Latest news with #emergencyPreparedness
Zawya
14-07-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Oman: Dhofar health services step up for khareef surge
Salalah: As Dhofar welcomes tens of thousands of visitors during the annual Khareef season, local health authorities have stepped up emergency preparedness and medical service delivery across the governorate to ensure visitor safety and rapid response in case of health emergencies. Dr Hani Al-Qadhi, Director General of Health Services in Dhofar Governorate, confirmed that the Ministry of Health has activated a comprehensive action plan this year that includes public awareness campaigns, infrastructure upgrades, and expanded cooperation with private hospitals. 'We have launched public health exhibitions and outreach activities in major shopping centres to raise awareness among citizens and tourists about seasonal illnesses and how to deal with them,' Dr Al-Qadhi said. 'The aim is to equip the public with information and connect them with health services efficiently, especially during emergencies.' Unified Ambulance Command Centre Operational in Salalah In a first for the governorate, a Unified Ambulance Centre has been established in Salalah. This facility consolidates emergency response coordination under one roof, allowing for more effective control over ambulance dispatch routes and response times. 'Previously, services were scattered across various health centres,' Dr Al-Qadhi explained. 'Now, with this centralised unit, we can monitor calls in real-time and direct ambulances where they are most urgently needed, with improved speed and efficiency.' Stronger Public–Private Health Integration To handle the seasonal influx of visitors, the Ministry has intensified collaboration with private sector hospitals to ensure continuity of care across Dhofar. 'We've coordinated with all licensed private hospitals in the governorate to support the public system,' he said. 'This is especially important given the large number of visitors during the peak weeks of July and August.' In 2024, more than 1.04 million people visited Dhofar during the Khareef season, many travelling long distances by road. Authorities expect similar or higher numbers this year, with tourism, climate, and cultural events drawing visitors from across the GCC. Special Attention for Chronic and Emergency Cases Recognising the needs of vulnerable groups, the Health Directorate has rolled out support services for those with chronic illnesses. A media committee has been formed to inform visitors—particularly patients who rely on regular medications—about how to store, access, or replace their prescriptions while in Dhofar. Additional dialysis services have been launched at Taqah Hospital, with extended operating hours in both the morning and evening to accommodate visiting kidney patients. Medical Staff Reinforcements Along Entry Routes Emergency teams and medical staff have also been deployed along the main entry routes into the governorate, including highway checkpoints and border gates, as part of a proactive plan to deal with accidents or sudden health emergencies. 'This includes preparing for cardiac emergencies, trauma cases, or road accidents along the 1,000-km Muscat–Salalah highway,' Dr Al-Qadhi added. 'We've reinforced all key hospitals along the route to absorb potential spikes in emergency cases.' Authorities continue to advise motorists to drive cautiously and follow traffic regulations while travelling to Salalah, especially amid the high volume of vehicles during the holiday period. 'We hope everyone enjoys a safe and healthy Khareef season,' Dr Al-Qadhi said. 'But we also urge the public to remain alert and prioritise safety—it is a shared responsibility.' 2022 © All right reserved for Oman Establishment for Press, Publication and Advertising (OEPPA) Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
CTV News
09-07-2025
- CTV News
Texas flood to create safety planning ‘ripple effect' at Canadian camps: organizers
Participants take a lunch break beside Upper Kananaskis Lake while attending the Rockies Journey camp run by Howl in Kananaskis, Monday, July 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh EDMONTON — Canadian summer camp organizers say they expect a ripple effect of bolstered emergency plans and preparations this summer after more than two dozen campers and camp counsellors were killed by severe flash floods in Texas on Friday. 'I would be shocked if there aren't a lot of people that are looking at this and taking pause, even reflecting on their own policies,' said Brad Halsey, an Alberta summer camp director and board vice chair of the Alberta Camping Association. 'I am pausing and questioning 'Are our policies up to snuff?'' Halsey, who helps run a summer camp north of Edmonton, said unlike the disaster that struck Texas and Camp Mystic, wildfires prove to be the main threat for his camp and camps across Alberta. 'But at the same time, it really is the same thing whether it's fire, flood, whatever. You still need to have the same sort of plan,' he said. 'Do leaders know where to go? Do we have the muster points? Do we have the evacuation plan in place? And have we practiced it?' For Alberta's summer camps, Halsey said the overwhelming answer to all of those questions should be yes. The Alberta Camping Association — a voluntary regulatory body — sets standards for things like safety and emergency preparedness for member camps, of which there are more than 40. Halsey said member camps are required to have crisis and disaster plans in place, trained and qualified staff to execute those plans and proof that regular practice drills occur. 'There's a bit of a nuance ultimately depending on the needs of that community,' he said, noting that emergency plans will differ for every camp based on location and amenities like nearby water bodies. Nearly every province has its own version of a regulatory body like the Alberta Camping Association to regulate summer camps, and Halsey said some insurance companies require that camps be members in good standing. There's also a national body — the Canadian Camping Association — that oversees the provincial bodies. In some provinces, such as Ontario, there's provincial legislation that mandates camps to have safety plans. 'In Ontario, I could safely say that we have put our heart and soul into emergency and crisis preparedness,' said Eric Shendelman, past president of the Ontario Camps Association. Shendelman, an expert on drowning and injury prevention who runs a swim school in Toronto, said he expects summer camp organizers across the country to be taking stock of their own plans and readiness following the news out of Texas. 'It's amazing how a traumatic scenario like that, even if it's across another nation, does have this ripple effect,' he said. Shendelman said he wasn't sure if any enhanced planning measures would've protected campers in Texas. Camp Mystic had its own emergency plans in place — plans that inspectors had signed off on just two days before the flooding occurred. It's not clear if staff followed those plans, as campers weren't moved to higher ground when the U.S. National Weather Service issued a flood watch the day before. Shendelman said Canadian camp organizers are considering what they would've done if put in a similar situation. 'We've heard from a number of directors who are quite concerned,' he said. 'We are doing our very best to find the experts that can help in this flood management area.' Back in Alberta, the Texas flooding comes just as Darielle Rairdan and her co-director of Bar Harbour Camp train staff ahead of the busy summer season. Rairdan said the Texas situation has helped drive home the point that emergency preparedness needs to be taken seriously. 'We don't just talk about these things to talk about them,' Rairdan said. 'If something like that happens, you need to know what we're doing.' She said that for Bar Harbour, 170 kilometres south of Edmonton, wildfires are the biggest risk every year. Rairdan, who is also an Alberta Camping Association board member, said that in her 20 years of attending Bar Harbour — both as a camper and employee — a fire has never harmed the camp or led to an evacuation. But that doesn't mean the camp thinks it won't happen someday. 'We need to make sure that we know what we're doing so that, if we do happen to have a huge wildfire, we don't end up in a situation like that where we have all these casualties,' she said. With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2025. Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
CNET
08-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
My Favorite Do-It-All Multitool Is 15% Off for Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day deal: This 12-in-1 multitool from Gerber has a great deal for Amazon Prime Day 2025. It's $25 or 15% off its regular price and is the perfect addition to an emergency bag, or for getting things done around the house. I have always liked DIY-ing my way around things, but before I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, keeping an emergency go bag in the house wasn't something I ever worried about. But now I live less than a mile from the fault that earthquake experts say is the region's most dangerous. And among the most frequently asked questions in my house is, "Did you feel that?" However, natural disasters don't issue a prior warning, so my family and I have created an emergency plan for when the need arises: We keep our car fueled up, we have our portable chargers topped up and at the ready, and we all know how to shut off our gas. But maybe the most important prep work we've done is to put together an emergency go bag, also known as a bug-out bag. One item I've included in my go bag is a multitool by Gerber that includes pliers, scissors, screwdrivers, wire cutters, as well as a knife. You can drop a lot of money on a multitool, and some of those more expensive models are worth it. But because I wanted to buy more than one of these -- since my kids could always use one too -- both price and weight were important to me, which is why I chose the Gerber Dime 12-in-1 Mini multitool. Priced at about $30, this multitool is always worth grabbing, whether it's on sale or not. Below, I'll explain why I like this tool so much. For more mainstays of the go bag, here are our favorite power banks for iPhones and the best portable solar panels. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. Where this multitool fits into my emergency preparedness plans In addition to having bug-out bags at the ready, we keep an extensive earthquake kit in a big toy chest. With this big kit -- called a stay box -- weight isn't really an issue, and we can store enough food, water and whatever else we need to make it through a few days or even weeks. But in a go bag, each item has to be portable and essential, because weight adds up quickly. (This is the mini lantern I went with.) The Gerber Dime 12-in-1 Mini weighs just a few ounces and fits into the palm of my hand when it's folded up. Gerber Dime 12-in-1 Mini multitool specs Material: Stainless steel Stainless steel Dimensions when open: 5.5 x 4 x 0.6 inches 5.5 x 4 x 0.6 inches Dimensions when closed: 5.5 x 2.75 x 0.6 inches 5.5 x 2.75 x 0.6 inches Weight: 2.2 ounces 2.2 ounces Included tools: Pliers, wire cutter, tweezers, small and medium-size flat-head screwdrivers, bottle opener, retail package opener, plain-edge blade, scissors, fine and coarse files, lanyard/key ring Best Prime Day Kitchen Appliance Deals Score some of the best discounts of the year on top kitchen tech during Prime Day, and our shopping experts have rounded up the only deals worth taking seriously this year. See Now Why the Gerber Dime Mini makes a great gift This is also a great tool to have in your car or your desk drawer at work. Gerber Gifting this multitool may seem overly practical, but there will eventually be a time that it will come in handy for anyone. Plus, you really can't beat its price compared to some of the competition out there. This is perfect for your handy friends who could always use another gadget for fixing things or someone building out their emergency bags.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Every second counts: Augmented reality tool helps train Canadians for home fire emergencies
Kidde's Cause For Alarm 'Prepare. Plan. Practice.', a first-of-its-kind digital simulator, brings fire safety training into the home — no downloads required. The following joint news release has been issued on behalf of Kidde, the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council, and the Ontario Association of Fire Educators (OAFE). TORONTO, July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Home fires now burn with alarming speed, up to 8 times faster than 50 years ago¹, yet many Canadians are unprepared to react quickly enough. Almost 7 out 10 Canadians (69%) believe they have more time to escape than what fire experts say is the reality: 2 minutes or less. This dangerous misconception means many won't be ready for a fire at home, and when every second counts, being prepared with working smoke alarms and an escape plan could be the difference between life and death. Kidde, a trusted leader in fire safety for more than 100 years, is expanding its annual Cause For Alarm™ campaign, a global fire safety education initiative, with the launch of Prepare. Plan. Practice., a free tool that uses augmented reality (AR) technology to bring fire safety to life. It offers a first-of-its-kind at-home digital fire drill simulator that helps users build essential skills, improve awareness and learn how to react quickly in a home fire emergency. 'By leveraging cutting-edge AR technology, this tool makes essential fire safety education more accessible, engaging, and actionable,' explains Ivanette Bonilla, Kidde's Chief Communications and Government Relations Officer. 'Children may participate in up to 10 fire drills at school each year, but few families practice fire safety at home where fires are more likely to happen — underscoring the need to bring this experience into households to help families prepare together.' Prepare. Plan. Practice. is accessible to anyone through any smartphone or tablet browser, with no downloads, purchases or apps required. This gives Canadians a safe, yet realistic way to experience a home fire, learn room-by-room safety tips and practice an escape in real time against a 2-minute countdown. The experience features the following modes: Demonstration Mode kicks off the journey, using AR technology to simulate what a fire would look like in the user's own room. This dramatization shows how quickly a fire can grow and spread in just two minutes. Learn Mode lets users explore a digital home and click through fire hazards, smoke alarm tips, carbon monoxide safety and more. Practice Mode guides users through creating a personalized escape plan, then simulates a fire with sound effects and a live 2-minute timer. There's even a 'Kid Mode' for families with younger children, offering a less intense but equally educational version of the simulation. The tool also features a Safety Hub; upon users completing their experience, they are directed to this central resource hub that provides links to additional fire safety information, printable checklists, escape plan templates and other educational materials. This tool was developed in consultation and collaboration with leading Canadian and international fire safety organizations who play a critical role in ensuring its accuracy, relevance and alignment with the fire safety needs of Canadians. Prepare. Plan. Practice. has the support of these organizations, including: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council Ontario Association of Fire Educators (OAFE) 'It's crucial that we continue to evolve the way we educate and prepare people for emergencies. Prepare. Plan. Practice. serves as a powerful example of how technology can be leveraged to help make life-saving fire safety knowledge more engaging, accessible, and actionable for today's families,' says Laura King, Canadian Director, National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®). 'We're proud to see messaging from NFPA's Educational Messaging Advisory Committee Desk Reference — the global resource for public education messaging — incorporated into innovative solutions that help advance public safety.' 'At the Ontario Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council, one of our goals has always been to make fire and life safety education widely accessible,' says Jamie Kovacs, Executive Director at the Ontario Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council. 'This invaluable new tool supports that mission by engaging families directly in their homes. It's a powerful way to reinforce what kids learn at school and help close the gap in fire preparedness at home.' Visit to access the free tool and take a critical step toward protecting yourself and your loved ones. You'll also find a full suite of fire safety resources which include a children's book titled Safety Saves the Day!, a children's fire safety song, 'Beeps that Last Get Out Fast', and Kidde's Fire Safety Toolkit, which is available in seven different languages. Sources: ¹ FSRI, Comparison of Natural and Synthetic Home Furnishings, ² Study commissioned by Kidde, facilitated by Maru Blue September 2024 ³ Statistics Canada. 'Incident-based fire statistics, by type of fire incident and type of structure,' 2017 to 2021. ⁴ Statistics Canada. 'Unintentional fire-related deaths in Canada.' 2011 to 2020. About Kidde Kidde, a leading manufacturer of residential smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, and safety accessories, has been keeping the world a safer place for over 100 years. Kidde produced the first integrated smoke detection system a century ago and continues its legacy today by delivering advanced fire-safety technology. Kidde is a part of Kidde Global Solutions, a global leader in fire and life safety solutions. For more information, visit or follow @KiddeCanada on Facebook and Instagram. About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global, nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information, visit All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at About the FMPFSC The Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council (FMPFSC) is a registered charity organization in Ontario dedicated to promoting fire prevention and public education across the province. Established in 1993, the Council collaborates with fire departments, community organizations, and private sector partners to enhance fire safety awareness and training initiatives. About the OAFE The Ontario Association of Fire Educators (OAFE) is a professional organization dedicated to supporting fire and life safety educators across the province. OAFE develops and delivers effective public education resources, advocates for fire safety awareness, and fosters professional growth through training, collaboration, and a strong provincial network. For more information about: Cause For Alarm, visit NFPA, visit FMPFSC, visit OAFE, visit Media Contact: Stephanie Berzinski A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
Washington Post
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
After Texas floods that killed campers, here's what to consider when sending your kids to camp
Death and destruction at a venerable Texas summer camp might have parents wondering about the risks of sending their kids away to any camp, even if it's in a much different setting and less vulnerable to a natural disaster. The stunning flood that killed more than two dozen campers and counselors along a river at Camp Mystic in the Texas Hill Country was the result of extraordinary rain and walls of water. Nonetheless, experts agree that information about how a camp plans for emergencies is just as important as the lunch menu and the times to go swimming.
