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Archive for category CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)

 Peoria Fire Department news

Dec 22

Posted by Admin in Coronavirus, CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19), Fire Department News | Comments off

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)

Dec 17

Posted by Admin in Coronavirus, CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19), Fire Department News | Comments off

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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Evanston Fire Department news

Nov 10

Posted by Admin in CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19), Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from Chicago.cbslocal.com:

The City of Evanston announced Tuesday that it has secured memoranda of understanding with its police and firefighter unions with regard to a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for city staff.

The policy, which goes into effect Monday, Nov. 15, requires all Evanston city employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or to submit negative test results weekly. 

The City of Evanston is still working with the FOP sergeants and the AFSCME union to reach memoranda of understanding on the vaccine mandate.

To the south, a fight over a COVID-19 vaccination mandate continues between the City of Chicago and some municipal employee unions – particularly Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police. City employees who have not been fully vaccinated have the option of being tested twice weekly for COVID-19 through the end of the year, but all city workers must be fully vaccinated by Dec. 31.

However, enforcement of that vaccination deadline for police officers has been put on hold by a Cook County judge.

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Chicago Fire Department news (more)

Nov 1

Posted by Admin in Coronavirus, CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19), Fire Department News | 8 Comments

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)

Oct 11

Posted by Admin in Coronavirus, CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19), Fire Department News, LODD | Comments off

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

Oct 8

Posted by Admin in Coronavirus, CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19), Fire Department News, LODD | 1 Comment

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

Jun 29

Posted by Admin in CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19), Fire Service News | Comments off

Excerpts from wevv.com:

In Illinois, fire departments impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are now eligible to receive $1 million in funding.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal say the grant is meant to help volunteer/combination departments make up for lost revenues due to the lack of fundraising events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to be eligible for the assistance grant the applying fire department must:

  • Be an Illinois combination or volunteer fire department;
  • Operate within a jurisdiction with a population at or less than 7,500 people;
  • Have an approved annual budget at or less than $150,000;
  • Have an OSFM Fire Department Identification Number (FDID); and
  • Be current with their National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) reports at the time of application.

You can find an application for the grant and more information on illinois.gov. 

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Chicago Fire Department news (more)

May 19

Posted by Admin in CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19), Fire Department News, LODD | Comments off

Excerpts from Chicago.cbslocal.com:

Family, friends, and colleagues are remembering Chicago Fire Department paramedic Robert Truevillian, who died of COVID-19 last year. A 20-year CFD veteran, Truevillian worked on Ambulance 71 in the South Deering neighborhood. He had been battling COVID-19 for about a month before he died last December.

Tuesday morning, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and fellow firefighters were on hand as Truevillian’s badge was added to the memorial wall at the Quinn Fire Academy.

Truevillian was 55 years old. He was the third active member of the Chicago Fire Department to die of COVID-19.

From CFD Media on Twitter:

Paramedic in Charge Robert Truevillian was honored and remembered during a badge ceremony today at the Quinn Fire Academy. “True” as he was known, was the third CFD member to have passed due to complications of COVID-19 in December.

Memorial for Chicago FD Paramedic in Charge Robert Truevillian

CFD Media photo

CFD Media photo
CFD Media photo
CFD Media photo
CFD Media photo
CFD Media photo

[Show slideshow]

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Fire service news – Coronavirus COVID-19 (more)

Dec 20

Posted by Admin in CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19), Fire Department News, LODD | 2 Comments

Excerpts from nbcchicago.com:

Chicago FD Paramedic Robert Truevillian, who joined the department in 2000, died from complications of the Covid-19. He was assigned to ambulance 71, which operates out of the firehouse at 10458 S. Hoxie Ave. in South Deering and is the third active CFD member to die from complications of the coronavirus.

On April 7, Mario Araujo became the first fire department member to die from the virus  and  firefighter Edward Singleton died on April 14. 

From CFD Media on Twitter:

Chicago FD Paramedic Robert Truevillian died from complications of Covid-19

Chicago FD Paramedic Robert Truevillian

Sadly we announce the death of CFD PIC Robert Truevillian due to COVID-19. He joined the CFD as a Paramedic in December of 2000. He was assigned to Amb 71, 10458 Hoxie. He becomes the third active duty CFD member to die of COVID-19 complications. God be with him. 

Mourning bunting and station flags at half mast at Engine 81 Amb 71. 105 and Hoxie for PIC Robert Truevillian who died from Covid-19.

Chicago fire station

Mourning bunting and station flags at half mast at Engine 81 Amb 71. 105 and Hoxie for PIC Robert Truevillian who died from Covid-19.

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Does Chicago have a shortage of ambulances? (more)

Nov 18

Posted by Admin in CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19), Fire Department News | 6 Comments

Excerpts from Chicago.cbslocal.com:

On Tuesday night, a whistleblower exposed that a critical shortage of city ambulances has been made worse with the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighty ambulances serve Chicago every day. The paramedics often go from one violent crime scene to another.

“Our ambulances are out there,” said Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 spokesman Pat Quane. “They’re running nonstop, 24/7.”

“They’re doing trauma care – that’s battlefield care,” said Chicago Fire Department Paramedic Field Chief Pat Fitzmaurice. He said the department still does not have enough ambulances. 

For years investigations found chronic concerns with ambulance response times, which he said is a result of the ambulance shortage. One analysis of 700,000 medical 911 calls found in 19 percent of them, it took an ambulance more than seven minutes to get to the scene. Illinois Department of Public Health records show the Chicago Fire Department has committed to a response time goal of six minutes.

Five new ambulances arrived in August 2018 – more than a year Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, “We know that we need more ambulances, and it’s my expectation, when we finalize the new fire contract, there will be more on ambulances coming online.”

The mayor made that comment in December of last year. But the number of new ambulances included in the firefighters’ new contract turned out to be zero.

In a statement, the fire department said they continue to ensure the ambulance fleet meets the needs of residents – which is why the placement of the most recently-added five ambulances was carefully chosen.

thanks Asher

 

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