First Responders

The dedicated communications network for first responders, FirstNet, runs on AT&T networks, so when the carrier had a major outage this week, agencies using FirstNet were impacted. Here's how emergency services responded.

Authorities, fearing the effect of additional rain on hillsides and creek beds already saturated by a massive storm earlier this month, issued flash flood warnings for a swath of Los Angeles.

The Virginia Office of the AG wants to use the intelligence gleaned from a study, and technology funded through criminal forfeitures and seizures, to make understaffed police agencies more efficient and effective.

As weather and site conditions permit, convoys to allow trapped residents to travel through will resume. Previously scheduled twice-daily convoys from Saturday through Feb. 22 have been canceled due to the expected storms.

The new machine learning method only needs 21 hours of input data to produce accurate air quality forecasts, while traditional models can require months’ worth of data.

The continual maintenance of roadways, culverts, and dams, as well as the enforcement of building and floodplain management codes, are some of the public safety measures included in Warren County's Hazard Mitigation Plan.

In the eight Southern California counties that were under a state of emergency during the recent storm, only 52,820 homes and businesses were covered by flood policies, according to the National Flood Insurance Program.

The new law empowers school boards to issue bonds to make repairs after a natural disaster without having to follow the usual procedures that require approval from voters in the school district.

Michigan will become the 21st state to enact what is more commonly known as "red flag" laws. Under this change, Michiganders will be able to seek temporary removal of firearms from at-risk individuals.

A rescue helicopter spotted the hiker shortly after 4:30 p.m. and lowered a rescuer to him. The rescuer guided the hiker to an area to be airlifted, and he was safely flown to Waiau District Park, according to rescuers.

A system designed to amplify classroom audio can now be equipped with safety buttons that provide teachers with a one-touch ability to notify office personnel if something is amiss.

In a statement, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the adjustments to the federal cost share are an extension of the Biden-Harris administration's and FEMA's commitments to support long-term recovery.

The rare weather event left toppled trees and power lines, mangled awnings and pulverized concrete in its wake, even shutting off power to thousands, as debris littered much of Grover Beach.

“Do not let your guard down,” Ariel Cohen, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard, said Tuesday during a briefing in Los Angeles. “There could still be some very significant impacts.”

With potentially record-breaking rainfall predicted for Sunday and Monday, Los Angeles and its neighboring counties were well-prepared, having endured a storm of similar magnitude in January 2023.

The most recent earthquake means at least 106 have been detected in the Palmetto State since the start of 2022, according to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

Gusts up to 80 mph are also anticipated in the highest peaks of the Santa Lucia Range and San Benito County mountains. A flood watch is in effect from the North Bay to Big Sur until at least Monday morning.

"Our public safety team members are extremely essential to our community and we want them to know how much they mean to us. It's important for us to invest in attracting and retaining the best people."