Archive for March 15th, 2023

Multiple fatal fire in Chicago, 3-7-23 (more)

Excerpts from nbcchicago.com:

In the last hours of her life, Summer Day-Stewart’s family held on to one consolation. Plans were made to donate her organs and those of her three young children who died in a house fire last week. Doctors said at least eight life-saving transplants would be performed.

Summer’s husband Walter, a Chicago firefighter, gave his wife CPR, but fire officials said her injuries and those of their children were too severe. 

Ezra, the middle child, had been diagnosed with autism and did not speak. But he always had a smile on his face.

Emory, the youngest, was just a toddler but already loved fire trucks and wanted to be just like his father.

Day-Stewart had close friends across the country, and memorials to the family are in the works in Chicago, Oregon, and California. 

The Chicago firefighters union is collecting donations for the family as well.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Decatur Fire Department news

Excerpts from wandtv.com:

The Decatur Fire Department responded to a record-breaking 13,108 calls in 2022.

EMS calls made up about three-quarters of all alarms in 2022. The chief is working with the 911 dispatch center on a system to triage medical calls, with the goal of only having firefighters respond to the most serious incidents.

Ten years ago, there were about 121 firefighters serving the city. Today they’re down to 105.

The fire union, Local 505, is also calling for more prevention efforts, which used to be done by city fire inspectors. The union is currently in negotiations with the city over its contract, and is now in its third year of working without one.

Tags: ,