Emergency Management
Follow along as the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and first responders from across the country put some robots through the paces to gauge whether the commercially available systems meet responders’ demanding operational need
Fire Chief Jaime Moore said he is focused on future improvements, not assigning blame, after acknowledging that the official after-action report downplayed leadership failures
The new Kensington-based facility uses high-fidelity disaster simulations to strengthen EMS readiness for mass casualty and complex emergency responses
Risk identification must go beyond simple yes-or-no questions to consider the various mitigation options
Los Angeles Fire Commission President Genethia Hudley Hayes said a draft report had been sent to Mayor Karen Bass’ office for “refinements,” raising concerns about outside influence
Los Angeles Fire Chief Jaime Moore acknowledged that the department’s after-action report on the deadly 2025 Palisades Fire was edited to reduce criticism of LAFD leadership
Families of wildfire victims say trauma, illness and suicide followed the Palisades Fire, filing lawsuits that name Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and other agencies as responsible
Fueled by predicted 90 mph Santa Ana wind gusts, the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted hours apart on Jan. 7, 2025, burning 59 square miles, killing 31 people and destroying 16,246 structures
Documents outline potential reductions to CORE and surge staffing, raising concerns about disaster response capacity
As drinking water conservation orders remain in effect, firefighters used water from nearby Limestone Creek to control a fully involved fire at a Minoa business
After-action reports one year after the Palisades and Eaton fires point to staffing, coordination and evacuation gaps, driving changes to improve future wildfire response
Inside the department’s plan to use AI to improve planning, documentation and daily operations
How high-drive, disaster-ready dogs train, deploy and partner with handlers to support complex search operations
Breaking down the CFSI National Advisory Committee’s recommendations
Confidence can only be obtained through realistic MCI drills that truly test the system
How fire departments can coordinate training efforts with other agencies
Dispatch logs show firefighters reported “nothing showing” and cleared a call at the earlier Lachman Fire, despite LAFD leaders’ statements that crews returned to “cold-trail” the burn area
Anchorage is rewriting its nearly 20-year-old community wildfire protection plan to better assess neighborhood risk
Delayed, late alerts and widespread misrouted notifications have renewed concerns over the reliability of the region’s emergency warning systems
A fire that began below deck on the One Henry Hudson burned roughly 100 cargo containers and triggered a temporary shelter-in-place order
The report details how 12 simultaneous wildfires spread across Los Angeles and Ventura counties, providing new time lapse visualizations and data to help improve future wildfire preparedness and response
Speakers and sessions underscored how practical innovation, coordinated planning and early engagement between developers and responders are shaping safer, faster and more efficient emergency operations
Two reports offer valuable planning information for when residents cannot safely evacuate
David Richardson reportedly distanced himself from day-to-day operations before resigning from the nation’s top disaster agency
The Pack Fire near California’s Nevada border has damaged at least 15 structures, closed part of Highway 395
Investigators found serious emergency planning lapses at MonteCedro in Altadena and The Terraces at Park Marino in Pasadena, where elderly women were left behind as flames closed in
A quick explainer of our three-digit helping hands
A new after-action report on January’s catastrophic Palisades Fire praises officers’ heroism but details major coordination breakdowns, unclear command structures and recordkeeping lapses
Lessons from agencies mastering real-time collaboration under pressure
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