Public Safety
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The Osceola County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of new portable and dual band radios at a cost of $330,552 during its meeting Dec. 16, by a vote of 5-1. -
City Council is considering two options that would charge for paramedic care provided by the Monterey Fire Department when ambulance transport is needed. Some are concerned it would discourage people from calling 911.
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Gov. Bob Ferguson said he would request an expedited emergency declaration from the federal government, seeking to unlock federal resources and financial support, as flooding continues in Western Washington this week.
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Military bases are preferred quarantine sites because of the security, limited public access and support staff to help provide services during a mandatory 14-day quarantine ordered by the Trump administration.
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Some argue that encryption — which would prevent the public from listening to police communications — is an officer-safety issue. Other argue that encryption denies the public access to information it has the right to know.
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Washington’s disasters increased 165% from the 23 the state saw in the prior two decades (1980-1999). Washington’s increase matched that of the entire U.S., which had an estimated $485 billion in property loss 2000-2017.
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Thermal-imaging cameras are the latest tool in the kit of Glendale firefighters. The technology allows the first responders to see body heat through thick smoke that might otherwise conceal an incapacitated victim.
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Even states whose leaders don't publicly acknowledge the existence of climate change, such as Texas and South Carolina, have applied for federal dollars citing "changing coastal conditions" or "unpredictability," According to the New York Times.
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Two students at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, may have brought the pneumonia-like virus back from China in recent days. The CDC is monitoring the pair who recently traveled together to China.
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There are now more than 8,000 coronavirus cases, with at least 98 cases in 18 countries outside China. At least 170 people have died, all in China. The World Health Organization stopped short of calling for travel bans.
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The Motorola technology will replace Luzerne County, Pa.’s obsolete analog communication system with a digital version that promises better communication between county fire, police, emergency medical services and 911.
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Much is still unknown about the virus that emerged in China at the end of 2019 and now has spread to 15 other countries. There are five confirmed cases in the U.S., but 73 cases are pending, and 32 patients have tested negative.
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The Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals and MetroHealth confirmed they are starting to screen patients who recently traveled to China, based on guidance from the CDC. The epicenter of the virus is Wuhan, China.
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A 2014 report from Safe Havens International and PDT Architects recommended the state create a school safety center as part of an assessment of whether Maine’s schools would be prepared in the event of emergencies.
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The decision to not repair the current VHF radio system leaves officials with two options. They could install a new VHF system, which would solve some problem but not others. Or they could build a “trunked P25” digital system.
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When Pennsylvania halted funding to two city 911 centers, those centers were consolidated with county centers, causing a domino effect of staffers leaving, new equipment being deployed and dispatch times lagging.
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A new undertaking by the North Central Texas Emergency Communications District is relying on drones to create 3-D models of certain areas, like schools, to enable a better response should a threat arise.
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Trailers have been used for emergency housing in the event of a wildfire. Fifty-eight trailers are available, and 42 will be offered soon after being vacated by Camp Fire survivors. State funds will also be made available.
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The Butler County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Department dispatches for police and fire services in several jurisdictions, including five that it wants to start paying for receiving 911 dispatch services to help support its budget.
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The department is planning the deployment of a new Criminal Booking System that should bring never-before-seen capabilities to the agency later this year.
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Other communities have wrestled with similar issues with growing EMS demand, from the struggle to recruit enough EMS workers to meet call volume, to a Dayton program that can help frequent 911 callers get other services.
