Response

Outages have hit at least eight states this year. They’re emblematic of problems plaguing emergency communications due in part to wide disparities in the systems’ age and capabilities, and in funding of 911 systems.

"This team has been aggressive, and the weather has been unforgiving," said Robert Bell, a retired Forest Service liaison officer. "The biggest problem is resources. We have to do the best we can with what we have."

“Students who have experienced trauma in a variety of ways, especially gun violence, for them to be involved in a highly sensorial armed assailant drill at school could be a very negative thing.”

This is not this fire season's first incident in Humboldt County. The Point Fire in southern Humboldt County is burning through 85 acres but is 90 percent contained and all evacuation orders have been rescinded.

The mapping techniques will create accurate floor plans of every building in the 573 schools, providing essential information to local first responders during a critical incident response.

There have been improvements in location accuracy in the next-generation environment that push data from the call center to the first responder, but complete NG911 deployments have been slow.

The town’s plan expired in 2023. The new hazard mitigation plan will be valid for five years following the Town Council’s adoption of it. The planning process is funded by a $18,000 grant and $2,000 by the town.

The Rapidan Dam used to generate electrical power but hasn't for several years since a previous flood damaged the power plant. An electrical substation at the dam was destroyed in the recent flood.

The Lake Fire is 20,300 acres and burning in the Los Padres National Forest and feeding on grass, brush and timber in rugged terrain. The fire was first reported Friday afternoon and as of Monday morning was 8 percent contained.

As Hurricane Beryl approaches the Gulf Coast, today is the last day for Texans to make preparations for the coming storm. Beryl is a determined storm with winds and potential flooding posing a serious threat.

The state increased the EOC readiness to level II, signifying the potential severity of Hurricane Beryl's impact on Texas. “Texas continues to closely monitor weather conditions to protect the safety and well-being of Texans.”

Fire officials have continued to warn that once vegetation fully dries out — typically by midsummer — wildfires could really ramp up, given the profusion of grass and brush that grew after two winters with heavy precipitation.

As of Monday, vehicles were being turned around at the park’s only entry along the Parks Highway, park tour and transit buses were canceled, and public facilities including the visitor center were closed.

The new headquarters will make it easier for police and fire to communicate with each other, eliminating a 10-minute drive for meetings, and it will put a fire station in position to cover more of the city.

The police station and the new communications center cost more than $8 million total. The largest source of funding came from the Police Department's CARES Act funds, which provided $3.4 million for the construction of the new space.

Ransomware attacks threaten the data of millions of patients as well as the health of those patients if hospital systems are compromised and shut down.

The university’s police department is switching to a P25-compliant digital simulcast system after experiencing difficulties with coverage when communicating via the existing system with other local agencies.

The first five months of 2024 have been the warmest ever recorded in the United States and the trend is expected to continue all summer, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.