A suspect and four other people were dead Tuesday after a sheriff’s deputy responded to reports that a man was stabbing people outside a home near Tacoma, Washington.The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said deputies initially responded to reports Tuesday morning that a 32-year-old man was violating a no-contact order. They obtained a copy of the order, learned it was not valid because it had not been served on the suspect and headed to the scene to provide it to him.While en route, additional reports came in that the man was stabbing people, the sheriff’s office said. The first deputy arrived within about three minutes and shots were fired. The suspect and three other people were dead at the scene, while another died while being taken to a hospital.The stabbings occurred on the Key Peninsula, west of Tacoma.
A suspect and four other people were dead Tuesday after a sheriff’s deputy responded to reports that a man was stabbing people outside a home near Tacoma, Washington.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said deputies initially responded to reports Tuesday morning that a 32-year-old man was violating a no-contact order. They obtained a copy of the order, learned it was not valid because it had not been served on the suspect and headed to the scene to provide it to him.
While en route, additional reports came in that the man was stabbing people, the sheriff’s office said. The first deputy arrived within about three minutes and shots were fired. The suspect and three other people were dead at the scene, while another died while being taken to a hospital.
The stabbings occurred on the Key Peninsula, west of Tacoma.
Members of the Grapevine Parks and Recreation team, the dispatch alarm team, and members of the fire department were recognized by Assistant Fire Chief, Wes Williams at the Feb 3 city council meeting for saving the life of Zach Smith (left gray sweater) who went into cardiac arrest at The REC in Grapevine on December 15.
Fousia Abdullahi
fousia.abdullahi@star-telegram.com
Grapevine city employees and the fire department are credited for saving the life of a 17-year-old who went into cardiac arrest at a recreation center in December.
Assistant Fire Chief Wes Williams recognized both teams during a City Council meeting earlier in February for saving the life of Zach Smith.
“Their dedication and care made a real difference, and I’m proud to recognize their extraordinary efforts today.” Williams said.
Members of the Grapevine Parks and Recreation team, the dispatch alarm team, and members of the fire department were recognized by Assistant Fire Chief, Wes Williams at the Feb 3 city council meeting for saving the life of Zach Smith (left gray sweater) who went into cardiac arrest at The REC in Grapevine on December 15. Fousia Abdullahi fousia.abdullahi@star-telegram.com
On Dec. 15, the Grapevine emergency alarm office got a 911 call at 4:05 p.m. for an unconscious person on the second floor of The REC of Grapevine.
The RECs aquatic team were quick to respond to the incident before the fire department could arrive, Williams said. They told the emergency operator the person was no longer breathing and started CPR.
Jennifer Kashner, the recreation manager at Grapevine Parks and Recreation, told the Star-Telegram that Smith was in one of the studios doing some lifting when he went into cardiac arrest.
Kashner was the first on the scene and started CPR while the rest of the team joined in to assist by giving oxygen and preparing to use a defibrillator.
“We are incredibly thankful that we were in the right place at the right time to help Zach,” Kashner said in a statement. “We’re proud to work for a city that prioritizes staff training, so when incidents occur, our team is confident and prepared to respond. We couldn’t be more proud of our team, and we are so happy to see Zachary healthy and recovering so well.”
Aquatic operations coordinator Shannon Paterson and Emily Marecle, an aquatic supervisor, shared with the Star-Telegram what it was like seeing Smith again after the incident.
“We’re all moms and have a son about his age,” Paterson said, “and it was really emotional to know that he gets a second chance, specifically because of the training that happens here, and people who know what they’re doing, and the amazing first responders, they’re just phenomenal.”
Marecle said it’s important for people to learn CPR, and she attributes Smith not having brain damage to how quickly they performed CPR, gave oxygen and used the AED on him.
Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate said that he was at The REC the day of the incident.
“I was outside by the elevator working some weights when it all happened, but I witnessed the staff and the paramedics, and they were very calm and very professional and did a wonderful job and saved that man’s life,” Tate said at the council meeting.
City leaders gave citations to The REC staff, dispatcher Liz Pickett, captains from the fire department, driver engineers, firefighter paramedics, firefighter EMT and others.
Williams said The REC team completed the first three steps in what’s called the “Chain of Survival” in the seven minutes before the fire department arrived at The REC. The six steps are:
Advanced resuscitation by emergency medical services.
Post cardiac arrest care
Recovery
According to the American Heart Association of Texas, 90% of the 350,000 sudden cardiac arrests that happen outside a hospital setting each year are fatal.
“Their continued training had prepared them to act and save a young man’s life,” Williams said.
Smith attended the city council meeting where he signed a train ticket that was placed on Grapevine’s cardiac arrest survivors train. He was the 15th survivor to sign a ticket.
“This ticket stands as a powerful reminder of a life saved and the importance of quick action and teamwork in critical moments,” Williams said.
Fousia Abdullahi is a Fort Worth Star-Telegram news reporter who covers suburban cities including Southlake, Colleyville, Grapevine and Keller. She enjoys reading and attending local events. Send tips by email or phone.
A shooting outside a church building in Salt Lake City killed two people and injured six others Wednesday, police said.The shooting took place in the parking lot of a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.Dozens of people were attending a funeral inside at the time. All the victims were adults.Police said they do not believe the shooter had any animus toward a particular faith.“We don’t believe this was a targeted attack against a religion or anything like that,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said.Police also do not believe the shooting was random. Authorities said no suspect was in custody.Brennan McIntire said he and his wife, Kenna, heard the gunshots from their apartment next to the parking lot while watching TV. He jumped off the couch and ran outside to check on things.“As soon as I came over, I see someone on the ground,” McIntire said. “People are attending to him and crying and arguing.”About 100 law enforcement vehicles were at the scene in the aftermath, and helicopters flew overhead.“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall said.The church was cooperating with law enforcement and was grateful for efforts first responders’ efforts, a spokesperson said.“We extend prayers for all who have been impacted by this tragedy and express deep concern that any sacred space intended for worship should be subjected to violence of any kind,” Sam Penrod said in a statement.The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, and about half of Utah’s 3.5 million residents are members of the faith. Churches like the one where the shooting occurred can be found in towns throughout the city and state.The faith has been on heightened alert since four people were killed when a former Marine opened fire in a Michigan church last month and set it ablaze. The FBI found that he was motivated by “anti-religious beliefs” against the church.
SALT LAKE CITY —
A shooting outside a church building in Salt Lake City killed two people and injured six others Wednesday, police said.
The shooting took place in the parking lot of a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.
Dozens of people were attending a funeral inside at the time. All the victims were adults.
Police said they do not believe the shooter had any animus toward a particular faith.
“We don’t believe this was a targeted attack against a religion or anything like that,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said.
Police also do not believe the shooting was random. Authorities said no suspect was in custody.
Brennan McIntire said he and his wife, Kenna, heard the gunshots from their apartment next to the parking lot while watching TV. He jumped off the couch and ran outside to check on things.
“As soon as I came over, I see someone on the ground,” McIntire said. “People are attending to him and crying and arguing.”
About 100 law enforcement vehicles were at the scene in the aftermath, and helicopters flew overhead.
“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” Mayor Erin Mendenhall said.
The church was cooperating with law enforcement and was grateful for efforts first responders’ efforts, a spokesperson said.
“We extend prayers for all who have been impacted by this tragedy and express deep concern that any sacred space intended for worship should be subjected to violence of any kind,” Sam Penrod said in a statement.
The church is headquartered in Salt Lake City, and about half of Utah’s 3.5 million residents are members of the faith. Churches like the one where the shooting occurred can be found in towns throughout the city and state.
The faith has been on heightened alert since four people were killed when a former Marine opened fire in a Michigan church last month and set it ablaze. The FBI found that he was motivated by “anti-religious beliefs” against the church.
Two helicopters crashed midair in New Jersey on Sunday, killing one person and critically injuring another, authorities say.Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel said rescuers responded to a report of an aviation crash at about 11:25 a.m. Video from the scene shows a helicopter spinning rapidly to the ground. Police and fire crews subsequently extinguished flames that engulfed one of the helicopters.The Federal Aviation Administration described the crash as a midair collision between an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and Enstrom 280C helicopter over Hammonton Municipal Airport. Only the pilots were on board each aircraft. One was killed, and the other was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.Sal Silipino, owner of a cafe near the crash site, said the pilots were regulars at the restaurant and would often have breakfast together. He said he and other customers watched the helicopters take off before one began spiraling downward, followed by the other.“It was shocking,” he said. “I’m still shaking after that happened.”Hammonton is a town of about 15,000 people located in Atlantic County in the southern part of New Jersey, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia. The town has a history of agriculture and is located near the Pine Barrens, a forested wilderness area that covers more than 1 million acres (405,000 hectares).The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the crash, Friel said.Investigators will likely first look to review any communications between the two pilots and whether they were able to see each other, said Alan Diehl, a former crash investigator for the FAA and NTSB.“Virtually all midair collisions are a failure to what they call ‘see and avoid,’” Diehl said. “Clearly they’ll be looking at the out-of-cockpit views of the two aircraft and seeing if one pilot was approaching from the blind side.”Although it was mostly cloudy at the time of the crash, winds were light and visibility was good, according to the weather forecasting company AccuWeather.
Two helicopters crashed midair in New Jersey on Sunday, killing one person and critically injuring another, authorities say.
Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel said rescuers responded to a report of an aviation crash at about 11:25 a.m. Video from the scene shows a helicopter spinning rapidly to the ground. Police and fire crews subsequently extinguished flames that engulfed one of the helicopters.
The Federal Aviation Administration described the crash as a midair collision between an Enstrom F-28A helicopter and Enstrom 280C helicopter over Hammonton Municipal Airport. Only the pilots were on board each aircraft. One was killed, and the other was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Sal Silipino, owner of a cafe near the crash site, said the pilots were regulars at the restaurant and would often have breakfast together. He said he and other customers watched the helicopters take off before one began spiraling downward, followed by the other.
“It was shocking,” he said. “I’m still shaking after that happened.”
Hammonton is a town of about 15,000 people located in Atlantic County in the southern part of New Jersey, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia. The town has a history of agriculture and is located near the Pine Barrens, a forested wilderness area that covers more than 1 million acres (405,000 hectares).
Investigators will likely first look to review any communications between the two pilots and whether they were able to see each other, said Alan Diehl, a former crash investigator for the FAA and NTSB.
“Virtually all midair collisions are a failure to what they call ‘see and avoid,’” Diehl said. “Clearly they’ll be looking at the out-of-cockpit views of the two aircraft and seeing if one pilot was approaching from the blind side.”
Although it was mostly cloudy at the time of the crash, winds were light and visibility was good, according to the weather forecasting company AccuWeather.
Deaths have been reported after a business jet crashed while attempting to land at a regional airport in North Carolina, according to a local sheriff.“I can confirm there were fatalities,” Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said. Campbell did not elaborate on how many people were killed.Video above: Crash scene at Statesville Regional Airport in North CarolinaThe jet crashed while attempting to make a landing at Statesville Regional Airport around 10:15 a.m. Thursday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The Hearst Television National Investigative Unit found that FAA records show the plane that crashed was a Cessna 550 Citation, a smaller jet often used by businesses. This Citation was built in 1981 and last certified for flight in March of this year.Flight plans show the plane was bound for Sarasota, Florida, and had three additional flights planned for Thursday. From Sarasota, the plane had planned to fly to Treasure Cay International Airport in the Bahamas before returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then to Statesville by evening.Flight tracking data reviewed by the National Investigative Unit shows the jet departed Statesville Regional at approximately 10:06 am. The jet reached its highest altitude — approximately 2,000 feet — less than two minutes after departure and about a mile from the airport, and then it began to descend.It continued descending and at approximately 11 miles from the airport, the plane turned back and made an attempt to fly directly back to the airport. The final recorded data point, about nine minutes after takeoff, shows the plane less than a half-mile from the airport near the Lakewood Golf Club about 800 feet of altitude and approximately 109 mph. On its website, the airport says it provides corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams. The airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte, is currently closed. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
STATESVILLE, N.C. —
Deaths have been reported after a business jet crashed while attempting to land at a regional airport in North Carolina, according to a local sheriff.
“I can confirm there were fatalities,” Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said. Campbell did not elaborate on how many people were killed.
Video above: Crash scene at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina
The jet crashed while attempting to make a landing at Statesville Regional Airport around 10:15 a.m. Thursday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Hearst Television National Investigative Unit found that FAA records show the plane that crashed was a Cessna 550 Citation, a smaller jet often used by businesses. This Citation was built in 1981 and last certified for flight in March of this year.
Flight plans show the plane was bound for Sarasota, Florida, and had three additional flights planned for Thursday. From Sarasota, the plane had planned to fly to Treasure Cay International Airport in the Bahamas before returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and then to Statesville by evening.
Flight tracking data reviewed by the National Investigative Unit shows the jet departed Statesville Regional at approximately 10:06 am. The jet reached its highest altitude — approximately 2,000 feet — less than two minutes after departure and about a mile from the airport, and then it began to descend.
It continued descending and at approximately 11 miles from the airport, the plane turned back and made an attempt to fly directly back to the airport. The final recorded data point, about nine minutes after takeoff, shows the plane less than a half-mile from the airport near the Lakewood Golf Club about 800 feet of altitude and approximately 109 mph.
On its website, the airport says it provides corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams. The airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte, is currently closed.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Two West Virginia National Guard members who deployed to the nation’s capital were shot Wednesday afternoon just blocks from the White House in a brazen act of violence that the mayor described as a targeted attack.FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said they were hospitalized in critical condition.The rare shooting of National Guard members, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes as the presence of the troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has been a flashpoint issue for months, fueling court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.A suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.The 29-year-old suspect, an Afghan national, entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said.The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and his allies, congressional Republicans and some government watchdogs over gaps in the vetting process and the speed of admissions, even as advocates say it offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.The suspect, who has been living in Washington state, has been identified by law enforcement officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, but authorities were still working to fully confirm his background, two law enforcement officials and a person familiar with the matter said. The people could not discuss details of an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.Lakamal arrived in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord Kristina Widman.Wednesday night, in a video message released on social media, President Donald Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he said, adding that the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation.”Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant D.C. police chief, said investigators had no information on a motive. He said the assailant “came around the corner” and immediately started firing at the troops, citing video reviewed by investigators.“This was a targeted shooting,” Bowser said.West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey initially said the troops had died, but he later walked that statement back to say his office was “receiving conflicting reports” about their condition.The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump asked him to send the troops.Nearly 2,200 troops are currently assigned to the joint task force operating in the city, according to the government’s latest update. Troops held down the shooterThe shooting happened roughly two blocks northwest of the White House near a metro station. Hearing gunfire, other troops in the area ran over and held down the gunman after he was shot, Carroll said.”It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said, adding that it was not clear whether one of the guard members or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.”At this point we have no other suspects,” Carroll said at a news conference.At least one of the guard members exchanged gunfire with the shooter, said another law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.Social media video shared in the immediate aftermath showed first responders performing CPR on one of the troops and treating the other on a glass-covered sidewalk.Witnesses saw people fleeingStacy Walters said she was in a car when she heard two gunshots and saw people running. Almost instantly, law enforcement swarmed the area. “It’s such a beautiful day. Who would do this? And we’re getting ready for the holidays?”Emma McDonald, who exited a metro station just after the shots were fired, said she and a friend sought safety with others in a cafe. McDonald told AP that minutes later, she saw first responders rolling a stretcher carrying a National Guard member whose head was covered in blood.Police tape cordoned off the scene, and fire and police vehicle lights flashed and helicopter blades thudded overhead. Agents from the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were there, and National Guard troops stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.“I think it’s a somber reminder that soldiers, whether they’re active duty, reserve or National Guard, our soldiers are the sword and the shield of the United States of America,” Vice President JD Vance said in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he delivered a Thanksgiving message to troops.Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, scrapped plans to spend the holiday with troops at Guantanamo Bay in order to travel to D.C. and be with guard members there instead.Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said on social media that he visited the wounded National Guard members in the hospital and that his “heart breaks for them.”Trump vows that shooter will payTrump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later, but the troops remained.Last week a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment, but she also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the administration time to either remove the troops or appeal.Video below: President Donald Trump condemned Wednesday’s National Guard shooting as a “heinous assault”The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events.More than 300 West Virginia National Guard members were deployed in August. About 160 of them volunteered last week to extend their deployment until the end of the year, while the others returned home just over a week ago.___Associated Press journalists Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Jesse Bedayn, Evan Vucci, Nathan Ellgren, John Raby, Hallie Golden, Michael R. Sisak and John Seewer contributed.
Two West Virginia National Guard members who deployed to the nation’s capital were shot Wednesday afternoon just blocks from the White House in a brazen act of violence that the mayor described as a targeted attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said they were hospitalized in critical condition.
The rare shooting of National Guard members, on the day before Thanksgiving, comes as the presence of the troops in the nation’s capital and other cities around the country has been a flashpoint issue for months, fueling court fights and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.
A suspect who was in custody also was shot and had wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
The 29-year-old suspect, an Afghan national, entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said.
The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the U.S., many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and his allies, congressional Republicans and some government watchdogs over gaps in the vetting process and the speed of admissions, even as advocates say it offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.
The suspect, who has been living in Washington state, has been identified by law enforcement officials as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, but authorities were still working to fully confirm his background, two law enforcement officials and a person familiar with the matter said. The people could not discuss details of an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Lakamal arrived in Bellingham, Washington, about 79 miles north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord Kristina Widman.
Wednesday night, in a video message released on social media, President Donald Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who entered under the Biden administration.
“If they can’t love our country, we don’t want them,” he said, adding that the shooting was “a crime against our entire nation.”
Jeffery Carroll, an executive assistant D.C. police chief, said investigators had no information on a motive. He said the assailant “came around the corner” and immediately started firing at the troops, citing video reviewed by investigators.
“This was a targeted shooting,” Bowser said.
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey initially said the troops had died, but he later walked that statement back to say his office was “receiving conflicting reports” about their condition.
The Trump administration quickly ordered 500 more National Guard members to Washington. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump asked him to send the troops.
Nearly 2,200 troops are currently assigned to the joint task force operating in the city, according to the government’s latest update.
Troops held down the shooter
The shooting happened roughly two blocks northwest of the White House near a metro station. Hearing gunfire, other troops in the area ran over and held down the gunman after he was shot, Carroll said.
“It appears to be a lone gunman that raised a firearm and ambushed these members of the National Guard,” Carroll said, adding that it was not clear whether one of the guard members or a law enforcement officer shot the suspect.
“At this point we have no other suspects,” Carroll said at a news conference.
At least one of the guard members exchanged gunfire with the shooter, said another law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Social media video shared in the immediate aftermath showed first responders performing CPR on one of the troops and treating the other on a glass-covered sidewalk.
Witnesses saw people fleeing
Stacy Walters said she was in a car when she heard two gunshots and saw people running. Almost instantly, law enforcement swarmed the area. “It’s such a beautiful day. Who would do this? And we’re getting ready for the holidays?”
Emma McDonald, who exited a metro station just after the shots were fired, said she and a friend sought safety with others in a cafe. McDonald told AP that minutes later, she saw first responders rolling a stretcher carrying a National Guard member whose head was covered in blood.
Police tape cordoned off the scene, and fire and police vehicle lights flashed and helicopter blades thudded overhead. Agents from the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives were there, and National Guard troops stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.
“I think it’s a somber reminder that soldiers, whether they’re active duty, reserve or National Guard, our soldiers are the sword and the shield of the United States of America,” Vice President JD Vance said in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he delivered a Thanksgiving message to troops.
Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, scrapped plans to spend the holiday with troops at Guantanamo Bay in order to travel to D.C. and be with guard members there instead.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said on social media that he visited the wounded National Guard members in the hospital and that his “heart breaks for them.”
Trump vows that shooter will pay
Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later, but the troops remained.
Last week a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment, but she also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the administration time to either remove the troops or appeal.
Video below: President Donald Trump condemned Wednesday’s National Guard shooting as a “heinous assault”
The guard members have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and been assigned to pick up trash and guard sports events.
More than 300 West Virginia National Guard members were deployed in August. About 160 of them volunteered last week to extend their deployment until the end of the year, while the others returned home just over a week ago. ___
Associated Press journalists Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Jesse Bedayn, Evan Vucci, Nathan Ellgren, John Raby, Hallie Golden, Michael R. Sisak and John Seewer contributed.
Two National Guard members were shot and killed Wednesday near the White House.They were members of the West Virginia National Guard. The state’s governor confirmed their deaths in a statement.”It is with great sorrow that we can confirm both members of the West Virginia National Guard who were shot earlier today in Washington, DC have passed away from their injuries,” Gov. Patrick Morrisey said. “These brave West Virginians lost their lives in the service of their country.”This is a breaking news story. AP’s earlier version is below.Two National Guard members were shot Wednesday near the White House and are in critical condition, according to a law enforcement official not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.A suspect who was in custody also was shot and has injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, the source said. One National Guard member was shot in the head, according to a person familiar with the details of the incident who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.Emergency medical responders transported all three victims to a hospital, according to Vito Maggiolo, the public information officer for the DC Fire and Emergency Services. The Joint DC Task Force confirmed they responded to the incident after reports of the shooting. The Metropolitan Police Department also said they were on-scene.The shooting happened at the corner of 17th and H Streets in the northwest quadrant of the city. Police tape cordoned off the scene where emergency fire and police vehicles’ lights flashed and helicopter blades thudded overhead. Agents from the U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on scene, as National Guard troops stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.President Donald Trump, who is in Florida celebrating Thanksgiving, warned in a statement on social media that the “animal” who shot the guardsmen “will pay a very steep price.””God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”The presence of the National Guard in the nation’s capital has been a flashpoint issue for months, fueling a court fight and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on social media that he was “closely monitoring” the shooting and that his “heart breaks for the victims of this horrific shooting.”A spokesperson for Mayor Muriel Bowser said that local leaders were actively monitoring the situation. Bowser had spent the morning at a Thanksgiving event at the Convention Center and then held a press conference to explain why she was not seeking reelection.Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later but the troops remained.The soldiers have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and also have been assigned to trash pickup and to guard sports events.Last week, a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment but also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the Trump administration time to either remove the troops or appeal the decision.___Associated Press reporters Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Jesse Bedayn contributed.
Two National Guard members were shot and killed Wednesday near the White House.
They were members of the West Virginia National Guard. The state’s governor confirmed their deaths in a statement.
“It is with great sorrow that we can confirm both members of the West Virginia National Guard who were shot earlier today in Washington, DC have passed away from their injuries,” Gov. Patrick Morrisey said. “These brave West Virginians lost their lives in the service of their country.”
This is a breaking news story. AP’s earlier version is below.
Two National Guard members were shot Wednesday near the White House and are in critical condition, according to a law enforcement official not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
A suspect who was in custody also was shot and has injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, the source said. One National Guard member was shot in the head, according to a person familiar with the details of the incident who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Emergency medical responders transported all three victims to a hospital, according to Vito Maggiolo, the public information officer for the DC Fire and Emergency Services. The Joint DC Task Force confirmed they responded to the incident after reports of the shooting. The Metropolitan Police Department also said they were on-scene.
The shooting happened at the corner of 17th and H Streets in the northwest quadrant of the city. Police tape cordoned off the scene where emergency fire and police vehicles’ lights flashed and helicopter blades thudded overhead. Agents from the U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on scene, as National Guard troops stood sentry nearby. At least one helicopter landed on the National Mall.
President Donald Trump, who is in Florida celebrating Thanksgiving, warned in a statement on social media that the “animal” who shot the guardsmen “will pay a very steep price.”
“God bless our Great National Guard, and all of our Military and Law Enforcement. These are truly Great People,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I, as President of the United States, and everyone associated with the Office of the Presidency, am with you!”
The presence of the National Guard in the nation’s capital has been a flashpoint issue for months, fueling a court fight and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration’s use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on social media that he was “closely monitoring” the shooting and that his “heart breaks for the victims of this horrific shooting.”
A spokesperson for Mayor Muriel Bowser said that local leaders were actively monitoring the situation. Bowser had spent the morning at a Thanksgiving event at the Convention Center and then held a press conference to explain why she was not seeking reelection.
Trump issued an emergency order in August that federalized the local police force and sent in National Guard troops from eight states and the District of Columbia. The order expired a month later but the troops remained.
The soldiers have patrolled neighborhoods, train stations and other locations, participated in highway checkpoints and also have been assigned to trash pickup and to guard sports events.
Last week, a federal judge ordered an end to the deployment but also put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the Trump administration time to either remove the troops or appeal the decision.
___
Associated Press reporters Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Safiyah Riddle, Matt Brown, Mike Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Jesse Bedayn contributed.
NYC umbrellas will be put to the test by an approaching storm.
File photo/Dean Moses
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Sunday for the city’s five boroughs, as a major coastal storm moves into the region.
The nor’easter is expected to bring isolated coastal flooding along the shore as well as heavy rain — between 1.5 and 3 inches are possible — and wind gusts exceeding 40 mph at times through Monday afternoon.
The state of emergency enables New York’s government to mobilize and respond quickly to any storm-related emergencies, from power outages to flooding and other related issues. Utility companies such as Con Edison have already dispatched more than 1,600 additional workers across New York City, the Mid-Hudson Valley and Long Island, according to Hochul.
Meanwhile, the city is under several storm-related weather advisories and warnings from the National Weather Service, which underscore the expected storm severity.
A wind advisory is in effect for New York City through 6 p.m. Monday. Sustained winds are expected to reach 20 to 25 mph, with gusts of up to 45 mph at times. Combined with saturated ground from the expected rainfall, the conditions are prime for falling trees and power lines, especially in areas of the city served by overhead wires.
Visit coned.com or call 800-75-CONED to report any outages or check on the repair status.
The anticipated wind forecast also led the MTA to ban all empty tractor-trailers from its bridges from 3 p.m. on Sunday until the storm clears.
Coastal areas of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island are also under a coastal flood warning until 6 p.m. Monday. Low-lying areas near the shoreline may see inundation of between 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 feet during high tide cycles. The flooding will likely strike basements, parking lots and front lawns.
Nineteen people are dead or missing after a massive blast obliterated a building at a Tennessee explosives facility on Friday, authorities said — a “mass detonation” so significant that it rattled homes miles away.The early-morning explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems, which manufactures military and demolitions explosives, left charred debris and mangled vehicles across a vast area. The blast was felt as far as 15 miles away and scattered debris over half a square mile.Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said there are fatalities, but did not want to declare a death toll yet — just that “we’re missing 19 souls.”“I always wish for the best,” Davis said. “Is there a possibility that somebody might be injured somewhere, or somebody that we don’t know about? Yes.”Davis described the aftermath of the explosion as “the most devastating scene that I’ve seen in my career.”“It’s hell,” Davis told reporters Friday evening. “It’s hell on us. It’s hell on everybody involved.”Video below: Aerial footage shows the extent of the damageWork at the explosion site will continue into the night, he said.“We’re working for our people, and we want to take care of our families,” an emotional Davis said. “I understand that some families get mad. I understand that some people get upset … We’re doing the very best we can to take care of this.”Davis said investigators from multiple agencies have been assisting with the response, but have not yet determined what caused the explosion. The FBI will be assisting.“Do I see a short-term explanation? No. Do I see us being here for many days? Yes, I do see that,” he said.Families of the victims were still being notified, said Davis, noting that people were undergoing a “gauntlet of emotions” as first responders continued to search the area. The tragedy hit close-knit communities.“I can tell you right off the top of my head that there’s three families that’s involved in this that I’m very close to,” Davis said. “When you have small counties like this, we know each other, we communicate with each other, we love each other.”The blast shook nearby homes and set off smaller explosions, local officials say.The explosion, which happened around 7:45 a.m. local time, was a “devastating blast,” but responders were able to secure the scene by late morning, Davis said.Three people with “minor injuries” from the explosion were treated at TriStar medical facilities in Dickson, Casey Stapp, the spokesperson for TriStar Health, said. Stapp said two people were released, and one person is still receiving treatment at an emergency room.Accurate Energetic Systems is located about an hour southwest of Nashville, Tennessee, on the Hickman and Humphreys County line, the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office told CNN.Numerous law enforcement resources from across the state of Tennessee have been dispatched to assist in the investigation, a source familiar told CNN. Those personnel include federal agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, among other agencies. The relatively remote area is typically patrolled by smaller law enforcement departments, the person said, which has prompted other agencies to volunteer resources for support.Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates said the facility has about 80 employees, but it’s unclear how many were in the building when the explosion happened. Bates said one building on the site was completely destroyed.“It’s pretty devastating to see this,” Bates said.“It’s going to be an investigation that’s probably going to go on for days,” the mayor said. “This facility, they do manufacture, not only military, but demolition explosives for road work and things like that.”Tennessee state Sen. Kerry Roberts told CNN the facility sits on a 1,300-acre campus and is a beloved employer for many people in the community.He said it’s common to see employees at community events and people wearing baseball caps with the company name on them.“It is a well-loved company in the area,” Roberts said. “So this is going to have a devastating impact on quite a few families … it is heartbreaking.”Residents who live near the facility say they felt the impact of the explosion.“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” Gentry Stover told The Associated Press by phone. “I live very close to Accurate, and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”Cody Warren, who lives in Lobelville, which is 21 miles away from the facility, said the sound from the explosion woke him up, and he thought lightning struck his house.Accurate Energetic Systems specializes in making military explosives, according to the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office.The company’s Facebook page says it manufactures “various high explosive compositions and specialty products for the U.S. DoD and U.S. Industrial markets.”In April 2014, one person was killed and four others injured during a blast at the plant, CNN affiliate WSMV reported. The explosion, in the back of a building that housed shotgun ammunition, caused extensive damage. At the time, authorities said several companies operated on the Accurate Energetic Systems property but the blast happened in an area operated by Rio Ammunition.In the player below: Here is a look at what the plant looked like after the 2014 explosionLast month, the US Department of Defense awarded Accurate Energetic Systems a contract for nearly $120 million “for the procurement of TNT.”The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office is asking everyone to avoid the area as emergency responders do their work.
Nineteen people are dead or missing after a massive blast obliterated a building at a Tennessee explosives facility on Friday, authorities said — a “mass detonation” so significant that it rattled homes miles away.
The early-morning explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems, which manufactures military and demolitions explosives, left charred debris and mangled vehicles across a vast area. The blast was felt as far as 15 miles away and scattered debris over half a square mile.
Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said there are fatalities, but did not want to declare a death toll yet — just that “we’re missing 19 souls.”
“I always wish for the best,” Davis said. “Is there a possibility that somebody might be injured somewhere, or somebody that we don’t know about? Yes.”
Davis described the aftermath of the explosion as “the most devastating scene that I’ve seen in my career.”
“It’s hell,” Davis told reporters Friday evening. “It’s hell on us. It’s hell on everybody involved.”
Video below: Aerial footage shows the extent of the damage
Work at the explosion site will continue into the night, he said.
“We’re working for our people, and we want to take care of our families,” an emotional Davis said. “I understand that some families get mad. I understand that some people get upset … We’re doing the very best we can to take care of this.”
Davis said investigators from multiple agencies have been assisting with the response, but have not yet determined what caused the explosion. The FBI will be assisting.
“Do I see a short-term explanation? No. Do I see us being here for many days? Yes, I do see that,” he said.
Families of the victims were still being notified, said Davis, noting that people were undergoing a “gauntlet of emotions” as first responders continued to search the area. The tragedy hit close-knit communities.
“I can tell you right off the top of my head that there’s three families that’s involved in this that I’m very close to,” Davis said. “When you have small counties like this, we know each other, we communicate with each other, we love each other.”
The blast shook nearby homes and set off smaller explosions, local officials say.
The explosion, which happened around 7:45 a.m. local time, was a “devastating blast,” but responders were able to secure the scene by late morning, Davis said.
Three people with “minor injuries” from the explosion were treated at TriStar medical facilities in Dickson, Casey Stapp, the spokesperson for TriStar Health, said. Stapp said two people were released, and one person is still receiving treatment at an emergency room.
Accurate Energetic Systems is located about an hour southwest of Nashville, Tennessee, on the Hickman and Humphreys County line, the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office told CNN.
Numerous law enforcement resources from across the state of Tennessee have been dispatched to assist in the investigation, a source familiar told CNN. Those personnel include federal agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, among other agencies. The relatively remote area is typically patrolled by smaller law enforcement departments, the person said, which has prompted other agencies to volunteer resources for support.
Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates said the facility has about 80 employees, but it’s unclear how many were in the building when the explosion happened. Bates said one building on the site was completely destroyed.
“It’s pretty devastating to see this,” Bates said.
“It’s going to be an investigation that’s probably going to go on for days,” the mayor said. “This facility, they do manufacture, not only military, but demolition explosives for road work and things like that.”
Tennessee state Sen. Kerry Roberts told CNN the facility sits on a 1,300-acre campus and is a beloved employer for many people in the community.
He said it’s common to see employees at community events and people wearing baseball caps with the company name on them.
“It is a well-loved company in the area,” Roberts said. “So this is going to have a devastating impact on quite a few families … it is heartbreaking.”
Residents who live near the facility say they felt the impact of the explosion.
“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” Gentry Stover told The Associated Press by phone. “I live very close to Accurate, and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”
Cody Warren, who lives in Lobelville, which is 21 miles away from the facility, said the sound from the explosion woke him up, and he thought lightning struck his house.
Accurate Energetic Systems specializes in making military explosives, according to the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office.
The company’s Facebook page says it manufactures “various high explosive compositions and specialty products for the U.S. DoD and U.S. Industrial markets.”
In April 2014, one person was killed and four others injured during a blast at the plant, CNN affiliate WSMV reported. The explosion, in the back of a building that housed shotgun ammunition, caused extensive damage. At the time, authorities said several companies operated on the Accurate Energetic Systems property but the blast happened in an area operated by Rio Ammunition.
In the player below: Here is a look at what the plant looked like after the 2014 explosion
Last month, the US Department of Defense awarded Accurate Energetic Systems a contract for nearly $120 million “for the procurement of TNT.”
The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office is asking everyone to avoid the area as emergency responders do their work.
A nursing home resident known to wander and ingest foreign objects died after choking on ribbons at a facility in Adelaide’s north, an inquest has heard.
Ronald Maine, 71, was living in a secure unit at Helping Hand nursing home at Mawson Lakes when a staff member noticed he was pale, clammy and had blue fingertips after consuming morning tea on September 27, 2022.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Rebecca Schell, told the court Mr Maine had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia five years earlier, and had been assessed by Dementia Support Australia as having a high risk of choking.
She told the court Mr Maine had placed inedible object in his mouth, including clay and pearl beads, on three separate previous occasions.
Ronald Maine died at the Lyell McEwin Hospital three years ago. (Supplied: Jessica Maine)
On the morning he died, Ms Schell said nursing staff had sat him in a chair and put an oxygen mask on, but it was not until paramedics arrived that his airways were cleared and CPR performed.
“He was immediately repositioned to the ground and CPR was commenced,” she said.
“Prior to CPR, Mr Maine’s oral cavity was swept out and food and fabric ribbon were discovered.
“In total SAAS (South Australian Ambulance Service) officers removed three different pieces of fabric ribbon of varying colours from Mr Maine’s airway.”
Mr Maine was then transferred to the Lyell McEwin Hospital where he died later that day.
Ms Schell said that Mr Maine’s cause of death was determined as upper airway obstruction by food and foreign material on a background of frontotemporal dementia.
“Put simply, it is anticipated the court will hear that Mr Maine choked to death on the ribbons and food material that he had ingested,”
she said.
She said Helping Hand had completed an internal investigation after the incident and made its own recommendations about basic life support and choking training for all nursing staff.
“There is no doubt that those who performed first aid on Mr Maine, did so to the very best of their abilities, in what I understand was a very stressful situation for them,” she said.
Ronald Maine was a resident at Helping Hand nursing home at Mawson Lakes. (ABC News: Ashlin Blieschke)
But, she said the inquest would examine the training provided to staff before and since the incident and whether Mr Maine’s death could have been prevented.
“Ultimately, the inquest will consider the issue of whether appropriately administered first aid could have prevented the death of Mr Maine,” she said.
“This inquest will explore whether nursing staff in aged care facilities are receiving sufficient training in the provision of basic life support.
“This, in turn, may equip them to execute their duties in emergencies.”
She noted Deputy State Coroner Emma Roper, who is presiding over the inquest, may not be able to make a finding about where the ribbons came from.
She said Ms Roper may consider making a recommendation, when she hands down her findings at a later date.
That would be it is “vital that nursing staff have access to and undertake regular basic life support training to ensure they can provide and execute the appropriate level of care to residents in aged care facilities in the event of an emergency.”
Tendency to ingest inedible items
The enrolled nurse who first noticed Mr Maine was unwell, Juvy Rakoia, said she realised he was “sweaty all over” and had blue fingertips after she grabbed his hand to lead him to a chair.
She sad Mr Maine was known as a wanderer with a big appetite, and staff knew from his case notes and handover discussions between staff that he had a tendency to place inedible objects in his mouth.
“It’s common knowledge that Ron would sometimes be ingesting things that are not food,” Ms Rakoia said.
She told the court that upon noticing Mr Maine was unwell she called for another staff member, registered nurse Zijad Softic.
The inquest heard Helping Hand had conducted an internal investigation after Mr Maine’s death. (ABC News: Ashlin Blieschke)
She said she checked Mr Maine’s airways but could not see anything before an oxygen mask was applied.
“We checked his mouth, we swipe it out, there’s nothing anywhere,” she said.
She said because Mr Maine did not have teeth or dentures “so you can clearly see there was nothing in his mouth”.
She said she did not think he was choking because “from what I know, choking you would be gasping for air, coughing something, he wasn’t … doing all that”.
“He was eating throughout the day so I wouldn’t really think there was any obstruction, I couldn’t see anything,” she said.
During the triple-0 call, which was played to the court, Ms Rakoia explained that Mr Maine was pale, “very sweaty” and that he was breathing, but abnormally. She also told the operator there was no defibrillator available.
Mr Softic then took the phone and told the operator he could not do CPR because Mr Maine was still breathing.
“He’s basically, what I can see, he’s dying but he’s still breathing, probably 6-10 [breaths] a minute,” he said.
Ronald Maine had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, the inquest was told. (Supplied: Jessica Maine)
He said he was reluctant to move Mr Maine from the chair.
“I can’t do any resus because he’s still breathing,” he told the operator.
Family tribute
Outside court, Mr Maine’s daughter Jessica, said her father was a “huge Crows fan” who was “actually really happy before he passed away”.
“Dementia made him a lot more smiley than previously,” she said.
She urged families to carefully select aged care for their loved ones.
“If you can’t get care from an aged care home, then how can you be sure that your family is going to be safe,” she said.
“I think people need to be aware that you really need to have a look around and find a good home for your families.”
The inquest is continuing and is expected to hear from other witnesses including a paramedic and an expert geriatrician.
Desperate Afghans clawed through rubble in the dead of the night in search of missing loved ones after a strong earthquake killed some 800 people and injured more than 2,500 in eastern Afghanistan, according to figures provided Monday by the Taliban government.The 6.0 magnitude quake late Sunday hit towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighboring Nangarhar province, causing extensive damage.The quake at 11:47 p.m. was centered 17 miles east-northeast of Jalalabad, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was just 5 miles deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage. Several aftershocks followed.Footage showed rescuers taking injured people on stretchers from collapsed buildings and into helicopters as people frantically dug through rubble with their hands.The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said at a press conference Monday that the death toll had risen to at least 800 with more than 2,500 injured. He said most of the casualties were in Kunar.Buildings in Afghanistan tend to be low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, with homes in rural and outlying areas made from mud bricks and wood. Many are poorly built.One resident in Nurgal district, one of the worst-affected areas in Kunar, said nearly the entire village was destroyed.“Children are under the rubble. The elderly are under the rubble. Young people are under the rubble,” said the villager, who did not give his name.“We need help here,” he pleaded. “We need people to come here and join us. Let us pull out the people who are buried. There is no one who can come and remove dead bodies from under the rubble.”Homes collapsed and people screamed for helpEastern Afghanistan is mountainous, with remote areas.The quake has worsened communications. Blocked roads are forcing aid workers to walk four or five hours to reach survivors. Dozens of flights have operated in and out of Nangarhar Airport, transporting the injured to hospital.One survivor described seeing homes collapse before his eyes and people screaming for help.Sadiqullah, who lives in the Maza Dara area of Nurgal, said he was woken by a deep boom that sounded like a storm approaching. Like many Afghans, he uses only one name.He ran to where his children were sleeping and rescued three of them. He was about to return to grab the rest of his family when the room fell on top of him.“I was half-buried and unable to get out,” he told The Associated Press by phone from Nangarhar Hospital. “My wife and two sons are dead, and my father is injured and in hospital with me. We were trapped for three to four hours until people from other areas arrived and pulled me out.”It felt like the whole mountain was shaking, he said.Rescue operations were underway and medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar and the capital Kabul have arrived in the area, said Sharafat Zaman, a health ministry spokesman.Zaman said many areas had not been able to report casualty figures and that “the numbers were expected to change” as deaths and injuries are reported. The chief spokesman, Mujahid, said helicopters had reached some areas but road travel was difficult.“There are some villages where the injured and dead haven’t been recovered from the rubble, so that’s why the numbers may increase,” he told journalists.The tremors were felt in neighboring PakistanFilippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said the earthquake intensified existing humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan and urged international donors to support relief efforts.“This adds death and destruction to other challenges including drought and the forced return of millions of Afghans from neighbouring countries,” Grandi wrote on the social media platform X. “Hopefully the donor community will not hesitate to support relief efforts.”A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2023, followed by strong aftershocks. The Taliban government estimated at least 4,000 people perished in that quake.The U.N. gave a far lower death toll of about 1,500. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.The latest earthquake was likely to “dwarf the scale of the humanitarian needs” caused by the disaster of 2023, according to the International Rescue Committee.Entire roads and communities have been cut off from accessing nearby towns or hospitals and 2,000 casualties were reported within the first 12 hours, said Sherine Ibrahim, the country director for the aid agency.“Although we have been able to act fast, we are profoundly fearful for the additional strain this will have on the overall humanitarian response in Afghanistan,” said Ibrahim. ” Global funding cuts have dramatically hampered our ability to respond to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.”Sunday night’s quake was felt in parts of Pakistan, including the capital Islamabad. There were no reports of casualties or damage.Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was deeply saddened by events in Afghanistan. “Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We are ready to extend all possible support in this regard,” he said on the social platform X.Pakistan has expelled tens of thousands of Afghans in the past year, many of them living in the country for decades as refugees.At least 1.2 million Afghans have been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan so far this year, according to a June report by UNHCR.
KABUL, Afghanistan —
Desperate Afghans clawed through rubble in the dead of the night in search of missing loved ones after a strong earthquake killed some 800 people and injured more than 2,500 in eastern Afghanistan, according to figures provided Monday by the Taliban government.
The 6.0 magnitude quake late Sunday hit towns in the province of Kunar, near the city of Jalalabad in neighboring Nangarhar province, causing extensive damage.
The quake at 11:47 p.m. was centered 17 miles east-northeast of Jalalabad, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was just 5 miles deep. Shallower quakes tend to cause more damage. Several aftershocks followed.
Footage showed rescuers taking injured people on stretchers from collapsed buildings and into helicopters as people frantically dug through rubble with their hands.
The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said at a press conference Monday that the death toll had risen to at least 800 with more than 2,500 injured. He said most of the casualties were in Kunar.
Buildings in Afghanistan tend to be low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, with homes in rural and outlying areas made from mud bricks and wood. Many are poorly built.
One resident in Nurgal district, one of the worst-affected areas in Kunar, said nearly the entire village was destroyed.
“Children are under the rubble. The elderly are under the rubble. Young people are under the rubble,” said the villager, who did not give his name.
“We need help here,” he pleaded. “We need people to come here and join us. Let us pull out the people who are buried. There is no one who can come and remove dead bodies from under the rubble.”
Homes collapsed and people screamed for help
Eastern Afghanistan is mountainous, with remote areas.
The quake has worsened communications. Blocked roads are forcing aid workers to walk four or five hours to reach survivors. Dozens of flights have operated in and out of Nangarhar Airport, transporting the injured to hospital.
One survivor described seeing homes collapse before his eyes and people screaming for help.
Sadiqullah, who lives in the Maza Dara area of Nurgal, said he was woken by a deep boom that sounded like a storm approaching. Like many Afghans, he uses only one name.
He ran to where his children were sleeping and rescued three of them. He was about to return to grab the rest of his family when the room fell on top of him.
“I was half-buried and unable to get out,” he told The Associated Press by phone from Nangarhar Hospital. “My wife and two sons are dead, and my father is injured and in hospital with me. We were trapped for three to four hours until people from other areas arrived and pulled me out.”
It felt like the whole mountain was shaking, he said.
Rescue operations were underway and medical teams from Kunar, Nangarhar and the capital Kabul have arrived in the area, said Sharafat Zaman, a health ministry spokesman.
Zaman said many areas had not been able to report casualty figures and that “the numbers were expected to change” as deaths and injuries are reported. The chief spokesman, Mujahid, said helicopters had reached some areas but road travel was difficult.
“There are some villages where the injured and dead haven’t been recovered from the rubble, so that’s why the numbers may increase,” he told journalists.
The tremors were felt in neighboring Pakistan
Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, said the earthquake intensified existing humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan and urged international donors to support relief efforts.
“This adds death and destruction to other challenges including drought and the forced return of millions of Afghans from neighbouring countries,” Grandi wrote on the social media platform X. “Hopefully the donor community will not hesitate to support relief efforts.”
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2023, followed by strong aftershocks. The Taliban government estimated at least 4,000 people perished in that quake.
The U.N. gave a far lower death toll of about 1,500. It was the deadliest natural disaster to strike Afghanistan in recent memory.
The latest earthquake was likely to “dwarf the scale of the humanitarian needs” caused by the disaster of 2023, according to the International Rescue Committee.
Entire roads and communities have been cut off from accessing nearby towns or hospitals and 2,000 casualties were reported within the first 12 hours, said Sherine Ibrahim, the country director for the aid agency.
“Although we have been able to act fast, we are profoundly fearful for the additional strain this will have on the overall humanitarian response in Afghanistan,” said Ibrahim. ” Global funding cuts have dramatically hampered our ability to respond to the ongoing humanitarian crisis.”
Sunday night’s quake was felt in parts of Pakistan, including the capital Islamabad. There were no reports of casualties or damage.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he was deeply saddened by events in Afghanistan. “Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We are ready to extend all possible support in this regard,” he said on the social platform X.
Pakistan has expelled tens of thousands of Afghans in the past year, many of them living in the country for decades as refugees.
At least 1.2 million Afghans have been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan so far this year, according to a June report by UNHCR.
Leader in emergency call handling announces new name and reinforces commitment to supporting telecommunicators.
SARASOTA, Fla., October 28, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– PowerPhone, a leading provider of 911 call handling solutions, is excited to announce its official rebrand to Total Response. This name change reflects the company’s evolution from a pioneer in telecommunicator training to a comprehensive provider of innovative software solutions designed to improve emergency response outcomes.
Founded in 1984, PowerPhone has trained over 500,000 dispatchers across the United States and set the standard for emergency call handling. Under the leadership of founder Phil Salafia, the company was the first to develop structured police and fire protocols that revolutionized the role of the telecommunicator. Over the past four decades, PowerPhone has built a legacy of excellence, training dispatchers to manage some of the most complex and challenging emergency situations with confidence.
As the company’s capabilities expanded, so did its product offering. Total Response, its customizable protocol software, was developed to meet the growing needs of Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) nationwide. Today, over 700 PSAPs use Total Response to streamline emergency call handling for police, fire, and EMS, ensuring faster, smarter, and safer outcomes.
“The name Total Response reflects our commitment to providing a comprehensive approach to emergency communications,” said Chris Salafia, CEO of Total Response. “We’re building on the legacy of PowerPhone while embracing the future with a name that captures the breadth of our solutions and our ongoing mission to save lives.”
The new name marks the company’s next chapter, but its core mission remains the same: to equip 911 dispatchers with the tools they need to manage emergencies with precision and care. Total Response will continue to deliver industry-leading solutions to public safety agencies, ensuring every call is handled efficiently and effectively.
PowerPhone announces their integration with SmartCOP’s SmartCAD with Total Response 911 protocol software. This integration gives PSAPs using SmartCAD a seamless and unparalleled flow of information between the two systems, allowing for call takers to dispatch emergency responses quickly and efficiently.
MADISON, Conn., June 3, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– PowerPhone, a leading provider of 911 protocol software, is pleased to announce the integration of SmartCOP into its suite of CAD partners. This partnership further highlights PowerPhone’s commitment to providing smart and efficient solutions for 911 centers across the country.
Designed to be seamless, the integration between PowerPhone’s Total Response 911 protocol software and SmartCOP allows PSAPs to benefit from the combined capabilities of both systems without any disruptions to their workflow.
SmartCOP’s CAD system SmartCAD, is renowned for its ability to cater to multiple jurisdictions and disciplines within public safety, including law enforcement, fire, EMS, and other agencies. Its advanced features and user-friendly interface make it a valuable addition to PowerPhone’s growing list of integrated CAD partners.
Greg Sheehan, Vice President of Product at PowerPhone, expressed his enthusiasm for the new partnership, stating, “This partnership streamlines the flow of information between the two systems. With Total Response guiding call takers through over 80 different complaint types, 911 centers using SmartCAD in conjunction with our system can expect improved operational efficiency and better response outcomes.”
“At SmartCOP, we’re dedicated to empowering dispatch centers with cutting-edge solutions that prioritize efficiency and accuracy. Total Response seamlessly integrates into SmartCAD, offering dispatchers a game-changing tool to ensure consistency in gathering crucial information during emergency calls,” says Shane Lincke, Vice President Product Strategy at SmartCOP. “This integration isn’t just a great addition – it’s a vital asset for dispatch centers committed to delivering top-tier service and safeguarding their communities.”
“The integration enables 911 centers using SmartCAD and Total Response to access critical information and resources more efficiently, ultimately improving their ability to respond to emergencies quickly and effectively. With the transfer of critical details gathered from SmartCOP’s CAD, call takers and on-scene responders are given unrivaled insight into scene conditions before their arrival,” continues Sheehan. “Our goal is to help 911 PSAPs keep everyone as safe as possible by capturing information as thoroughly and quickly as possible.”
With the addition of SmartCOP, PowerPhone now has nearly 50 integrated CAD partners. The company remains committed to providing innovative solutions that empower 911 centers to deliver the highest level of service to their communities, every call, every time.
For more information about PowerPhone and its integrated partners, visit www.powerphone.com
A series of violent storms caused tornadoes and damaging weather conditions, stretching from the South to the Ohio Valley, resulting in at least three fatalities and numerous injuries.
In Pennsylvania, two individuals lost their lives due to falling trees amid the storms on Wednesday, as per a report by CNN affiliate WPVI. A tree falling on their vehicles while they were driving resulted in the death of an 82-year-old woman in Collegeville and a 70-year-old man in Aston Township, officials informed WPVI.
Kentucky witnessed the death of at least one person due to the harsh storms on Tuesday, as announced by Governor Andy Beshear. The victim died in a vehicle crash in Campbell County amid severe weather conditions. Governor Beshear declared a state of emergency statewide on Tuesday following significant storm damage, especially in the Lexington area, although no other deaths or serious injuries were reported in the state.
Injuries in Indiana, State of Emergency in West Virginia
The storms also injured at least 10 individuals in Jeffersonville, Indiana, located just north of Louisville, according to the town’s mayor speaking to CNN affiliate WLKY.
West Virginia’s Governor, Jim Justice, declared a state of emergency Tuesday for multiple counties, including Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, and Nicholas, due to the storms causing “flooding, downed trees, power outages, and road blockages”. Kevin Walker, the director of Fayette County, West Virginia’s Office of Emergency Management, reported that at least 13 homes suffered damage and some residents were injured, though the injuries were not life-threatening.
Tornadoes and Damages Across Multiple States
Between Tuesday and Wednesday morning, 16 tornadoes were reported across Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia, along with numerous reports of damaging winds, some reaching over 100 mph in Kentucky.
In Georgia, a tornado significantly damaged Conyers, southeast of Atlanta, early Wednesday morning. The storm caused a tree to fall on a teen’s car, who was then rescued and hospitalized. The National Weather Service office in Peachtree City classified the tornado as EF2, with a path length of approximately 9.5 miles and a width of 800 yards, featuring winds up to 115 mph.
An elementary school in Ohio was severely damaged by a storm, with Fairland West Elementary in Proctorville facing destruction. Fortunately, students were on spring break at the time. Over in West Virginia, more than 53,000 utility customers were left without power after strong winds swept through the state.
In Tennessee, a funeral home and several homes suffered damage in Sunbright due to the storm system, which included two tornadoes on Tuesday. A tornado in Sunbright was rated EF1 by the National Weather Service after a damage assessment.
Oklahoma experienced structural damage in Barnsdall from four tornadoes on Monday. Homes, garages, and roofs suffered damage, according to Barnsdall Police. Missouri also saw three tornadoes on Monday, as reported by the Storm Prediction Center.
In southern Indiana, high winds or a possible tornado caused several vehicles to flip over on Interstate 265, resulting in minor injuries, according to Indiana State Police in Sellersburg.
The storm system continues to pose a threat of tornadoes, strong winds, and large hail across the Southeast and East Coast, from Florida to the mid-Atlantic, affecting over 30 million people.
Nine individuals lost their lives and over 800 were injured in a devastating earthquake in Taiwan on Wednesday, which also caused significant damage to numerous buildings. This event led to tsunami alerts being issued across Japan and the Philippines, though these were later retracted.
Authorities have described this earthquake as the most severe to impact the island in many years, with expectations of further seismic activity to follow.
Thanks to rigorous construction standards and a general awareness of disaster preparedness, a greater disaster was likely averted on the island, which is prone to seismic events due to its location near the convergence of two tectonic plates.
This quake, with a magnitude of 7.4, is noted as the most significant since a 7.6 magnitude quake in September 1999, which resulted in approximately 2,400 fatalities, marking it as the most tragic natural disaster in the island’s recent history.
The quake struck just before 8:00 am local time (0000 GMT), with the US Geological Survey (USGS) identifying the epicenter 18 kilometers south of Hualien City, at a depth of 34.8 kilometers.
Among the casualties were three hikers, part of a group of seven, who were fatally struck by falling rocks during an early morning trek in the surrounding hills of the city. Additionally, falling rocks caused the deaths of the drivers of a truck and a car, and one individual perished at a mining site.
While specific details on the other three fatalities were not immediately provided, the National Fire Agency confirmed that all deaths occurred in Hualien county and reported 882 injuries, without detailing their severity.
Footage and images circulating on social media depicted the country’s buildings swaying during the quake.
“There was intense shaking; things were falling off the walls, my TV, and my liquor cabinet,”
Local television displayed images of buildings in Hualien and other locations leaning post-quake, and footage of a warehouse in New Taipei City collapsing.
More than 50 individuals were rescued from the debris of the collapsed structure, as reported by the mayor of the city.
Efforts were underway to clear debris and rocks blocking the primary route to Hualien, a coastal city encircled by mountains, which had been isolated due to landslides.
With the main access roads running through a series of robust tunnels, officials estimated up to 120 individuals could be trapped in vehicles within these tunnels.
“We need to ascertain the number of individuals trapped and ensure their swift rescue.”
Stated Lai Ching-te, the president-elect and current Vice-President, in Hualien.
Efforts were also being made to restore the primary railway line along the east coast, which had been disrupted in several locations.
President Tsai Ing-wen urged for collaboration between local and central government agencies and announced military support.
Regional Impact
Following the earthquake, tsunami warnings were issued in Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines but were withdrawn by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center by 10 am (0200 GMT), stating the threat had largely subsided.
In Taipei, the metro service was temporarily suspended but resumed after an hour, and residents received advisories to check for gas leaks.
Situated near the junction of two tectonic plates, Taiwan frequently experiences earthquakes, as does Japan, which records about 1,500 seismic events annually.
In China’s Fujian province and elsewhere, social media users reported feeling the quake’s tremors.
Hong Kong residents also felt the earthquake, with China expressing readiness to offer disaster relief to Taiwan, which it views as a part of its territory.
Operations at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the leading chip manufacturer globally, were momentarily disrupted, and construction activities at new sites were paused for the day.
While the region often experiences mild quakes, their impact varies based on the depth and location of the epicenter beneath the Earth’s surface.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., July 27, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Advanced Network Devices (ANetD), the leading maker of IP devices for mass notification, and Audio Enhancement, the leading provider of voice amplification systems have integrated technologies to provide solutions that enhance school safety and student learning. With the integration, Audio Enhancement customers are able to streamline communications by leveraging ANetD’s IP displays to capture the attention of students and staff with audible and visual messaging. Advanced Network Devices and Audio Enhancement are delivering an integrated solution for effective day-to-day and emergency communications and enhanced student comprehension and learning.
ANetD IP devices are easily configured through Audio Enhancement’s EPIC System. Once configured, bell schedules, messages, visual messages, and emergency alerts can be set up through EPIC. More than ever, schools must prepare for emergency events by ensuring they can provide clear instructions and efficiently involve first responders. Installed throughout schools, ANetD IP displays effectively reach large audiences with multi-color text, graphics, and flashers that capture the attention of students and staff including those that are hearing or visually impaired.
“Our IP displays have worked side-by-side with Audio Enhancement within classrooms around the country. It made sense for our companies to offer customers a fully integrated solution, leveraging each company’s strengths. A teacher with an Audio Enhancement mic can easily trigger an alert that communicates through our displays or immediately initiates lockdown. This is a timesaver,” said Abel Juarez, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for ANetD.
Audio Enhancement’s President & CEO Jeff Anderson added: “Audio Enhancement has long sought partners with the same commitment to improving the learning environment for students, faculty, and staff that we have had for more than 45 years. ANetD’s IP endpoints and the ANetD team are a great complement to our EPIC platform, and together we can provide a fully integrated solution to the K-12 market that can impact educational outcomes daily. We are excited about this partnership and look forward to helping schools throughout the country.”
About Advanced Network Devices As a leading maker of IP endpoints for mass notification, ANetD sets the standard for quality, reliability, and performance. Its devices are installed within a wide range of facilities, within K-12, higher-ed, healthcare, government, corporate, and industrial. ANetD is an engineering-centric company with more than 20 years of experience in audio and video technology related to networking, notification, and security. For more information, visit AnetD.com.
About Audio Enhancement Audio Enhancement has served the K-12 market exclusively for more than 45 years. Its mission is to create more effective schools through improving technology and the learning environment. The EPIC System is a foundational solution built specifically for Education. EPIC System provides an inside look into campuses leveraging an interactive platform accessible via a web browser and mobile app. Using EPIC System to intercom, page, and create customizable notifications/bells, faculty can make changes on the fly minimizing campus interruptions. For more information, visit audioenhancement.com.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., May 31, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Advanced Network Devices (ANetD), the leading maker of IP endpoint devices for mass notification systems, is proud to announce its latest security offering for education facilities, Vigilar GSD. As of May 31, 2023, new customers purchasing ANetD IP speakers or displays can further safeguard their facility by adding on Vigilar GSD gunshot detection technology.
Now more than ever, educational facilities throughout the United States are facing safety and security concerns surrounding gun violence, with the gnawing fear in every teacher, parent, and student continuing to grow with each horrific incident. It is imperative that school districts and campuses have not only an emergency response plan in place but also technology that can instantly detect and notify first responders within seconds of a fired gunshot. Vigilar GSD is designed to do just that. Vigilar GSD leverages the network of ANetD IP speakers and displays, having built-in sensors and installed in numbers throughout a building, to detect and localize a gunshot, then send an audio verification recording to a designated building administrator. Once a gunshot is verified, an administrator can take action including building lockdown and notification of law enforcement through a Vigilar GSD integration partner software such as Singlewire‘s InformaCast Fusion. Every second counts during an active shooter emergency. Vigilar GSD provides nearly 100% accuracy in the detection of a gunshot so as to eliminate guesswork and streamline the involvement of first responders upon their arrival at the scene.
“Vigilar GSD really takes advantage of how our endpoints are installed within a facility. They’re used for everything from paging and intercom to broadcasting of emergency communications and they’re installed everywhere. It just makes sense for our customers to add a feature that truly benefits from this endpoint coverage and that adds an important layer of protection to the facility,” said Abel Juarez, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Advanced Network Devices.
Vigilar GSD was designed by experts in machine learning at Advanced Network Devices’ parent company Digital Design Corporation (DDC). DDC is an engineering consulting and technology company with expertise in developing life-protection technology for the U.S. military. This expertise has been leveraged to develop and integrate Vigilar GSD into Advanced Network Devices IP speakers and displays, which provide an all-in-one solution for paging, intercom, and mass notification alerts in both audible and visual formats.
In May 2022, disabled student Anja, 16, was in her school’s cafeteria, completely unaware that a student was headed toward her high school in Chicago with a gun.
Fortunately, the police apprehended the armed student before an active shooting could break out.
But Anja was terrified after hearing about the threat. She knew too well that, as a disabled student, she would not have been protected if that situation had escalated.
“The next day, I kept looking over my shoulder because I couldn’t shake the feeling that something would happen again,” Anja told HuffPost in an email interview. “And if it did, I knew there was no protocol or system in place to actually protect me.”
The K-12 School Shooting Database, run by The Violence Project, a nonprofit gun violence research center, has tracked 118 school shootings so far in 2023, with 85 fatalities or injuries on school property from gun-related incidents.
Schools across the U.S. have pre-planned emergency preparedness protocols for what to do in the event of emergencies such as active shooter threats, fires and natural disasters. But disabled students, as well as disabled teachers and staff, are consistently left out of such emergency preparedness plans, according to disability advocates.
HuffPost spoke to disabled students who detailed the consequences of schools discounting their needs and lives in emergency plans and discussed what needs to be done to ensure safety in these life-or-death moments.
During school shooting drills, students typically practice hiding in classrooms or designated areas of the building, where they’re told to remain silent. Federal agencies advise students to take a “run, hide and fight” approach in the event of a real school shooting.
These protocols and evacuation plans often ignore disabled people’s needs, which says a lot about how the people who create such plans value disabled lives, said Katherine Yoder, executive director of the Adult Advocacy Centers, an organization dedicated to improving access, care and equity for adults with disabilities who are victims of crime.
Yoder notes that in a real shooting, students who use wheelchairs might not be able to hide easily from a shooter. Students who experience overstimulation in loud, energetic or stressful situations might not be able to remain silent without the appropriate sensory tools.
According to the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, disabled and multiply marginalized people are disproportionately impacted in disasters, emergencies and crises. Data reveals that disabled people are two to four times more likely to die or be injured in natural disasters or conflict situations than nondisabled people.
The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies works directly with communities to provide support in creating disability-inclusive disaster response, planning and services.
“Active shooter protocols need to better support disabled students by actually considering disabled students,” Anja said.
She continued: “It seems basic, and it is, but the country clearly needs to start with the basics and start considering that protocols need to be updated to consider students with disabilities. Even better, protocols should be designed with the needs of students with disabilities in mind first, so we don’t have to feel like afterthoughts.”
Emergency Evacuation Plans Treat Disabled Lives As An Afterthought
Beyond the lack of school shooting protocols in place for disabled students, advocates say disabled lives are often treated as an afterthought in other emergency situations, too.
Public elementary and secondary schools are required by law to develop a formal plan to support disabled students. A 504 plan, created for students who have a disability identified under the law, outlines specific accommodations needed to ensure academic success and access to the learning environment. IEPs are plans that lay out special education instructions and related support and services for disabled students.
But these plans don’t always outline emergency evacuation protocols for disabled students. For example, high school student Madison, 15, from Pembroke Pines, Florida, told HuffPost that a protocol was never outlined in her 504 plan. Instead, she found out what the protocol was just hours before the first fire drill of her freshman year.
“I happened to be in the office and they told me ahead of time… ‘Oh, by the way, there’s going to be a fire drill sometime today and the plan for you is really just to wait. If you’re upstairs, just wait in the stairwell,’” Madison told HuffPost. “Once that happened, I just waited in the stairwell and one of the security guards came down and explained the plan to me.”
Madison with her mother, Jennifer, outside their home in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
Scott McIntyre for HuffPost
When these plans do include directions for disabled students, the protocols vary, depending on the student and their needs. But advocates say most schools have protocols requiring disabled students to shelter in place and wait inside the building for emergency personnel to rescue them.
This was the emergency evacuation plan for author Emily Ladau back when she was in high school in Long Island, New York, in 2005. Ladau, who is a wheelchair user, was given three options in the event of a real emergency, which were decided upon during her 504 plan meetings: Shelter in place, find the strongest teacher and have them carry her down the stairs, or go to a window to have first responders help her out of the building once they arrived.
“Their emergency plan was really to not have an emergency plan. It really made me feel like they couldn’t be bothered to protect me, and it was very much every person for themselves. I felt more like a burden than someone who was worthy of being protected,” Ladau told HuffPost.
Ladau recounted a fearful moment when the fire alarm went off unexpectedly, and she had to shelter in place with a teacher, not knowing if there was actually a fire or not.
“The teacher tried to make me feel better, and she said, ‘Don’t worry, the doors on the classrooms are supposed to have a three-hour burn time,’” Ladau said. “That has stuck with me since that moment, because I feel like I was essentially told ‘Hopefully, they’ll get you within three hours, otherwise, you could just burn with the door.’”
Today, over a decade since Ladau was in high school and in the wake of ongoing gun violence affecting students nationwide, shelter-in-place protocols remain a common emergency practice for disabled students in schools across the country. But the execution of these plans is often flawed, or the protocols are simply not practiced, resulting in unpreparedness.
“Their emergency plan was really to not have an emergency plan. It really made me feel like they couldn’t be bothered to protect me, and it was very much every person for themselves.”
– Emily Ladau, author
Back in Chicago, Anja said that the only emergency protocol in place for her at her school is a fire evacuation plan that requires her to wait in the designated “area of rescue assistance” until the fire department comes to help her evacuate. She notes that an adult is supposed to be in the rescue area to make sure all of the disabled students are safe and to communicate with the fire department over an intercom.
But when the fire alarm went off one day last semester, the evacuation didn’t go as planned.
Upon hearing the alarm, Anja tried to go to the rescue area, per protocol. But she ended up getting stuck in her wheelchair behind a locked door. Fortunately, a teacher saw her and unlocked the door. Anja then continued to the rescue area, only to find that there were no adults in the room, which meant the fire department didn’t know she was in there.
“Luckily, it was only another few minutes until everyone started coming back into the building and everything ended up OK,” Anja said, noting that it was likely a false alarm rather than a real fire. “But that experience has really stuck with me because it showed how vulnerable I really am in emergency situations.”
“None of the protocol is well executed, or designed with me in mind,” Anja added. “In fact, the protocol is designed so far without mein mind that it allows for me to be left behind.”
Anja’s school did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on the incident.
Madison has a similar emergency evacuation plan as Anja, in which she has to wait in the stairwell for the firefighters to rescue her — all while her peers get to evacuate before her. The evacuation plan makes her feel unsafe, she said, especially given the rise of school shootings happening around the country,
“With all the school shootings, I have no way of evacuating down the stairs. I’m in a motorized wheelchair, and I obviously can’t go down the stairs. So I have to wait and just hope, and it doesn’t make me feel safe,” Madison said.
Attempts To Fix Emergency Evacuation Protocols
When it comes to fixing emergency preparation and management practices anywhere, changes tend to be very reactive, rather than proactive.
Disability rights advocate Julia Wolhandler, who has a background in inclusive and accessible emergency management pertaining to natural disasters, told HuffPost that there is often a lot of “red tape” that gets in the way of making progress and reform.
“It’s always, ‘I’ve got to contact and approve it through this person,’” Wolhandler said. “So it often just is forgotten about, or there’s so much time that’s passed in between trying to change things that sometimes change just doesn’t take place until something horrible happens.”
Over the past few decades, disabled people have spoken out about the need for better protocols for evacuating high-rise buildings in the event of an emergency — a major issue that has drastically impacted the disability community in the past.
According to a 2001 article by New Mobility, a few wheelchair users working in the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, were carried down to safety in emergency evacuation chairs when the towers were attacked. But most others decided to do what was expected of them: remain in place and wait for someone to rescue them.
The outcomes of that horrific life-or-death moment were drastically different for the people who used evacuation chairs versus the people who waited. Those who used the evacuation chairs lived.
Even after the horrifying incidents that occurred on 9/11, emergency planning continued to fail disabled people across the country.
In 2011, the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled filed a class-action lawsuit against New York City, alleging that the city’s emergency preparedness plans were noncompliant with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and failed to address the needs of its 900,000 disabled residents.
The trial, which took place in 2013, illuminated the lack of evacuation systems for large groups in high-rise buildings, ineffective communication systems in emergencies and inaccessible public transportation in emergency evacuations, among other gaps in planning. A federal judge ruled that New York City had discriminated against disabled people by failing to plan for their needs in such large-scale disasters.
Following that major victory, disability advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against Washington, D.C., for alleged deficiencies regarding emergency evacuations for disabled people during large-scale disasters.
After years of negotiations, a settlement agreement was reached in 2019, in which the city agreed to a comprehensive emergency plan to meet the needs of disabled people in the event of natural disasters, terrorist attacks and more. After the settlement, Wolhandler even worked with a school for disabled kids to help create an evacuation plan that was effective for them and could then be replicated for the rest of Washington, D.C.
How Can Emergency Evacuation Protocols Be Improved For Disabled Students?
With the continual surge in school shootings in the U.S., advocates emphasize the need for efforts at both the local and federal levels to address failures in emergency protocols for disabled students.
While attending a camp run by the disability nonprofit EmpowHer Network last summer, Madison began working on a local project to address issues with emergency evacuation protocols at her school in Florida. Madison has met with her school’s principal to discuss the idea of installing evacuation chairs in the building and will be meeting with the district soon to discuss approval for the project.
“Ideally, I believe that there should be an evacuation chair on every floor of the building,” she said. “It’s really not safe for us just to be able to wait. That’s excluding us from the safety plan to evacuate.”
Some U.S. schools have installed evacuation chairs that help students with physical or mobility disabilities go downstairs during an evacuation, which can make all the difference in a life-or-death moment.
Madison recently surveyed 501 disabled students — more than half of whom were in grades K-12 — about their emergency evacuation plans. According to results that were shared with HuffPost, 45% of students had an emergency evacuation protocol involving waiting in an “area of refuge,” 22% had a plan to use an evacuation chair and 31% had no plan to evacuate offered to them.
Madison’s mother, Jennifer, brushes her hair at their home in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
Scott McIntyre for HuffPost
Meanwhile, at the federal level, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) introduced three bills on March 30 that aim to make educational settings — K-12 schools and higher education institutions — more accessible to disabled students and help ensure their safety at school through better emergency procedures and training.
The Promoting Responsible Emergency Protocols (PREP) For All Students Act, for example, emphasizes that a “one-size fits all” approach to these protocols is inadequate. The PREP Act would ensure that public schools, education centers and higher education institutions have tools to create inclusive emergency preparedness protocols.
The bill would also establish a federal advisory council composed of federal agencies, youth with disabilities, educators and advocates “to develop guidelines and recommendations for the implementation of accessible, developmentally appropriate, culturally aware, and trauma-informed emergency preparedness protocols.”
Wolhandler said she’s particularly excited to see that disabled youth will be included in the conversation since disabled people who have lived through these experiences will have valuable insight into how to address these issues.
“When I was growing up, we definitely had evacuations for threats. But we did not experience what today’s students are experiencing,” Wolhandler said. “No one knows except those students that are going through it. So if they’re truly being invited to the table as part of this potential bill, then I totally applaud that.”
“It just makes me sad to think that we need a law to tell people that disabled lives are worth protecting.”
– Ladau
But advocates worry that the bill lags in some areas, such as by failing to include emergency personnel in the discussions, as well as training so that emergency workers can learn how to best support disabled students in these situations.
Wolhandler thinks that emergency personnel should be included, but said they should only be there to listen, rather than actively shaping policy for evacuating disabled students in emergency situations since they don’t have the relevant or lived experiences that disabled students and educators have.
Meanwhile, Ladau worries that these emergency preparedness bills will be used as a Band-Aid attempt to address gun violence without pushing for stronger gun control legislation.
Still, she believes the legislation is long overdue and is grateful that it has been proposed.
“It just makes me sad to think that we need a law to tell people that disabled lives are worth protecting,” Ladau said. “I’m glad it exists. I wish it didn’t have to.”
It’s already been said, but the emergency ‘plan’ for disabled kids is to let us die. Not even in active shooter scenarios, but also fires. My most poignant example happened when I was in the AAPD intern class of 2019 and campus cops left us for an hour during a 3am fire alarm 🧵
As legislation advances, advocates say there are immediate actions that can be taken to address safety concerns. Yoder said that people should make sure emergency protocols are explicitly written into and carried out in IEP plans. Additionally, technology and tools that support the disability community in these situations can be improved.
Yoder suggests that schools hire disabled actors to reenact emergency scenarios, as has been done with mock car crashes, to ensure that students, staff and emergency personnel know what to do in these situations.
But there also needs to be action in the aftermath of disasters and shootings, said Yoder, who holds degrees in social psychology and criminal justice. She said that having trauma counselors who are equipped and trained to work with disabled people is important but often gets left out of the discussions that take place after disasters or shootings.
Studies show that people who live through a disaster or traumatic experience such as a shooting exhibit emotional instability, stress reactions, anxiety, trauma and other psychological symptoms. Research also shows that people living with disabilities, including people with mental illness, were four times more likely to attempt suicide than individuals without a disability or mental illness.
But according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, disabled people face numerous barriers to mental health care, including practitioners who hold ableist perceptions about disability. Yoder notes that counselors are often made available to students following a traumatic event but don’t have expertise in disability.
“A lot of times, we hear back that the counselors don’t have expertise in that disability. And so it really comes down to … not just looking at it, like, ‘Oh, it’s too bad that this ended up happening, we have the support for the other kids, but we don’t have to offer it for the kids with the disabilities,’” Yoder said.
She continued: “We’re all interconnected, and the only way to really provide holistic services after this is to include all the students because every experience is going to be different, but the path to healing has to be just as individualized.”
Advocates for the disability community maintain that finding solutions to emergency evacuation issues involves engaging with and including all disabled people — especially those with intersectional identities. Yoder emphasized that disabled people are great at coming up with creative and innovative solutions that can be implemented and adapted on the spur of the moment during emergencies.
“When it comes to adapting things and thinking outside the box,” Yoder said, “it’s a skill set that all of us who are in the [disability] community have, mostly because it’s a survival skill.”
PORTLAND, Ore., May 17, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– Over the past two years, operators working in Oregon’s 211info call center have handled a myriad of crises – extreme weather events, historic wildfires, a housing crisis – all set against the backdrop of and exacerbated by a global pandemic.
The team at 211info has served as Oregon Health Authority’s go-to public information line for COVID-19 testing, vaccines, wildfire evacuation response, and more. In addition to emergency statewide support, 211info has answered the call for tens of thousands of families across the state who struggle to find food, shelter, childcare, and financial assistance on a daily basis.
Kerry Hoeschen recently stepped into the role of Statewide Emergency Management Director, where she leads 211info’s emergency planning, processes and partnerships. Like two-thirds of the organization’s staff, Hoeschen came aboard after COVID-19 had reached Oregon.
While many calls Hoeschen and her team take are straightforward referral and information requests, others take an especially heavy toll on operators. She says, “The nature of the work means that more often than not, staff members don’t get to find out the outcome. The lack of closure can be really tough.”
“There are calls that sit with you because there’s just no help or no good help available – either because the resources aren’t there or the person is completely incapable of accessing them,” she explains.
Anthony Bencivengo has been taking calls for 211info since 2019 and currently works the after-hours line: “Sometimes I lie up at night wondering how many of the people I talked to today were actually able to get the help that they needed.”
Kelly Wheeler is 211info’s Emergency Programs Manager. Wheeler and her team take calls and track unmet needs across the state in relation to homeless services. She says it helps her to remember where 211info fits into the ecosystem of support services and to communicate resource gaps with the right agencies. “I try to remind myself we did all we can do. We’re just one piece of this…[And] we can show the state that these are the programs that need funding.”
Elected officials and policymakers from the local to state level rely on 211info for this data and gap analysis to better understand what is happening across Oregon.
The Oregon Legislature recently approved an additional $2M in funding to ensure 211info is able to continue to operate 24/7. Hoeschen says the additional funding means they have a team that’s prepared and ready to produce a robust and quick response for the next crisis that hits Oregon.
“Extreme weather events happen when they happen – and it’s not on our schedule,” says Hoeschen, noting Oregon’s recent historic April snowfall. “This funding means that if there’s a substantial earthquake at 11:58 p.m., someone is available to answer that line. It means we’ll be there.”
Help for the Helpers
While two-thirds of 211info’s staff have come on as a result of the pandemic, staff members like Wheeler – who has been with the nonprofit for almost 10 years – remember what it was like pre-COVID: “Things felt smaller and lighter in the ‘before-times’ and, although heavier now, are more impactful.”
Wheeler acknowledges that the work can be very stressful but says it helps to know she’s making an impact on the lives of those in her community.
Bencivengo agrees. “Self-care is extremely important in this job. I really make a point of taking good care of myself and giving myself time to clear my mind.” For Bencivengo, that means going for a walk after work each day and finding connections via 211info’s employee affinity groups. “The LGBTQ+ and Spanish Speakers affinity groups meet once a month and are an appreciated oasis,” Bencivengo adds.
Bencivengo, Hoeschen, and Wheeler describe a supportive work environment where team members are encouraged to prioritize their own mental health. One call center manager begins each shift by leading his team through yoga stretches. Others send around funny animal videos and memes. Client kudos and thank-you messages are shared broadly with staff, and 211info offers all of its employees mental health days and an additional week of paid time off.
Hoeschen also recognizes the importance of celebrating the wins. She recalls walking a 75-year-old through the vaccine enrollment process. “She was very emotional at the prospect of being reunited with her grandkids after almost two years.”
Hoeschen says the team has fielded many calls just like this one: “We saw a lot with vaccine roll-out, especially with the older population. Our team essentially became tech support.”
Bencivengo says they’ve learned how to empathize and comfort and help people find solutions. “This job teaches you a lot about how to work with people. It’s grown my heart and it’s grown my empathy. I wouldn’t have chosen anything else to be doing with my last couple of years.”
Bencivengo says some of the most gratifying calls are from people who have used the service before. “I recently took a call from someone who said they called us when they first came to Oregon, looking for emergency shelter and again when they were looking for help with a security deposit and access to stable housing. The third time they reached out they were housed and had kids and were now looking for childcare. Each time they called, they were in a better place – and each time they’d gotten resources.”
More to Give
Bencivengo currently works the after-hours line and says the work has taught them a lot about the realities of living with a very low income. “For a while I did both 211 and tenant organizing with an all-volunteer tenant union, helping tenants understand and advocate for their rights. I also worked with tenants to push for legislative change and to organize unions in their buildings. I found it deeply cathartic to help people navigate within the system while also working to change the system,” Bencivengo explains, adding, “I think it’s important to understand how the system is working on the ground. I feel like I’m much better prepared to work for systemic change.”
For many of the frontline workers taking calls, this work is deeply personal. Wheeler’s brother has experienced bouts of homelessness and substance abuse.
During one of Oregon’s extreme cold events, Wheeler’s team member James helped an unhoused individual with transportation to a shelter: “We were having trouble finding this person as they were walking around to stay warm. They had also indicated that they have congestive heart failure, which makes the cold weather potentially life-threatening.
“I was watching the chat and noticed that this person was in my neighborhood, within a few blocks of my home,” James recalls. “I asked our management team if I could go find this person and wait with them until transportation arrived. This is not our normal protocol, but I felt the risk involved and the proximity to me warranted taking other steps.”
James connected the individual to 211info’s homeless services and mobile housing teams. A week later, the individual recognized James and approached him with a message of gratitude: “You saved my life.”
It’s these experiences that keep the 211info team coming back day after day. Wheeler put it simply: “As long as I have something to offer, I’m going to keep doing this work.”
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About 211info: 211info is a nonprofit organization funded by state and municipal contracts, foundations, United Ways, donations and community partners in Oregon and Southwest Washington. As Oregon Health Authority’s designated COVID-19 hotline for the state, 211info also serves as a central resource for residents looking for information about COVID-19. Learn more at211info.org.
CARLSBAD, Calif., September 9, 2021 (Newswire.com)
– Expedition Communications, an end-to-end systems integrator specializing in satellite, has been in growth mode since early 2019. The continued success has positioned the company well to acquire competitor and adjacent market player Mobil Satellite Technologies.
Established in 1996, Mobil Satellite Technologies honed its expertise in satellite television and expanded into public and private IP products, Public Safety solutions, and much more. The overlapping areas of similarities, combined with expanded vertical reach, strengthen Expedition Communications’ position in the market as a major end-to-end satellite-focused telecom competitor.
Over the past 10 years, Expedition Communications has seen rapid growth across all lines of business, specifically in the enterprise Business Continuity and Public Safety sectors. The company has strategically focused on expanding its team and deepening its areas of expertise. These areas include enterprise systems integrations, VSAT installation & maintenance, Business Continuity, and Public Safety.
“We’ve built a strong reputation for being fast and nimble to reach our goals and to serve our customers. Acquiring MobilSat was the next step in our evolution and was the right move for us in efforts to expand our portfolio and enable new opportunities and solutions for our customers, “said Dean Eldridge, President and CEO of Expedition Communications.
Both the industry and existing customers will benefit from the deal. With the acquisition, Expedition Communications will expand deeper into state and local first responder agencies and offer a more complete end-to-end solutions portfolio. Its portfolio will now include Marine communications, new VoIP and VPN technologies, and internet capabilities for VSAT, cellular backhaul, mobile command trailers, and television offerings.
“By bringing all of these technologies together, it allows us to provide our customers a seamless integrated solution to become a true one-stop shop for our clients,” said Jerry Creekbaum, CTO at Expedition Communications. “This is important because we’ve seen many clients being required to streamline and simplify their vendors. That’s why we have focused on offering true end-to-end telecommunications solutions.”
With the added reach, resources, and growing infrastructure, Expedition Communications is a fast-growing private satellite integrator to watch in 2022.
Expedition Communications is a global, end-to-end, telecommunications solutions provider. The company specializes in designing and streamlining satellite-based communication solutions that power the daily flow of information for small to enterprise-sized businesses and government agencies. Since its inception in 2008, the company has partnered with a wide range of clients across many verticals, including but not limited to state and local government, federal government, healthcare, emergency response, pharmaceutical, Fortune 500 retail, IT, oil & gas, and many others.
