Community-Based Preparedness

The nonprofit organization, Billion Oyster Project, is partnering with local New York restaurants and schools to restore the oyster reefs along New York’s shoreline. They urge that as “natural purifiers”, the oysters will not only clean the water surrounding New York but rebuild the natural…

Following the catastrophic wildfires in California, many are looking to adopt preventative strategies. Nevada City, California is looking to rent goats to eat through a 450-acre greenbelt of vegetation.  Once the goats eat away much of the greenery, humans can clear out the larger foliage that…

Chaos broke out at a rap concert in Italy where a stampede left 6 individuals dead and more than 50 others injured. Ticket sales show that the concert venue sold over 1600 tickets for a venue that can accommodate a maximum of 870 individuals. Concert attendees reported that an…

The Guardian: Officials worry that residents will be more likely to ignore evacuation orders as wildfires become more routine. For example, Butte County, California has been evacuated at least five times in two years. As evacuations become more frequent, people may be desensitized and become less…

NBC News: A recent study shows that repeated flu shots over many years does not lessen their protectiveness in children. Findings also show that repeated shots may actually boost immunity against some strains. The article was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Read more…

CNBC: A Miami mansion has just hit the market, publicizing its disaster-preparedness characteristics. The house is reportedly fireproof for up to 4 hours, hurricane-proof, and bulletproof. The walls were built using insulated concrete forms and hollow pieces of polystyrene foam, reinforced with…

In order to decrease the threat of wildfires in Northern California, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. warns it may preemptively shut down the power in 12 counties, affecting 87,000 customers. This is in response to the concerning weather conditions that may cause a fire, including very low humidity and…

Almost one year has passed from the tragic Las Vegas Shooting that left 58 dead and 850 injured. A recent After Action Report was released by FEMA which was a review of the conjoint efforts of the Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services. With over 200 recommendation in the report, 8 have been…

In the wake of mass shooting and disasters worldwide, hospitals around the world are preparing to treat patients following multiple casualty incidents (MCI's). Following the Las Vegas mass shooting, Johns Hopkins discussed their efforts and protocol to respond to such emergencies. Following an MCI a…

On September 6th, a plane in New York City was quarantined after a number of passengers began to feel ill. The hospital followed their protocol in an effort to prevent the disease from spreading elsewhere. In this situation, the CDC was notified before landing, allowing a contingency plan to be…

UCLA will install speakers on campus next year to make announcements during emergencies. The UCLA Office of Emergency Management will implement a new speaker system along poles and buildings on Bruin Walk in 2019 in order to issue immediate emergency alerts about situations, such as fires or…

09/18/2013: MCI training - East Metro Training Group photo

USA Today: As the volcanic eruptions continue in Hawaii, the new threat of “laze” has surfaced. Laze is a toxic combination of lava and haze that occurs when extremely hot lava comes into contact with much cooler ocean water. This contact results in explosions, sending hydrochloric acid and…

BBC: A young French woman died hours after calling an emergency service line. The emergency service operator ignored her call, hung up, and then preceded to mock the caller to a fellow worker. The woman died in December, but the case has recently appeared in the news due to the posting of the…