Preparedness

James Wallace would inherit a department with severe staffing shortages, aging fire apparatus and grieving employees. The triple fatal fire in January 2022 highlighted organizational and operational flaws in the agency.

During the outage, emergency dispatch service to Asotin County was disrupted. The problem was no one from Whitcom or Whitman County informed them about the technical issues and it could have been disastrous.

"Another concern I have is the Internet, pretend meteorologists that unfortunately have a large following, and people pay attention to what they say. We ask our residents and guests to get their information from local sources."

A 2022 study found that firefighters and police officers are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. Another source found that EMS workers are 1.39 times more likely to die by suicide than the general public.

Law enforcement agencies nationside are beneficiaries of the Pentagon's 1033 program. Created in 1990, the program was intended to save the taxpayers money by handing off obsolete or excess military equipment.

Last week, 120 participants, including students from Florida International University and individuals from participating agencies, went through the simulation of responding to a category 5 hurricane.

The drone industry has faced a number of hurdles that have hampered their use during wildfires, including rules that require operators to have their drones within their line of sight.

This transformative regional event equips entrepreneurs, professionals and digital enthusiasts with essential skills to excel in the rapidly evolving digital landscape, empowering those seeking to grow their business.

"Since January we have received 631 accidental 911 calls," a release from the Brookings Police states. "This is a 250% increase from the same periods in 2022. Most of the calls have come from cell phones in pockets vehicle cup holders, or purses."

"It was like watching your son drown right in front of you," one Deer Park parent told the Texas Tribune about the way his 4-year-old struggled to sleep in the aftermath, gasping himself awake trying to breathe.

For first responders, it was an opportunity to demonstrate just what they go through to protect the public. For officials, it was a chance to see and feel, firsthand, what it’s like to be a first responder.

A dam is classified as high risk if its failure would “likely result in loss of human life” and it is considered significant risk if its failure would “likely result in disruption of access to critical facilities."

Plans for money from the Louisiana Department of Education, part of federal funds allocated after the shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, vary by school, but many include shoring up entries or installing more cameras.

A hurricane — or a tornado spawned by one — can force you to leave your home even if you’re far from the coast by causing roof damage, flash flooding or an extended power outage. You may need to leave in a hurry and spend several nights elsewhere.

The EMA and other safety agencies had just gone through a train derailment simulation the previous year at the same location, and this was a huge benefit to everyone involved in the real situation.

Yuba County personnel use the model to divide communities into “chunks of real estate” based on geography, the number of people, routes in and out of the county and the different types of hazards in those areas.

“It helps eliminate inefficiencies so we have our law enforcement to respond to our campus but we need, also on larger scale incidents, to be able to communicate with Baltimore city police.”

"This is for people who may be impaired so that instead of calling they can text, and it goes right to our 911 Center. This is all part of the next-generation advancements we are making."