Preparedness and Communications

Cherokee County officials held a press conference Sunday afternoon, announcing the opening of a shelter at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Newer, high-resolution weather forecast models helped National Weather Service personnel in Buffalo, N.Y., predict when, where and how bad a deadly storm was going to be in Erie County.

Muskogee County, Okla., Emergency Management Director Jeff Smith said compiling the plan and moving it through the approval process was an eight-year ordeal.

Officials from several southeastern North Carolina communities told stories in Raleigh this week about lives still disrupted, damage still unrepaired, and residents moving away to other places on higher ground

Declaring a state of emergency could result in receiving additional aid and assistance for areas that have been severely affected by flooding.

Council members cited concerns with the accuracy of dispatchers and the time taken to answer calls among the reasons for withdrawing from the partnership.

He said he's shepherded legislation that will stop a long-standing practice of raiding fire prevention coffers to pay for wildfire suppression.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin. It is a dangerous drug that when touched or inhaled can cause a deadly reaction.

A new program allows communities to set up what some are calling “mobile Safe Stations,” a nod to the successful programs in Nashua and Manchester that encourage individuals to walk into any fire station and ask for help with substance use disorders.

The commissioners unanimously approved a 911 fund statewide interconnectivity grant with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), for $439,653.

A McKinney, Texas, pilot project deploying a sensor and flashers that alert motorists and city officials is hoped to become a regional platform for flood mitigation strategies.

Law enforcement and other first responders get a better sense of what to expect on a call with new Smart911 technology profiles that include mental health and addiction issues.

State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, said his bill would function like homeowner’s insurance for the state, allowing it to pay an annual premium for coverage for an emergency response during disaster events.

CivicReady will be used to issue urgent notifications, emergency instructions, warnings, and other communications to subscribed residents via email, text message and voicemail.

'Everybody wears name badges. We have secure entrances. We have sign-in/sign-out sheets. We walk visitors to and from their destinations.'