Latest news with #emergencyresponse
CBS News
5 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Fire destroys boat in Fox Lake in Northern Illinois
A boat was left charred after catching fire in the middle of Fox Lake in Northern Illinois Tuesday afternoon. The Antioch Fire Department was called at 1:31 p.m. to find the boat ablaze about 200 yards offshore. "It was huge," said Ed Edens. "We were afraid it was going to blow up." A person on the burning boat jumped off, and was helped to shore by another passenger. Meanwhile, the fire department sent out its own boat, which has a 500-gallon-per-minute pump onboard. Crews worked for an hour to put out the fire on the boat, tow it to shore, and put out hot spots. The boat was a total loss after the fire. The cause was under investigation by the Antioch Fire Department, the Lake County Sheriff's Department, and the Illinois Conservation Police. No one was injured in the fire.
CBS News
6 hours ago
- CBS News
Pennsylvania 911 outage was caused by operating system issue, not cyberattack, preliminary report says
The Pennsylvania 911 call system outage earlier this month was caused by a technical issue, not a cyberattack, according to a preliminary report. People calling 911 in Pennsylvania experienced intermittent disruptions on July 12. The update Tuesday from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency says the problem stemmed from an operating system issue with Next Generation 911, which processes and routes 911 calls from phones to 911 centers. "As soon as the intermittent outages started, our vendors and partner public safety organizations began to investigate the cause and take steps to resolve the issue," said Jeff Boyle, PEMA's executive deputy director. "We activated the Emergency Alert System and issued Wireless Emergency Alerts as a precautionary measure to notify everyone in Pennsylvania of the issue and to follow county-based back up plans should they not be able to reach the 911 centers by calling the traditional three-digit phone number." When people call 911 in Pennsylvania, their calls first go to a data processing center, where Next Generation Core Services determines their location and sends the call to the proper local 911 call center, according to the update. Officials are working on a more detailed analysis of the incident and plans to improve the system, the update says. "Our team got on it immediately yesterday, restored 911 capabilities relatively quickly and also put out guidance on what folks should do in that interim, I thought they handled it really well, they worked closely with our county officials," Gov. Josh Shapiro said at the time. The agency suggests residents save the phone number for their county's non-emergency 911 line in their phones in case of another disruption. Those numbers are available here.
CTV News
9 hours ago
- Science
- CTV News
Extreme weather misinformation ‘putting lives at risk,' study warns
Damage is seen next to the Guadalupe River on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, after a flash flood swept through the area near Ingram, Texas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) WASHINGTON — Major social media platforms are enabling and profiting from misinformation around extreme weather events, endangering lives and impeding emergency response efforts, a research group said Tuesday. The report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) -- which analyzed 100 viral posts on each of three leading platforms during recent natural disasters including deadly Texas floods -- highlights how their algorithms amplify conspiracy theorists while sidelining life-saving information. 'The influence of high-profile conspiracy theorists during climate disasters is drowning out emergency response efforts,' the report said, adding that the trend was 'putting lives at risk.' Nearly all of the analyzed posts on Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram lacked fact-checks or Community Notes, a crowd-sourced verification system increasingly being adopted as an alternative to professional fact-checkers, the report said. Elon Musk-owned X lacked fact-checks or Community Notes on 99 percent of the posts, while Google-owned YouTube 'failed entirely,' with zero fact-checks or Community Notes, CCDH said. The report noted that well-known conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's false claims during the LA wildfires amassed more views on X throughout January than the combined reach of major emergency response agencies and news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times. 'The rapid spread of climate conspiracies online isn't accidental. It's baked into a business model that profits from outrage and division,' said Imran Ahmed, CCDH's chief executive. During the wildfires, online scammers placed social media advertisements impersonating federal emergency aid agencies to steal victims' personal information, Ahmed said, citing local officials. 'When distraught people can't distinguish real help from online deception, platforms become complicit in the suffering of innocent people,' he said. The tech platforms did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 'Dangerous' falsehoods Following natural disasters, misinformation tends to surge across social media -- fueled by accounts from across the political spectrum –- as many platforms scale back content moderation and reduce reliance on human fact-checkers, often accused by conservative advocates of a liberal bias. During Hurricane Milton, which struck Florida last year, social media was flooded with baseless claims that the storm had been engineered by politicians using weather manipulation. Similarly, the LA wildfires were falsely blamed on so-called 'government lasers,' a conspiracy theory amplified by viral posts. Augustus Doricko, chief executive of cloud seeding company Rainmaker, said he received death threats online after conspiracy theorists blamed him for the devastating floods in Texas. 'I can confirm that we have received multiple threats since the flooding event,' Doricko told AFP, highlighting the real-life consequences of such falsehoods. The CCDH study found that the worst offenders spreading extreme weather misinformation were verified users with large followings, many of whom were attempting to monetize their posts. Eighty eight percent of misleading extreme weather posts on X came from verified accounts, CCDH said. On YouTube, 73 percent of such posts originated from verified users, while on Meta, the figure was 64 percent. 'Climate disinformation costs lives,' said Sam Bright of DeSmog, which reports on climate misinformation campaigns. 'As extreme weather events become more and more frequent, these falsehoods will only get more dangerous.' By Anuj Chopra
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
After deadly fire, Massachusetts city will get over $1 million to boost emergency staffing
FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said Tuesday the state would provide money to improve public safety staffing for the city of Fall River in the wake of last week's fire at an assisted-living facility that killed 10 people. The July 13 fire at Gabriel House was the state's deadliest fire in more than four decades. The blaze left some residents of hanging out windows of the three-story building screaming for help. Members of the local firefighter's union said lack of emergency personnel staffing in the city made responding to the blaze more difficult, and made the fire itself deadlier. The fire in the blue-collar city in southern Massachusetts remains under investigation, but it has highlighted the lack of regulations governing assisted-living facilities that often care for low-income or disabled residents. Following a meeting with city officials, Healey said the state was releasing $1.2 million for Fall River to hire more emergency response personnel. She also said additional funds will be expedited for the state's municipal public safety staffing program. 'We are here today to listen to make sure that we understand what this community needs now and moving forward in the wake of this tragedy,' Healey said. Healey said last week that a state agency that ensures regulatory compliance at assisted-living residences will investigate all 273 such facilities in Massachusetts to make sure they are prepared to protect residents during emergencies. She said Tuesday that work has begun. Later Tuesday, the Bristol County district attorney's office is expected to hold a news conference to provide an update on the investigation. Although the cause of the fire remains unknown, authorities have said it does not appear to be suspicious. The district attorney's office identified the 10th victim as Halina Lawler, 70, on Monday. The victims of the fire ranged in age from 61 to 86. A resident of Gabriel House filed a lawsuit Monday alleging the facility was not properly managed, staffed or maintained, that residency rules were not enforced 'and emergency response procedures were not put in place.' Trapped in his room during the fire, Steven Oldrid was in an 'already compromised physical condition' when he suffered smoke inhalation and lost consciousness, according to the complaint filed in Bristol County Superior Court. As a result, Oldrid says he has increased mobility restrictions and has racked up medical bills for treatment. George K. Regan Jr., a spokesperson for the facility owned by Dennis Etzkorn, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the lawsuit. A phone message was also left with Oldrid's attorney. Public injury law firm Morgan & Morgan also said last week it was hired to investigate the fire by the family of one of the residents killed at Gabriel House. Morgan & Morgan Communications Manager Emily Walsh said the law firm had already begun looking into whether the facility was adequately staffed and provided proper training to staff, as well as any potential code violations and possible failures of fire safety equipment. Etzkorn has said he is cooperating with investigations into the fire. Gabriel House issued a statement Monday emphasizing the importance of finding out 'exactly what caused this catastrophe, and if there were factors that made it worse.' The statement said the facility placed a premium on residents' safety. 'Maintaining compliance with all safety and building codes has always been our priority, and there were quarterly inspections of the fire suppression system – the latest as recently as five days prior to the fire,' said the facility's spokesperson. ___ Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press writer Leah Willingham in Boston contributed.
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Did YOU witness the crash? Email: dan.woodland@mailonline.co.uk
A second bus has crashed in Manchester just hours after a double-decker collided with a bridge and left 20 people injured. The vehicle, a Metroline Manchester driver training bus, collided with the bridge on Ten Acres Lane in Newton Heath at some point before 8.30am on Tuesday, according to Manchester Evening News. No injuries have been reported of the crash, which crumpled the top deck roof of the purple bus after it collided with a low bridge. It comes after three people - a 19-year-old female, and two men, one is his 20s and another in his 40s - were left seriously injured after a Stagecoach bus collided with the Bridgewater Canal Aqueduct in Salford on Monday. They have been taken to hospital and remain in a stable condition, while a further 17 people were treated at the scene for non-life threatening or non-life changing injuries. The shocking incident prompted a massive emergency response, with ten ambulances, specialist medics and an air ambulance deployed to the scene on Barton Lane at around 3pm. Greater Manchester Police have now arrested the driver of the bus, a man in his 50s, on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving. He has been bailed pending further investigations. The driver had failed to comply with height restriction warnings, including hanging chains and signage, before colliding with the aqueduct, causing a passenger to be flung from the top deck, the force added. Shocking footage of yesterday's crash shows the roof of the No.100 service being torn straight off as it attempted to pass under the bridge which stands at just 11ft 6 inches. Distressed drivers were seen quickly slamming the brakes, as the large yellow bus left a trail of scattered glass and debris in its wake. Seconds after the collision, witnesses and locals were seen running out of their houses and up the street in an attempt to catch up with the bus. One witness told Manchester Evening News that they heard 'screaming coming from the top of the bus'. A local added: 'I was shocked but not surprised as this is the third time this has happened. Another bus and a lorry have done it. You feel for the people on the bus.' The bridge has become somewhat of an accident hotspot in recent times, with separate instances in June 2020 and December 2023 seeing the roofs of two double deckers severely damaged as drivers smashed into it. A spokesperson for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) yesterday confirmed a formal investigation had been launched into why the bus was 'off route'. The bus typically departs from Shudehill and travels to Salford, Trafford Centre and Warrington, but TfGM said it was 'not on its usual route at the time of the collision'. The aftermath of a second bus crash that took place in the Manchester area this morning. The vehicle, a Metroline Manchester driver training bus, collided with the bridge on Ten Acres Lane in Newton Heath at some point before 8.30am Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, Vernon Everitt, said: 'First and foremost, our thoughts are with everyone on board the bus. 'Our absolute focus has been on supporting emergency services in their response, with some people treated at the scene and some taken to hospital. 'An immediate and urgent investigation into the circumstances is underway and we are working closely with the investigation team at Greater Manchester Police and the bus operator, Stagecoach. 'This is clearly a distressing situation for everyone involved and we'd like to thank emergency services for their swift response.' GMP's Serious Collision Investigation Unit are appealing for information and witnesses following the crash. They are also keen to speak to anyone who may have any footage, including dashcam, mobile phone or doorbell footage, from the area in the moments leading up to the collision. Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 4741 quoting log number 2226 of 21/07/2025. Alternatively, details can be shared on GMP's LiveChat function on our website, or via the independent charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111. By DAN WOODLAND Published: 08:04 EDT, 22 July 2025 | Updated: A second bus has crashed in Manchester just hours after a double-decker collided with a bridge and left 20 people injured. The vehicle, a Metroline Manchester driver training bus, collided with the bridge on Ten Acres Lane in Newton Heath at some point before 8.30am on Tuesday. No injuries have been reported following the crash, which crumpled the top deck roof of the purple bus and led to train cancellations across the city earlier today. It comes after three people - a 19-year-old female, and two men, one is his 20s and another in his 40s - were left seriously injured after a Stagecoach bus collided with the Bridgewater Canal Aqueduct in Salford on Monday. They have been taken to hospital and remain in a stable condition, while a further 17 people were treated at the scene for non-life threatening or non-life changing injuries. The shocking incident prompted a massive emergency response, with ten ambulances, specialist medics and an air ambulance deployed to the scene on Barton Lane at around 3pm. Greater Manchester Police have arrested the driver of the bus, a man in his 50s, on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving. He has been bailed pending further investigations. The driver had failed to comply with height restriction warnings, including hanging chains and signage, before colliding with the aqueduct, causing a passenger to be flung from the top deck, the force added. A Metroline Manchester spokesperson said of Tuesday's crash: 'We are aware of the incident involving a training bus on Ten Acres Lane. 'We can confirm there are no injuries. The bus has been removed from the scene and we will be conducting a full investigation.' Shocking footage of yesterday's crash shows the roof of the No.100 service being torn straight off as it attempted to pass under the bridge which stands at just 11ft 6 inches. Distressed drivers were seen quickly slamming the brakes, as the large yellow bus left a trail of scattered glass and debris in its wake. Seconds after the collision, witnesses and locals were seen running out of their houses and up the street in an attempt to catch up with the bus. One witness told Manchester Evening News that they heard 'screaming coming from the top of the bus'. A local added: 'I was shocked but not surprised as this is the third time this has happened. Another bus and a lorry have done it. You feel for the people on the bus.' The bridge has become somewhat of an accident hotspot in recent times, with separate instances in June 2020 and December 2023 seeing the roofs of two double deckers severely damaged as drivers smashed into it. The large yellow bus left a trail of scattered glass and the roof in its wake as it continued to drive along the busy road on Monday Emergency crews at the scene of the collision on Monday after the roof of a double-decker bus was been ripped off after colliding with a bridge A spokesperson for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) yesterday confirmed a formal investigation had been launched into why the bus was 'off route'. The bus typically departs from Shudehill and travels to Salford, Trafford Centre and Warrington, but TfGM said it was 'not on its usual route at the time of the collision'. Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, Vernon Everitt, said: 'First and foremost, our thoughts are with everyone on board the bus. 'Our absolute focus has been on supporting emergency services in their response, with some people treated at the scene and some taken to hospital. 'An immediate and urgent investigation into the circumstances is underway and we are working closely with the investigation team at Greater Manchester Police and the bus operator, Stagecoach. 'This is clearly a distressing situation for everyone involved and we'd like to thank emergency services for their swift response.' GMP's Serious Collision Investigation Unit are appealing for information and witnesses following the crash. They are also keen to speak to anyone who may have any footage, including dashcam, mobile phone or doorbell footage, from the area in the moments leading up to the collision. Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 0161 856 4741 quoting log number 2226 of 21/07/2025. Alternatively, details can be shared on GMP's LiveChat function on our website, or via the independent charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.
