Emergency Response


CDC Issues New Guidelines for TB Testing

According to the World Health Organization, about one person dies of TB every 17 seconds, and the disease continues to be a contagious scourge in both developing and developed countries because each infected person represents a potential yet preventable future outbreak.

Airport AED, Fast-Acting Bystander Save Traveler

EMTs at the scene said the incident was an excellent example of what is possible if CPR and AED use are initiated quickly, along with timely activation of the emergency medical services system.

Irish Employers Given Safety Signs Update

The key change as outlined by the Health and Safety Authority of Ireland is separation of any explanatory text from the pictorial element in the sign.

This DOI photo by Caitlin Miller was taken June 23, 2010, as newly appointed Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement Director Michael R. Bromwich testified on Capitol Hill.

Investigations Unit Created for Renamed MMS

Michael R. Bromwich announced the new unit June 23 for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, which he leads. It has replaced the Minerals Management Service in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

BP, BP, BP . . . and Social Media

These two subjects were the constant buzz of Safety 2010, and they're connected.

Recalls Aside, AEDs Still Work Their Magic

Recent saves at a Hong Kong hotel and at a casino in Pennsylvania back up a study indicating use of AEDs before medical help arrives is associated with improved survival.

$32,500 Penalty Confirmed by NRC Staff

The penalty against B&W Nuclear Operations Group of Lynchburg, Va., is based on its alleged failure to have adequate instructions telling workers how to neutralize acid spills.

All five companies prosecuted in connection with the Dec. 11, 2005, explosion and fire at the Buncefield oil storage depot pleaded guilty or were found guilty by a jury.

Last Buncefield Defendant Found Guilty

All five companies prosecuted for the Dec. 11, 2005, explosion and fire at an oil storage depot in Hertfordshire, England, either pleaded guilty or were found guilty by a jury. Sentencing is set for July 16.



U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar

Blowout Scenarios Now Mandatory for Offshore Drilling

The Minerals Management Service issued the directive June 18, making it effective immediately. Lessees and operators in offshore federal waters must estimate worst-case flow rates for a blowout when they file for a new permit, development plan, or exploration plan.

This Coast Guard photo taken by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ann Marie Gorden shows oil-absorbing containment boom on the beach at Port Fourchon, La., on May 30.

IOM Meeting to Examine Spill's Health Effects

A live webcast is available of the event Tuesday and Wednesday at the Hotel Monteleone in Hew Orleans. Numerous experts are participating, including the current director of NIOSH, a former director, and the U.S. surgeon general.

ED Visits Involving Prescription Painkillers Soaring

A SAMHSA/CDC study published in MMWR says emergency department visits tied to non-medical use of prescription pain relievers rose by 111 percent from 2004 to 2008.

This image is a conceptual image and may differ slightly from images in the forthcoming game

FEMA Funds 'Disaster Hero' Video Game for PC/Mac

The game, being developed along with a dedicated website, will be designed "to enthrall and teach children and their families practical knowledge on how to prepare for and deal with natural disasters or emergencies," according to the site.

This Coast Guard photo taken by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ann Marie Gorden shows oil-absorbing containment boom on the beach at Port Fourchon, La., on May 30.

BP Commits $20 Billion to Spill Claims Fund

After top officials met today at the White House with the president, the company announced it will inject $5 billion this year and $1.25 billion quarterly thereafter until the full amount is reached.

NYC Ambulance Companies Pay $2.85M Related to Unnecessary Trips

Under Medicare rules, the companies could bill for expensive non-emergency transports only if the patient could not be transported by any other means, such as by car or by wheelchair van. Medicare audited the companies and found they had charged tens of millions of dollars for trips that did not meet this standard.

Fort Hood Responders Win Army Award

The Fire and Emergency Services unit, the largest military firefighter contingent in the U.S. Army, received the 2009 award for the large Fire Department of the Year for saving lives during the November 2009 mass shooting incident.

This DOD photo taken by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Casey H. Kyhl shows sailors from Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan, participating in a motorcycle safety class on May 13, 2010.

Vehicle Fatalities Higher Right After Deployments

Analysis of the 4,086 service members who died from vehicle accidents while on active duty from 1998 through 2009 revealed the fatality rate was 52 percent higher in the first 30 days after deployment for personnel who had been in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Nominations Held Open for IAFC Awards

June 18 is the new deadline for nominations for several important 2010 awards, including the Safety, Health and Survival Section Awards and the Fire Service Award for Excellence.

Mixed Bag in Survey of Floridians' Hurricane Readiness

The Florida Division of Emergency Management released the surveys findings June 1, timed for the start of the 2010 hurricane season. Financial costs were mentioned more often than in 2006 as a possible barrier to evacuation.

Too many firefighters are dying with lifestyle factors at least partly to blame.

2010 Fire/EMS Safety, Health, and Survival Week Nears

NIOSH is supporting IAFC in promoting it, and more than 20 fire service organizations are helping. This year's theme: Fit for Duty.

This photo from the Kleen Energy site is on the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board page about its investigation of the explosion.

CSB Sets Public Meeting on Kleen Energy Case

On June 28 in Portland, Conn., the investigative board will hear preliminary findings about the gas purging explosion that killed six people Feb. 7 in Middletown and will consider urgent recommendation to OSHA and others.

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