AMU Emergency Management Original Public Safety

EDM Friday Briefing: Boy Killed in Denver Office Shooting, Roller Coaster Derails

By
Start a Emergency & Disaster Management degree at American Military University.

By Kimberly Arsenault
Contributor, EDM Digest

Emergency and disaster management briefing for Friday, June 15, 2018: One boy is dead following the shooting of four people outside a Denver dental office in Colorado; firefighters have halted the forward progress of the Tank Fire in Arizona; a roller coaster derailed in Daytona Beach, sending two riders plummeting to the ground below; Luzerne County, Pennsylvania assesses damages following a confirmed EF2 tornado; the 416 Fire continues to grow in Colorado amid critical fire weather behavior, which has prompted a Red Flag Warning; Kellogg’s has issued a voluntary recall for its Honey Smacks cereal; an escaped prescribed burn that became the Trail Mountain Fire has grown rapidly in Utah; and more fast-food workers in West Virginia have been diagnosed with hepatitis A.

1) Four people, including a mother and her two children, were shot in the parking lot of a dentist’s office near Denver, Colorado on Thursday. One of the children has since died, while the other boy and his mother were listed in critical condition. Another unrelated male, who was shot in the chest, is expected to survive. Police later arrested a suspect in the shooting, but have not identified a motive, nor the names of the victims or the suspect.

2) Forward progress of the Tank Fire, burning near Clint’s Well, Arizona along the Mogollon Rim in the Coconino National Forest, has been stopped. The recent update on InciWeb also indicates that the Tank Fire, along with about five other wildfires — which have all been contained — were likely started by lightning strikes from a bad storm that moved through the area on the afternoon of June 13. The rapidly progressing Tank Fire has consumed about 170 acres and approximately 140 firefighting personnel are working to fully contain the blaze. Pre-evacuation orders have been issued for some areas near the wildfire.

3) A roller coaster on the Daytona Beach Boardwalk in Florida derailed Thursday night, causing two of its passengers to fall more than 30 feet to the ground below. The coaster had a total of 10 passengers. First responders had to rescue the remaining riders from the coaster: two from the front car which was off the track and dangling perpendicular to the ground, four from the partially derailed middle car, and two from the rear car which was still on the tracks. A total of six riders were transported to the hospital with injuries, including the two who fell from the car.

4) An EF2 tornado ripped through Wilkes-Barre Township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Wednesday night, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. The tornado, which the National Weather Service estimated had a maximum wind speed of 130 mph, caused heavy damage to the Wilkes-Barre Township Commons and a shopping plaza, the destruction of other buildings, overturned cars and uprooted trees. The tornado caused minor injuries to six people and cut power to area businesses, including the nearby Wyoming Valley Mall.

5) The 416 Fire, burning 13 miles north of Durango, Colorado in the San Juan National Forest, has now consumed more than 32,900 acres. Weather conditions, along with drought-dry fuels, are exacerbating the wildfire’s activity. A Red Flag Warning has been issued in the fire area today due to high temperatures, extremely low humidity levels, and approaching thunderstorm activity, which includes increased winds and lightning threats. Fire officials expect the wildfire, which is only about 18 percent contained, to grow along the south and northwestern portions of the fire. To assist with potential future fire weather behavior, a meteorologist with sophisticated atmospheric gear to help gauge the potential for lightning strikes has been added to the more than 1,130 firefighting personnel currently working to contain the blaze.

6) The Kellogg Company has issued a recall for its 15.3-ounce and 23-ounce packages of Honey Smacks cereal for possible salmonella contamination. Kellogg’s launched an investigation on Thursday into the third-party company that produces Honey Smacks after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked them about reported illnesses. However, it is unclear how many reported illnesses have occurred. The recalled product was distributed across the United States and also to international destinations that include the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guam, Mexico, Tahiti, and Saipan.

7) Firefighters continue to battle a blaze in the Manti-La Sal National Forest in Utah that ignited on June 4 from an escaped prescribed burn. The Trail Mountain Fire has now consumed over 10,600 acres. The fire is being fought by 620 firefighting personnel who are supported by six helicopters and 22 engines, but it is only 10 percent contained. The blaze has destroyed one structure and is threatening other outbuildings in the Whetstone Creek area. Scattered, dry thunderstorms are predicted for the fire area today, which could hamper firefighting efforts.

8) More fast-food workers in West Virginia have been diagnosed with hepatitis A, a highly contagious disease that affects the liver. It is spread through contact with an infected person or the ingesting of contaminated food or drink. According to local health department officials, the individuals diagnosed with the disease worked at a Taco Bell in Hurricane and a Pizza Hut in Charleston. Dozens of cases have recently been recorded in the state, with the majority of those cases occurring in Kanawha and Putnam counties.

Kimberly Arsenault serves as an intern at the Cleveland/Bradley County Emergency Management Agency where she works on plan revisions and special projects. Previously, Kimberly spent 15 years in commercial and business aviation. Her positions included station manager at the former Midwest Express Airlines, as well as corporate flight attendant, inflight manager, and charter flight coordinator. Kimberly currently holds a master's degree in emergency and disaster management from American Public University.

Related Posts

Comments are closed.