AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Friday Briefing: Two Major Quakes, Wildfire Arrests, Oakland Fire Developments

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Emergency and disaster management briefing for Friday, December 9, 2016

  1. A [link url=”http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-earthquake-northern-california-20161208-story.html” title=”magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck”] approximately 100 miles off the Northern California coastline Thursday morning. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was around 6.2 miles deep. Some light shaking of buildings was felt in and near the coastal city of Eureka, California. [link url=”http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/08/504820440/magnitude-6-5-earthquake-shakes-california” title=”No damage or injuries were reported”] from the quake which was not powerful enough for authorities to issue a tsunami warning. The earthquake is one of many recent temblors to occur along the so-called ‘Ring of Fire’ region that is prone to major quakes.
  2. A massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake occurred near Pacific Ocean nation of the Solomon Islands on Thursday prompting the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to [link url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/12/08/massive-7-7-magnitude-earthquake-in-soloman-islands-tsunami-watch-issued/?utm_term=.4a3b94413a8d” title=”issue a tsunami watch for Hawaii.”] The tsunami watch was lifted later Thursday. Moderate to heavy shaking and rattling of buildings was observed on the island of Makira, which was the closest to the huge quake’s epicenter. Residents of the Solomon Islands stated that it was one of the [link url=”www.cnn.com/2016/12/08/asia/solomon-islands-earthquake/” title=”longest and most powerful earthquakes in the region”] in recent history. Minutes after the major earthquake, an aftershock – magnitude 5.5 – was felt in the same area.
  3. Two juveniles [link url=”http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/08/504802052/2-juveniles-charged-with-arson-suspected-of-starting-deadly-tennessee-wildfire” title=”were arrested for their part in the devastating wildfires”] in eastern Tennessee last week that left 14 people dead and damaged more than 2,000 buildings. The two minors were charged with aggravated arson, and officials stated that more arrests may be forthcoming. Prosecutors say that the two minors – who will likely be tried as adults – [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/12/07/2-charged-with-aggravated-arson-in-tennessee-wildfires.html” title=”started a fire on Nov. 23 in the Chimney Tops area of Great Smoky Mountain National Park”], according to a statement from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The arrested youths are from Tennessee but not residents of Sevier County where the Chimney Tops fire spread to and caused the most damage and casualties.

  4. Oakland safety officials revealed Thursday that it’s been at least 30 years since a building code enforcement inspector [link url=”http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-oakland-fire-inspections-20161207-story.html” title=”has set foot inside the Ghost Ship warehouse where 36 people died in a fire”], raising fresh questions about government oversight of the problem property. It also emerged Thursday that the city of Oakland had [link url=”http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/07/us/oakland-fire-investigation/” title=”received numerous complaints over the decades”] because the site and its adjacent lot had become cluttered with old vehicles, pests and trash. The Dec.2 blaze broke out during a dance party, killing dozens who had no escape route from the dilapidated two-story warehouse.

    5. [relink url=”https://amuedge.com/the-ghost-ship-and-personal-responsibility/”]

  5. Pakistan is mourning the 47 victims of the [link url=”http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-airplane-idUSKBN13W1F5″ title=”worst air disaster the nation has seen in four years.”] Engine trouble is suspected in the crash of the ATR-42 airplane which was carrying a famous Pakistani rock star / Muslim evangelist. Officials believe that the aircraft suffered a failure in one of its two turboprop engines moments before the crash. Witnesses said they saw the plane [link url=”http://www.nbcnews.com/news/photo/investigators-search-wreckage-plane-crash-pakistan-n693661″ title=”flying extremely low for a few minutes”] before tilting downward and then bursting into flames upon crashing. Helicopters were transporting remains of the victims Thursday and Friday from the mountainous crash site to the capital city of Islamabad.

  6. A gunman in Georgia who allegedly killed two Georgia Southwestern State University police officers is [link url=”http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/manhunt-after-cop-killed-second-critical-shooting-near-georgia-college-n693346″ title=”dead after an extensive manhunt”], officials said Thursday. Americus Police Chief Mark Scott said 32-year-old Minquell Kennedy Lembrick was found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a residence. Lembrick was being sought for allegedly killing Officer Nicholas Ryan Smarr and Officer Jody Smith on Wednesday morning. Smarr died at the scene, while [link url=”http://abcnews.go.com/US/suspect-georgia-cop-killing-considered-armed-dangerous/story?id=44054034″ title=”Smith passed away Thursday”].
  7. A teenage driver [link url=”http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/12/08/teen-driver-dies-crash-while-live-facebook/95153306/” title=”was ‘live streaming’ on Facebook when she and her passenger were killed in a Pennsylvania car crash”] earlier this week. State police said Brooke Miranda Hughes, 18, initiated the broadcast while driving on an interstate in Eastern Pennsylvania. Moments later, a truck crashed into the back of Hughes’ car, killing her and 19-year-old passenger Chaniya Morrison-Toomey. [link url=”http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/teen-driver-dies-facebook-live-streaming-crash-article-1.2903512″ title=”According to an initial police investigation”], the car was traveling at a slow rate on the highway due to a flat tire.
  8. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported Thursday that its officers prevented two passengers from [link url=”http://www.fayobserver.com/news/local/tsa-stops-passengers-with-handguns-from-boarding-at-rdu/article_ae32d96f-9279-5108-ab36-1d44745321a8.html” title=”boarding planes while carrying loaded handguns”] at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The weapons were discovered in the passengers’ carry-on luggage as it passed through the X-ray machine. The TSA has [link url=”http://wncn.com/2016/12/08/tsa-stops-2-rdu-passengers-with-loaded-guns/” title=”seized 49 firearms in 2016 at the airport”] while the total in 2015 was 30. TSA Precheck airline passengers caught with a gun lose Precheck benefits for two years.

Glynn Cosker is a Managing Editor at AMU Edge. In addition to his background in journalism, corporate writing, web and content development, Glynn served as Vice Consul in the Consular Section of the British Embassy located in Washington, D.C. Glynn is located in New England.

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