AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Monday Briefing: California Tsunami Warning Test, New Interactive Maps for Fault Zones

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Emergency and disaster management briefing for March 26, 2018: California is set to test its tsunami warning communications system, Kanawha County Volunteer Firefighters were involved in a deadly crash en route to a multi-vehicle accident on the West Virginia Turnpike on Saturday, a new interactive map allows residents of California to immediately determine via smartphone if their current location is a fault zone, a multi-story shopping mall fire in Russia kills 64 and leaves many more missing, Justice Department says FERC was a prime target of nine Iranian hackers, Bradley County, Tennessee adds deputies in security positions at its local high schools after recent shootings and local threats, dramatic video shows an out-of-control semi-trailer crash into a school bus in South Carolina, and Europe’s tallest and most active volcano is slowly sliding into the Mediterranean Sea.

  1. To raise awareness of California’s tsunami preparedness week, March 26-30, NOAA and the Calif. Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) will conduct [link url=”http://www.oc-breeze.com/2018/03/24/119023_officials-to-test-tsunami-warning-system-in-central-and-southern-calif-during-tsunami-preparedness-week/” title=”a test of the tsunami warning communications systems in coastal areas of central and southern California”]. The test will occur at 10:15 a.m. PDT on all NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, local television, and radio stations. Officials caution that the word ‘test’ may not scroll on some television stations, but it will be part of the audible message, so if the volume is turned down, or viewers are unable to hear the message, [link url=”http://www.oc-breeze.com/2018/03/24/119023_officials-to-test-tsunami-warning-system-in-central-and-southern-calif-during-tsunami-preparedness-week/” title=”they may not know that it is a test”]. Also, in an effort to avoid any confusion, the test will be canceled if excessive seismic activity occurs within 24 hours prior to the test.  

  2. [link url=”http://www.wsaz.com/content/news/At-least-two-dead-after-accident-involving-a-fire-truck-in-Kanawha-County-477833383.html” title=”Two volunteer firefighters were killed, and three injured while en route responding to a triple fatality accident”] on the West Virginia Turnpike in Kanawha County, West Virginia on Saturday around 7:00 p.m. Reports indicate that the fire truck careened off the road into a ditch and hit a rock wall, but it is unknown what caused the fire truck to leave the road. The crash they were responding to involved [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/25/2-firefighters-killed-3-hurt-as-truck-flips-on-way-to-scene-fatal-highway-wreck-in-west-virginia.html” title=”a 77-year-old woman who was traveling northbound in a southbound lane”] when she struck another vehicle head-on, sending it into a disabled box truck sitting on the side of the road. The woman, the driver of the vehicle she hit head-on, and his passenger, were all killed in the crash.  

  3. Residents in California can now discover if they [link url=”http://www.govtech.com/em/disaster/Worried-About-Being-on-Top-of-an-Earthquake-Fault-New-California-Maps-Will-let-you-Know-on-a-Smartphone.html” title=”live, work, shop, or are standing on a fault zone with a new user-friendly interactive online map”] recently published by the California Geological Survey. The makers tout the map as easy-to-use, simply type in your address or share your location on a smartphone–and it will let you know if it is a fault zone. That’s not all it will tell you, though, it will also let you know if the place where you are is [link url=”http://www.govtech.com/em/disaster/Worried-About-Being-on-Top-of-an-Earthquake-Fault-New-California-Maps-Will-let-you-Know-on-a-Smartphone.html” title=”at risk of liquefaction (ground acting like quicksand) or a landslide triggered by an earthquake”]. 

  4. A fire at a multi-story shopping center in Russia has killed at least 64, left others missing–many of them children–and injured an additional 43 people. [link url=”http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-russian-official-confirms-48-dead-mall-fire-54009252″ title=”The fire broke out on the top floor of the mall on Sunday in the Siberian city of Kemerovo”], about 1,900 miles east of Moscow. Reports indicate that the blaze has consumed about 16,145 square feet, [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/03/25/4-children-dead-in-russian-shopping-center-fire.html” title=”and at least four of the deceased are children”], but it is unknown if the victims were killed by smoke inhalation or burns.  

  5. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), watchdogs of the nation’s power grid, was the prime target of nine Iranian hackers according to information revealed Friday by the Justice Department. The FERC regulates the transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil, which means it [link url=”https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/iranian-hackers-targeted-power-grid-watchdog-justice-department-says” title=”has the details on some of this country’s most sensitive infrastructure”], according to a statement made by lawyers at the Justice Department. The [link url=”https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber-iran/u-s-charges-sanctions-iranians-for-global-cyber-attacks-on-behalf-of-tehran-idUSKBN1GZ22K” title=”FERC was not the sole target”], the Justice Department noted that other agencies targeted included additional federal and state agencies, and the United Nations, including the Department of Labor, Hawaii, Indiana, the United Nations, and the United Nations Children’s Fund.  

  6. In an effort to boost school security in the wake of the recent shootings around the nation and local threats, [link url=”http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/breakingnews/story/2018/mar/23/bradley-puts-deputies-2-high-schools/466716/” title=”the Bradley County, Tennessee Sheriff’s office has now placed a deputy at each of the two high schools in the county in a security position”]. The deputies will monitor the activity of who comes and goes during school hours from a security booth, and is just one step the schools are taking to boost security. Other security improvements will include [link url=”http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/breakingnews/story/2018/mar/23/bradley-puts-deputies-2-high-schools/466716/” title=”the enhancement of surveillance cameras, communication systems, and identification badges”] and exploring options for securing the multiple entrances at each of the schools.  

  7. [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/03/25/dramatic-south-carolina-school-bus-crash-caught-on-camera.html” title=”Dramatic video caught the moment a Greenville County, South Carolina school bus”] was hit by an out-of-control semi-trailer last week. The tractor-trailer lost control, swerved off the road, hit a pole, then crossed over into oncoming traffic, [link url=”http://abcnews.go.com/US/driver-aide-hailed-heroes-bus-carrying-special-students/story?id=53962208″ title=”striking the bus and injuring the truck driver”]. The special needs school bus was carrying four students and one aide in addition to the driver, but fortunately, no one was seriously injured, although one student was transported to the hospital as a precaution. 

  8. According to a [link url=”https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00445-018-1209-1/fulltext.html” title=”recently published report”], Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest active volcano on Sicily, is slowly sliding into the Mediterranean Sea. The British scientists, who for many years have been studying the volcano, indicate that the giant volcano, which is in an almost constant state of activity, [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/science/2018/03/25/mount-etna-in-sicily-is-sliding-into-mediterranean-sea-scientists-say.html” title=”is moving towards the Sea at a rate of 0.6 inches every year”], which could result in the collapse of the volcano. The current direction shows the volcano slowly sliding in an east-south-east direction at a 1 to 3 degree gentle slope toward the town of Giarre, about 9.3 miles away. The scientists say that although there is no immediate cause for concern, the volcano bears close monitoring because [link url=”http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43522169″ title=”stress build-up can lead to slope failures and devastating landslides”].  

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.

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