For Md. hospitals, no such thing as a ‘snow day’
When the snow falls, roads and governments shut down. Kids get a snow day home from school. And while telecommuting has mostly brought the snow day for workers to an end, at least most of them can avoid driving in treacherous conditions. Hospitals, on the other hand, have to stay open with the doctors, nurses […]
This Baltimore company helps businesses train for the worst emergencies
Do you know the evacuation route at work? Is there a point person who is in charge in an emergency? What do you do when a co-worker is having a heart attack? A Baltimore-based company wants to make sure businesses of all types and sizes know the answers to those questions. Since its inception in […]
Hogan: State of emergency in Md. for storm preparations
REISTERSTOWN — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has declared a state of emergency to allow emergency responders to begin to prepare for flooding from heavy rains and damage from a hurricane. The governor spoke Thursday afternoon from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency in Reisterstown. Drenching storms are moving up the East Coast, a region already swamped […]
FCC: Thousands of hotels don’t offer direct 911
Tens of thousands of hotels don't allow guests to directly reach emergency services when they dial 911, according to a national survey taken after a 9-year-old girl couldn't call for help while her mother was being stabbed to death in a Texas motel.
Montgomery County 911 dispatcher caught sleeping on the job
ROCKVILLE — A woman who called 911 after her husband was unable to breathe found a snoring Montgomery County dispatcher at the other end of the line. The woman called 911 from her home on April 4. According to a recording of the call, she repeatedly says “hello” but gets no reply. A second dispatcher […]
Ex-P.G. County jail officer charged after inmate’s death
WASHINGTON — A former corrections officer in Prince George’s County is facing federal charges stemming from the death of a detainee who had been accused of killing a county police officer. Anthony McIntosh was arrested in New York City on Thursday, accused of failing to alert emergency workers after finding an inmate unresponsive in his […]
Pilot makes emergency landing in Frederick field
FREDERICK — A pilot on his way home to Maine made an emergency landing in a Maryland field when his small plane ran out of gas. The Frederick News-Post reports that the man made an emergency landing Sunday afternoon in Frederick. No one was injured. A neighbor whose husband talked to the pilot told the […]
FDA debates over-the-counter morning-after pill
WASHINGTON — The government is considering whether it’s OK for young teenagers to buy the morning-after pill without a prescription. Teva Pharmaceuticals wants its Plan B morning-after pill to become the first truly over-the-counter form of emergency contraception. The pill can prevent pregnancy if taken soon after unprotected sex. Currently, women 17 and older can […]
Quake felt in far western Maryland
HAGERSTOWN — A 5.9-magnitude earthquake centered near Richmond, Va., rattled the walls of homes and buildings across western Maryland. Emergency management officials in the region say they have no reports of injuries or significant damage from the quake that struck shortly before 2 p.m. The Hagerstown Fire Department says it’s checking on a chimney collapse […]
P.G. County officers banned from off-duty work at parties
PALMER PARK — The Prince George’s County police department is banning its members from working security at house parties while off-duty after five officers were hired for a weekend party where someone drowned, police said Tuesday. Deputy Police Chief Kevin Davis said Tuesday that the officers weren’t to blame for the death of 22-year-old Kevin […]
Cumberland struggles to pay for emergency vehicles
CUMBERLAND — The Cumberland Fire Department says an ambulance delivered two months ago is sitting idle because the city hasn’t been able to pay for it. The Cumberland Times-News reported Wednesday that the city also hasn’t paid for three new police cars that were delivered last week. City Administrator Jeff Repp says the holdup stems […]
MVA sets up emergency contact registry
Maryland’s Motor Vehicle Administration is starting an emergency contact registry. The program allows residents with a state driver’s license or identification card to provide contact information for up to three people to be notified in case of an emergency. It began on Monday. Emergency contact information can be submitted online or at kiosks at MVA […]