MURPHYSBORO, IL (KFVS) - The public is invited to the Memorial Hospital of Carbondale "Disaster Blaster" Open House at Southern Illinois Airport on Thursday, May 16.

The airport is located at 508 North Airport Road in Murphysboro. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Memorial Hospital of Carbondale is the Regional Hospital Coordinating Center for Illinois EMS Region 5, and provides support services to 23 hospitals in 22 counties in times of emergency or disaster, according to Southern Illinois Healthcare.

The airport site serves as base camp for Memorial Hospital's disaster preparedness units.

It houses 18 "Disaster Blaster" multi-functional mobile trailers.

The trailers are used as support services, such as a 300-bed field hospital.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (KFVS) - Illinois Department of Public Health is offering recommendations tor avoiding Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, tularemia and ehrlichiosis.

As the weather warms up and people spend more time outdoors, it’s important to take precautions against tick bites and the illnesses they can carry.

According to health officials, tickborne diseases can cause mild symptoms, severe infections requiring hospitalization and even death. 

Last year in Illinois, preliminary numbers show 50 cases of ehrlichiosis, four cases of tularemia, 204 cases of Lyme disease and 151 cases of Rock Mountain spotted fever, which included one death.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (KFVS) - As summer approaches, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is reminding parents and caregivers to constantly supervise children when they are near water.

According to DCFS, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional deaths for children ages one through four in the U.S. It claimed the lives of 21-Illinois children last year.

“It doesn't matter who you are or how many safety precautions were set in place beforehand. When a child is unsupervised, these tragedies happen in moments,” said Richard H. Calica, Director of DCFS.  “Stepping away to answer the phone, turning your back for a second or becoming distracted by other kids is a gamble with a child’s life.” 

DCFS officials say Inadequate supervision, which includes childhood drowning, was the third-leading cause of all child deaths indicated by DCFS last year.