was honored as they and mourn a loss due to COVID-19 that thousands of others have endured in our state.

Inside the fire academy, Araujo’s mother and family watched his badge, number 5186, be enshrined in the building itself, his sacrifice honored. And it’s not just at the training academy. Araujo is now also honored along the lakefront at the firefighter EMT memorial for all to see. His name is now etched in brick alongside his fallen brother and sister firefighters, now forever part of the city he loved.

From CFD media on Twitter:

Firefighter/EMT Mario Araujo was honored today at the Quinn Fire Academy. FF Araujo was the first member of CFD to succumb to the deadly coronavirus in April. Mario’s service and dedication will always be remembered.

brick to honor the memory of fallen Chicago Firefighter/EMT Mario Araujo

CFD Media photo

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Fire service news – Coronavirus COVID-19

Excerpts from NBCchicago.com:

At least 94 employees of the Chicago Fire Department have tested positive for the coronavirus, of those, 18 members have already returned to duty. Nineteen are being quarantined after being exposed to someone with COVID-19.

On Monday, CFD buried Mario Araujo, the first member of the department to die from the coronavirus.

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