San Bernardino Medic Had 5 Seconds to Check if Each Massacre Victim Was Alive or Dead

Posted Dec 10, 2015

(TNS) - As the water raining down from the overhead sprinklers pooled in rivers of blood and the smell of gunpowder hung in the air Wednesday, Ryan Starling remembered his training.

He got out his white tape.

More than two dozen victims lay on the floor at the Inland Regional Center, the 33-year-old medic recalled Tuesday.

Starling began moving from body to body to determine who might survive.

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US capability for treating ebola outbreak appears sufficient but limited

Posted Dec 10, 2015

NEW YORK (Dec. 9, 2015) - The United States has sufficient capacity for treating another outbreak of the Ebola virus, but financial, staffing and resource challenges remain a hurdle for many hospitals and health systems attempting to maintain dedicated treatment centers for highly infectious diseases, according to new study released today. The research was published online in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).

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This Year, Give the Gift of Emergency Preparedness

Posted Dec 8, 2015

Here come the holidays! Are you shopping for your older parents, grandparents and other senior loved ones? It can be hard to think of the perfect gift for older adults. A tie, a fruitcake, cologne, a gadget that he or she may not even use…?

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The Christmas Storm Redux: 6 Lessons in Emergency Management

Posted Dec 8, 2015

With winter soon upon us, and the Thanksgiving holiday seemingly a favorite target for Mother Nature, I thought now would be a good time to recap some of the emergency management lessons I’ve learned over the years, particularly from my experience responding to a severe localized winter storm here in western Washington early in my city management career.

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Transform Northern Virginia with Interstate 66 plan

Posted Dec 8, 2015

A recent report informed Northern Virginia motorists something all too familiar, even to the casual driver: Our highways and byways are some of the worst in the nation and are hindering the growth of our regional economy.

Northern Virginia is the economic engine of the commonwealth, and travel throughout the region is essential to Virginia’s progress and prosperity. Unfortunately, for far too long, we have let the perfect get in the way of the good on one of the most plagued roads in the region: Interstate 66.

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Maryland and Virginia Score Well on Climate ‘Preparedness Report Card’

Posted Dec 3, 2015

BALTIMORE — Maryland is one of only a handful of states in the nation that has taken strong action to prepare for future risks associated with climate change, while Virginia has done more to prepare than the majority of states, according a new report.

The States at Risk: America’s Preparedness Report Card gave Maryland an overall B+ and says the state is relatively prepared to face changing levels of extreme weather, including extreme heat and coastal flooding.

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'Active Shooter.' For Those Trapped in San Bernardino, Cellphones Were a Link to Loved Ones

Posted Dec 3, 2015

Active shooter.

Mary Campos, 54, received the text at 11:34 a.m.

It was from her daughter, Monica Siegers, 34, reporting that she and her co-workers were hiding under their desks, crying.

Campos turned on the TV and heard the news: There had been a mass shooting at the building where Siegers has worked for two years as a case manager for adults with disabilities.

"Oh, my God," Campos thought. "It's happening everywhere."

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Harrisburg woman wanted for trying to kill paramedic, domestic assault

Posted Nov 30, 2015

Harrisburg police are looking for a woman accused of domestic assault and attacking a first responder with a knife last night.

Juanee D. Crawford is wanted for criminal attempted homicide after the incident at around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Hall Manor complex, according to a Harrisburg police news release. First responders arrived at an apartment in the complex and were attempting to treat a 68-year-old man who had been assaulted.

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Thanksgiving Day 2015 Weather Forecast for Northern Virginia

Posted Nov 24, 2015

Thanksgiving Day in Northern Virginia looks like it will be sunny and chilly, according to the National Weather Service.

Highs on Thursday are expected to be in the upper 50s, with sunny skies but bundle up in the morning, when temps will be in the 30s.

Find your “hyper-local” forecast on your Patch site (just click on the blue forecast at top right).

If you’ll be traveling this week, here’s what you can expect in Northern Virginia:

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