The following organizations are accepting donations to assist in the recovery efforts following the devastating tornado that hit Oklahoma on Monday, May 20, 2013:
Text Red Cross to 90999 to send a $10 donation.
Donate online: donate.salvationarmyusa.org/uss/eds/aok
Donate by phone: 800-725-2769
Or send a check to: The Salvation Army Disaster Relief, P.O. Box 12600, Oklahoma City, OK 73157. Designate Oklahoma Tornado Relief on all checks.
Donate online: www.feedthechildren.org/disaster
Donate by phone: 800-627-4556
local food bank – text FOOD to 32333 or phone 405-604-7111
Some headlines for Monday, May 20, 2013
Temperatures in L.A. to heat up to 80s and 90s Monday, then drop
LA Times
Following pleasant weekend weather, Los Angeles residents should expect warmer temperatures on Monday that will heat up downtown and valley areas across the region.
Great hall at LAX’s new Bradley terminal to be named for Antonio Villaraigosa
Daily News
The new international terminal championed by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa won’t be finished by the time he leaves office next month, but it will carry his name in a prominent place.
Councilmember Zine Honors Public Safety Officers
Woodland Hills Patch
At his 11th annual Z Awards for ExZellence Thursday, Councilman Dennis Zine honored seven public safety personnel for outstanding service in Los Angeles’ third council district.
Kamala Harris: Gun Control Meeting With Other DAs At LAPD Aims To ‘Eliminate Violence In California’
Huffington Post
Bringing together district attorneys and law enforcement officials from throughout the state, Attorney General Kamala Harris convened a working group Friday to develop a strategy on how to better enforce gun laws, particularly for those prohibited from owning a firearm.
Disaster preparedness should include pet microchipping, says county
Ramona Sentinel
The county’s Department of Animal Services will offer pet microchipping, rabies vaccinations, dog licenses and discount spay and neuter coupons during a clinic from noon to 2 p.m. today at Woodglen Vista Park in Santee, in advance of wildfire season.
Being sociable could save your life in a disaster
Rawstory.com
According to a researcher, being sociable and connected to your neighbors could save your life in the event of an emergency. Writing for New Scientistmagazine, Sociologist Robert Sampson said that an area’s social infrastructure can make a difference in the survival rate of citizens in a natural disaster or other emergency.
Social Media — Citizens’ Expectations on Response
Emergency Management Magazine
Overall, I think we have, as a profession, crossed the great divide in what emergency managers think about social media. Almost everyone now recognizes that it is not a fad, it may have value, people are using it widely in disasters and perhaps we should be engaged somehow as an agency.
A few headlines for Wednesday, May 15, 2013.
Bomb Squad Responds to Culver City Building
NBC 4
A building in Culver City was evacuated Wednesday morning in connection with a bomb squad investigation.
Decision on San Onofre pushed back to June at the earliest
LA Times
The head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday that the agency will not make a decision on whether to restart the troubled San Onofre nuclear plant until late June at the earliest.
Cops test-drive preemptive policing
Pasadena Star New
ALHAMBRA — The Alhambra Police Department is the first law-enforcement agency in Southern California to fully implement Predictive Policing, a cloud-based software that forecasts areas where crimes are likely to be committed.
Jogging Silver Lake Hipsters Beware, ‘Armed And Dangerous’ Bandits At Large
Laist
Joggers in Silver Lake should heed warnings from the Los Angeles Police Department of armed robberies occurring in the area as of late.
Here are a few headlines for Tuesday, May 14, 2013.
After record-busting heat, Southern California weather cools down
LA Times
For those who couldn’t beat the record-setting heat Monday, forecasters have good news.
Temperatures were expected to drop about 10 degrees Tuesday and stay below average for the rest of the week, said Stuart Seto, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service.
Feds warn of elevated fire danger for Southern California
Daily News
A new brush fire in the triple-digit Inland Empire heat, along with the smoke and ashes that filled skies from Ventura to Riverside counties earlier this month may have already delivered the message that Southern Californians can expect a serious fire season. Two Cabinet secretaries made the point for themselves on Monday.
Castaic brush fire 80% contained; one lane of 5 Freeway closed
LA Times
One lane of the northbound 5 Freeway in the Castaic area will remain closed until about 3 p.m. Tuesday as fire officials work on a brush fire that burned about 50 acres, authorities said.
San Onofre ruling creates confusion
LA Times
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and an environmental group came to vastly different interpretations Monday of a federal review panel’s decision Monday on the troubled San Onofre nuclear plant.
Fire Safety Checklist for People with Disabilities
FEMA.gov
Approximately 3,500 Americans die and 18,300 are injured in fires each year. People with mobility, sight and hearing disabilities can significantly increase their chances of surviving a fire by practicing proven fire safety precautions.
Some headlines for Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Storm drops more than half an inch of rain across L.A. area
LA Times
More than a half-inch of rain fell in communities across Los Angeles County on Monday as a late-season storm moved across the region.
LAFD Shifts Resources Amid Intense, Early Start to Fire Season
The plan was in place before several wildfires broke out in Southern California, but opponents are using the recent rash of fires to support their side
KNBC 4
The Los Angeles City Fire Department began reassigning firefighters to ambulance duty on Sunday, a move that Chief Brian Cummings says is necessary amid million-dollar budget cuts but that is causing concern among city leaders that the department will not be well enough equipped to protect the public.
Wildfire Threat Remains Despite Rain
NBC 4
Even though rain showers and gloomy weather are possible through Tuesday — a welcome relief for firefighters battling blazes across the region — it won’t be enough to quench dry brush and chaparral in drought conditions, forecasters said.
LAPD will investigate officers involved in USC party clash
LA Times
Los Angeles police said they have opened an internal investigation into the police response at an off-campus house party near USC after several people made formal complaints alleging racial bias and use of heavy-handed tactics.
L.A. collects more than 1,100 firearms in weekend gun buyback event
Daily News
The weekend’s gun buyback program resulted in more than 1,100 firearms being turned in, bringing to 11,151 the total number of weapons turned in during the eight years it has been operated under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
3.5 quake strikes near Ventura
LA Times
A shallow magnitude 3.5 earthquake was reported Tuesday morning four miles from Saticoy, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor occurred at 2:05 a.m. PDT at a depth of 13.7 miles.
Evacuation lifted as California fire cools
News24.com
Los Angeles - All evacuation orders were lifted on Sunday in California as fire-fighters battling a massive wildfire near Los Angeles said they had contained 60% of the blaze.
Readying for a Radiological Disaster? Preparing for Dirty Bombs, Nuclear Disaster and Other Radiological Emergencies
Huffington Post
I recently attended a conference on Preparing for Dirty Bombs, Nuclear Disaster and Other Radiological Emergencies. Scary stuff. A subject that is about the last thing we want to consider — yet in the “new normal” it has become inescapable.
Energy officials brace for another summer without San Onofre
LA Times
Energy officials expect to get through another summer without blackouts even if the San Onofre nuclear plant remains shuttered — but damaging fires in the months ahead could undermine that prediction.
A few top headlines for Friday, April 26, 2013
LAFD chief to shift firefighters from trucks to ambulances
LA Times
Los Angeles Fire Chief Brian Cummings said Thursday he was pressing ahead with a controversial plan to move dozens of city firefighters from fire engines to ambulances, despite warnings from labor groups that the change would put lives at risk.
LAFD chief presses ahead with firefighter reassignment plan
LA Times
Los Angeles Fire Chief Brian Cummings vowed Thursday to press ahead with a controversial plan to reassign dozens of city firefighters from fire engines to ambulance duty, despite an outcry from groups representing city firefighters and the department’s top commanders.
Daily News
A plan to add 11 ambulances to the Los Angeles Fire Department service by taking firefighters from light and tactical forces will begin on May 5 in what officials described as a major shift in how the department responds to incidents.
California wildfires up 45 percent; officials concerned
Daily News
Summer is two months away and state firefighters have already battled 200 more wildfires than average for this time of year, a factor that has officials concerned about what lies ahead.
Fire rips through Leimert Park church
LA Times
Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigators are using accelerant-detecting dogs in their probe of a Friday morning fire that gutted a Leimert Park church.
Convert traffic surveillance cameras to help LAPD, lawmaker says
KABC 7
SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) — Los Angeles is filled with surveillance cameras. Now, after the Boston Marathon bombings, a local lawmaker wants to see if some of these cameras can be converted to help the Los Angeles Police Department solve crimes.
Dangerous wildfire season predicted for California
Yahoo.com New
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Californians can expect a dangerous summer wildfire season due to a dry winter that has left the normally green hills of spring parched and tinder-dry, authorities warned.
National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day
Click on title to play video
May 8th is National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day. FEMA Deputy Administrator Rich Serino encourages views to have a plan for their pets.
Here are a few headlines for April 24, 2013.
New pollution study ranks Los Angeles areas in top 10 worst in state
Daily News
A statewide snapshot measuring the cumulative impact of pollution on public health reported that of the top 10 percent most polluted ZIP codes in the state, half are in Southern California. Three Los Angeles County communities are especially burdened: East Los Angeles, Vernon and Baldwin Park, according to CalEnviroScreen 1.0, an interactive tool released Tuesday by the California Environmental Protection Agency.
LAPD hosting Van Nuys gun buyback May 4
Daily News
The city of Los Angeles will host four anonymous gun buybacks, including one in Van Nuys, on May 4.
Study: Yes, L.A. has the worst traffic in the country — again
LA Times
Los Angeles has reclaimed the dubious honor of having the worst traffic in the United States, according to an annual congestion scorecard.
L.A. City Council jumps into San Onofre debate
LA Times
Los Angeles became the latest — and largest — city to weigh in on the fate of the San Onofre nuclear plant Tuesday, with the City Council unanimously passing a resolution calling on federal regulators to hold off on deciding whether the plant can restart.
L.A. City Council votes to move away from coal-fired energy
LA Times
The Los Angeles City Council approved a plan Tuesday to begin moving away from coal-fired energy, despite warnings from a Department of Water and Power watchdog that the shift could cost more than $650 million.
Santa Monica College temporarily evacuated after bomb threat
LA Times
Santa Monica College was evacuated Tuesday because of a bomb threat, police said.
About 12:30 p.m. Santa Monica police were requested to assist in evacuating the main campus quad, said Santa Monica police Sgt. Richard Lewis. The threat was cleared about 1:30 p.m.
Poll: Terrorism as Part of Life
ABC News
Since the early post-9/11 years, Americans have expected terrorism. Majorities have said they think “occasional acts of terrorism in the U.S. will be a part of life in the future,” when the Pew Research Center has asked–74 percent thought so in 2003–and while expectations of terrorism have dipped in recent years, the Boston marathon attacks rejuvenated them.
Jittery public, hoax calls add to pressure on law enforcement
LA Times
Someone calls 911 to make a bomb threat, prompting the evacuation of a local TV station as police race to the scene. It turns out to be a hoax.
‘Zombie apocalypse’ invades U. of Michigan campus as part of emergency preparedness exercise
Washington Post
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — You can learn a lot from a zombie. At least that’s what a University of Michigan professor hopes her 31 graduate students took away from Tuesday’s bizarre, albeit bloody, “zombie apocalypse.” The classroom exercise was designed to get School of Public Health students thinking about what the appropriate response should be during a disaster.
A few top headlines for April 23, 2013.
LAPD hosting Van Nuys gun buyback May 4
Daily News
The city of Los Angeles will host four anonymous gun buybacks, including one in Van Nuys, on May 4.
LAX officials say contractor mistakenly triggered emergency alert
LA Times
An emergency message displayed on monitors telling passengers at Los Angeles International Airport to evacuate was mistakenly triggered by a contract worker, airport officials said.
LAX says ‘emergency’ evacuation display was an accident
LA Times
Los Angeles International Airport officials early Tuesday said a message on multiple flight status displays warning passengers to evacuate because of an emergency was an accident.
.
LAX officials investigate hacking of flight status boards
LA Times
Operations personnel at Los Angeles International Airport late Monday were reviewing their computer systems to determine how multiple flight status boards were hacked to show an emergency message, authorities told The Times.
Most Americans see terrorist acts as ‘part of life’
LA Times
WASHINGTON — The vast majority of Americans say that occasional acts of terrorism are “part of life,” and many doubt the government can do much more to prevent them, a new poll finds.
About three-quarters of Americans said they agree that “occasional acts of terrorism in the U.S. will be part of life in the future,” according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Only about 1 in 5 disagreed.
LAPD Sees Spike in False Alarms After Boston Bombings; Still Encourages Public to Call With Concerns
NBC 4 News
Since Monday’s deadly twin explosions near the Boston Marathon finish line, law enforcement officials in Los Angeles have been on high alert and flooded with calls from residents reporting suspicious packages.
LAX official: Expect delays because of sequestration furloughs
LA Times
The operator of LAX is “very concerned” about the impact the air traffic controller furloughs will have on flight delays, a Los Angeles World Airports spokeswoman said Monday.
Fire Department Says Fire Season Has Officially Started
CBS Local News
MONROVIA (CBSLA.com) — As firefighters come close to full containment of a brush fire in Monrovia, the fire department says that a potentially hazardous fire season has officially begun.
Crime victims in SB County to be notified of rights by phone
Daily Press
SAN BERNARDINO • A mass notification phone system will now be used to contact every victim in every criminal case in San Bernardino County, according to a District Attorney’s office news release.
FEMA to telephone survey 6,000 individuals on its community preparedness efforts
Government Security News
FEMA is planning to conduct a telephone survey among 6,000 individuals or households to determine the effectiveness of the awareness, recruitment and public information campaigns it runs on behalf of its community preparedness programs.
First-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System to occur tomorrow
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), along with its many federal, state and local partners, is reminding the American public that the first-ever nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System is scheduled to occur at 11:am tomorrow.
Superstorms cause ‘seismicity’ and could aid tracking hurricanes
Allvoices.com
Seismometers around the nation recorded the rattling of the seafloor as ocean waves collided last October during superstorm Hurricane Sandy along the eastern seaboard of the United States, according to researchers at the University of Utah reporting in Science Daily.
AFTER BOSTON, A FEW FACTS ABOUT TERRORISM
The New Yorker
As Boston honors and buries the victims of last week’s heinous bombings, it is well to remember, after Friday’s media-intermediated lockdown drama, that for the families of the dead and injured this was an intensely personal and private tragedy. Yesterday, a memorial servicewas held for Martin Richard, the eight-year-old boy who was the youngest victim. This morning was the funeral of Krystle Campbell, a twenty-nine-year-old trainee restaurant manager. Tonight, a memorial service will be held for Lu Lingzi, a twenty-three-year-old graduate student from China.
Health officials trace meningitis roots to quash outbreak fears
LA Times
L.A. County officials said they compared a strain of meningitis from a case in April that killed a West Hollywood lawyer to others in the county to determine whether there was an outbreak.
April 19, 2013
Los Angeles - Today at a press conference held at the City of Los Angeles’ state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the awarding of $5 million in federal grants to the Los Angeles/Long Beach regions to expand the Earthquake Early Warning System (EEWS).
The EEWS provides up to a 50 second warning before strong shaking begins. Officials said that’s enough warning for doctors to stop surgery or for elevators to stop and open at the next floor, as an example.
The City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department along with the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Fire Department have participated in a pilot program of the EEWS for the past year.
James Featherstone, General Manager of the City’s Emergency Management Department was among the scheduled speakers at today’s press conference. A transcript of his remarks follows:
* * *
We’ve had many accomplishments under Mayor’s leadership and guidance including participating in the Earthquake Early Warning System. We actually have it in active use in the Emergency Management Department, LAPD Real-Time Analysis and Critical Response Division and in Metro Fire Communications.
The Mayor’s intent since 2007 was to move emergency management and emergency preparedness in this city to a world class state; to make the Emergency Management Department in Los Angeles an industry leader. Through the Mayor’s leadership and guidance and the corporate commitment the Mayor has shown for emergency management during his tenure, we have achieved a lot of accomplishments. We are Vice Chair of the Big Cities Emergency Management Group, which are the 15 most populous and most at risk jurisdictions in the nation. Big Cities represents 30% of the nation’s population. The Mayor insists that we be involved in issues like that.
I read a New Yorker article earlier today and it talked about what happened in Boston and it said “it is the cultural legacy of September 11th and all the things that have happened in the past decade since.” It’s the kind of orchestration that happened across their city; that same kind of orchestration can happen across this city. Those are the things that make us the ready city that we are today.
People ask about preparedness. Preparedness to us in the common lexicon denotes an end state - that you are prepared. We’d like to say we are a much more ready city. And thanks to the Mayor’s commitment and support of the Emergency Management Department during his time in office, we are a much more ready city. Are we as ready and as prepared as Boston was the other day when the bombing occurred? Yes we are a very ready city.
Carmageddon, the Space Shuttle Move and other planned events we coordinate are sets and reps; they are opportunities for us to practice as we will play before the balloon actually bursts.
So we are a much more ready city than we were September 10th. We are a much more ready city than we were yesterday. It’s about the corporate commitment from the Office of the Mayor and also the collaboration from the partners we have including City, County, local, private, non-profit and faith based organizations.
We all matter. The whole of government and the whole of community in Los Angeles are much better prepared, much more ready for something today than we were yesterday.
Here are a few top headlines for April 19, 2013.
Shorts-and-sunscreen weather on tap for Southern California
LA Times
Southern Californians will get a sneak preview of summer this weekend when temperatures climb to 10 degrees warmer than normal for the time of year, forecasters said.
Police respond to spate of Southern California bomb threats
LA Times
Bomb squads from Hollywood to East L.A. to Berkeley have been busy as law enforcement officers responded to multiple bomb threats in the wake of the Boston Marathon attack.
Security will be tightened at upcoming Los Angeles public events
Daily News
With thousands of people expected to fill the streets of Los Angeles for CicLAvia and other events this weekend, law enforcement officials say they are stepping up security because of the Boston bombings, even in the absence of a credible threat in Los Angeles.
Bomb threat at Hooters closes Hollywood Boulevard
LA Times
Hollywood Boulevard was temporarily closed Thursday over a bomb scare at a Hooters restaurant.
Bomb squad responds to pressure-cooker-like device in Silver Lake
LA Times
An abandoned item appearing to be a pressure or rice cooker led a Los Angeles Police Departmentbomb squad to respond Wednesday to a Ralph’s parking lot in Silver Lake.
LAPD Reminds Public To Use ‘iWatch’ Website In Wake Of Boston Bombings
CBS Local News
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) —The Los Angeles Police Department is reminding the public Thursday of a website designed for residents to report suspicious activity or behavior in wake of the Boston Marathon bombings.
Police Blow Up Suspicious Package in Silver Lake Shopping Center [Photos]
Echo Park Patch
A suspicious package found in a shopping mall on Glendale Boulevard in Silver Lake Wednesday afternoon turned out to be no threat, according to officers at the scene.
Before Boston, concerns about readiness in Massachusetts, other states
Miami Herald
WASHINGTON — Even before Monday’s deadly bombing at the Boston Marathon, concern was growing about soft targets and the level of counter-terrorism preparedness in Massachusetts and numerous other states
Majority of Americans Unaware of DHS Program to Report Potential Terrorist Activity, Survey Finds
HS Today
A new survey released only hours before Monday’s horrific terrorist bombings at the Boston Marathon found that more than 56 percent of Americans said they’d never heard anything about the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign.