Emergency Response


Quake Prompted Alert, Unusual Events at Nuclear Reactors in Six States

The North Anna plant located close to the epicenter of the Aug. 23 earthquake declared an Alert, the second-lowest of NRC's four emergency classifications, when it lost electricity from the grid.

Former FEMA Chief's Firm Starts State Fair Investigation

Witt Associates, headed by CEO James Lee Witt, has been hired to conduct an independent analysis of the Indiana State Fair's preparedness and response to the Aug. 13 storm and collapse of a stage just before a concert.

USFA Releases International Fire Death Rate Trends Report

From 1979 to 2007, fire death rates per million population have consistently fallen throughout the industrialized world.

The Lightstep technology marks safe escape routes in green. Unsafe routes are crossed out with a red X.

A Bright Idea for Life Safety

The Lightstep technology to be installed in three Upper Iowa University buildings this winter is a life safety product that answers post-9/11 needs for safe, fast emergency evacuations, UIU’s president says.

NYC Set to Host 2011 World & Police Fire Games

About 50 events reached their maximum number of competitors and have been closed. Schedules for the events will be posted Aug. 15, and the games take place Aug. 26 through Sept. 5.

USFA Releases University Housing Fires Report

An estimated average of 3,800 university housing fires occur each year. Annually, these fires are responsible for 25 injuries and $9 million in property loss.

Campus Fire Safety Training Set for Today

ASSE is joining the West Virginia University Health and Safety staff, the Morgantown fire department, and the WVU Residents' Assistants Fire Academy for training and demonstrations.

Bronx EMS Station Includes New Technologies

The vascular pattern recognition security system protects key areas of the new FDNY building, including an area for secured narcotics.



London Calmer, But Riots Spread Elsewhere

The London Fire Brigade's emergency command center received 2,169 calls -- 15 times the number answered on a normal day -- between 6 p.m. Monday and 7:19 a.m. Tuesday.

More Data to Be Required on EPCRA Forms

EPA proposed adding parent company information and e-mail addresses to the Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Forms (Tier I and Tier II) under Section 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

NIOSH Research Aims to Increase Ambulance Safety for EMS Workers

NIOSH crash tests revealed the possibility of head injury if a worker’s head strikes the cabinets immediately above or behind them, and noted that vehicle structural failures can be a contributing factor in adverse outcomes of EMS crashes.

FDA Approves First-Ever Treatment for Scorpion Stings

Severe stings occur most frequently in infants and children, and untreated cases can be fatal.

Lower Leg Submersion Viable for Cooling Suited Responders

A study in the August issue of JOEH found this method increased volunteers' work tolerance by 24 percent over forearm submersion.

Major Funding Committed to Australian Public Hospitals

The national health reform plan announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon will deliver an extra $175 billion to public hospitals through 2030.

$10,000 Prize in DoD First Responder Kit Contest

The entry deadline is Aug. 15, so inventors have little time if they haven't already begun.

What Can Go Wrong in Confined Space Rescues, Part 2

We need to revise fire service training to include awareness training on many different topics, just like this one.

Approximately 92 percent of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac event die.

Study: 92 Percent of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Victims Die

The majority of people who experience an OHCA event do not receive bystander-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation or other timely interventions that improve the likelihood of survival to hospital discharge.

Storms Cause 2Q Loss for Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual Group was profitable in the first quarter but posted a $170 million 2Q loss due to "unprecedented" storms and tornadoes.

Children left alone in vehicles during hot weather are at risk of a serious injury or death from hyperthermia.

NHTSA Steps Up Efforts to Prevent Child Deaths in Hot Cars

With record high temperatures nationwide and reports of 21 hyperthermia-related child deaths already this summer, NHTSA recently convened a roundtable with key stakeholders to help step up efforts to prevent these deaths.

Prepare for Severe Floods, Pipeline Operators Reminded

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's new advisory bulletin for owners and operators of gas and hazardous liquid pipelines says the Yellowstone River spill that began July 1 shows the risks.

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