Emergency Response


Insurers' Group Offers Hurricane Readiness Tools

Homes and businesses in hurricane-prone areas can prepare now to reduce their exposure to losses, says the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, which represents more than 1,000 insurers.

First Responder PPE, NYC Experts Helping Haiti

As Scott Health & Safety announced it has donated more than $600,000 worth of respiratory and other equipment, New York City's mayor said 12 employees with emergency response expertise are leaving June 7 for Port-au-Prince to help in building a local Community Emergency Response Team program.

IAFC Urges National Confined Space Stand Down

The chiefs' Safety, Health and Survival Section issued the request June 1, saying two similar incidents that nearly killed firefighters demand additional training.

MSHA Stresses Mines' Emergency Preparedness

The June 10 meeting in Virginia Beach, Va., of the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association will include the first of several regional focus groups to put more emphasis on this area.

NOAA Forecasts Busy 2010 Hurricane Season

"If this outlook holds true, this season could be one of the more active on record," said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

Suffocation in Grain Bin Leads to $1.6M Penalty

"The company's intentional disregard for its safety and health responsibilities put its workers at risk, and more egregiously, led to an unnecessary loss of life,” said Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.

Grainger Gets Serious About Services

The 2009 downturn didn’t stop W.W.Grainger, Inc. from hosting two “Total MROSolutions” events in Orlando for thousandsof customers in January 2010, and the companyliked what they were saying. “Wethink it’s a great time for Grainger topick up share for a lot of the reasonsthat David mentioned,” GraingerChairman, President and CEO JamesT. Ryan said after the second event’sJan. 21 keynote speaker, David Manthey,focused his remarks on consolidationamong distributors and signs ofa slow recovery.

Crystal Manufacturer Fined $510,000 for Fatal Explosion

"The employer knowingly operated high-pressure vessels even after being warned of the potential for a catastrophic failure due to material design and fabrication defects," said OSHA's Dr. David Michaels. "This simply is unacceptable, and OSHA will use the full extent of the law to ensure the company is held accountable for its actions."



Fire-Rescue Med, taking place May 1-5 in Las Vegas, includes two awards for organizations doing good work to save sudden cardiac arrest victims.

Technology to the Rescue

There is almost no excuse for everyone not to learn some form of rescue techniques, be they rescue breathing, CPR, or using an AED.

Patient volume handled by the emergency department increased by more than 1,000 patients, or 10 percent, with no increase in its budget.

SaaS Solving Emergency Department Overloads

A case study offered by the American Hospital Association shows how a computer-assisted handoff system cut patients' length of stay at an Illinois hospital and increased the ED's volume by 10 percent without a budget increase.

Poll Reveals Hospitals' Difficulties Staffing for C. Difficile

Thirty-four percent of respondents said they have an infection control plan to increase interventions in the event of an outbreak of CDI, a condition frequently associated with previous antibiotic use and most commonly contracted by the elderly and those with recent exposure to hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care institutions.

FCC Assigns Emergency Response Interoperability Center

The Federal Communications Commission's national broadband strategy submitted to Congress in March 2010 called for creating ERIC. Now, the center is being placed within FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and given similar duties.

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar

Drillers' Group Wants OK for Shallow-Water Work

The International Association of Drilling Contractors' president asked Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to allow new drilling, saying these wells pose virtually no threat to the environment and are being unfairly harmed by the deepwater hiatus.

This CSB photo shows the aftermath of the Little General Store propane explosion in Ghent, W.Va.

Third Ghent Firefighter Dies from Explosion Injuries

USFA announced Lt. Donnie Caldwell, 74, of the Ghent Area Volunteer Fire Department died May 13 as the result of complications from injuries he sustained in the Jan. 30, 2007, propane explosion at the Little General Store.

The CSE Corp. SR-100 primarily uses a chemical process to generate a 60-minute supply of oxygen.

CSE Corporation Expands SR-100 Alert

The self-contained self-rescuer unit used by underground miners generates 60 minutes of oxygen when started, but the company's investigation suggests start-up oxygen cylinders may fail in any field-deployed unit.

Maryland Makes 2-1-1 Crisis Hotline Permanent

The new law creates a new Health and Human Services Referral Board -- 2-1-1 Maryland -- linking citizens with the health services, community preparedness information, and crisis response.

Death Toll at Russian Mine Reaches 66

The ITAR-TASS News Agency reports six bodies were found in the most remote section of the Raspadskaya coal mine in Siberia, where two methane explosions occurred last weekend, and the search continues for 24 still missing.

The venomous timber rattlesnake is found in East Texas, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

WHO Highlights Shortages of Antivenin

Saying at least 100,000 people die from snakebites each year, the World Health Organization last week published new guidelines for producing, regulating, and controlling antivenins and a helpful online database about dangerous snakes.

Workers hired by BP move oil containment booms in Orange Beach, Ala., on May 8 to keep oil off the coastline, in this U.S. Navy photo taken by Petty Officer 2nd Class Thomas L. Rosprim.

Executives Begin Capitol Hill Testimony

An outside expert supported splitting the U.S. Minerals Management Service into separate safety and revenue-collection agencies, a move Interior Secretary Salazar announced today.

This May 4 FEMA photo by David Fine is an aerial view of flooding in the Nashville area.

Stars Aiding Red Cross, Nashville Flood Victims

Taylor Swift donated $500,000 to flood relief during a telethon hosted by Vince Gill on Thursday night that raised $1.4 million in its first two hours, The Tennessean reports.

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