AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Friday Briefing: United Airlines Plane Slides Off Runway

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Emergency and disaster management briefing for February 23, 2018: A United Airlines plane slides off the runway in Green Bay, Wisconsin, a shooting at the Southeastern Louisiana University campus leaves two people injured, heavy rains and melting snow flood rivers and force evacuations in the Midwest, a ferry boat explosion in Mexico injures 25 people–including 2 Americans, a fourth person involved in the Grand Canyon helicopter crash has now died, the attacker of the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro was allegedly pro-Russia and anti-NATO, FBI under scrutiny for allegedly failing to follow up on a call about the Florida school shooter, and a man sets himself on fire after intentionally crashing his car into an emergency room entrance in Middletown, Connecticut.

  1. [link url=”https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2018/02/23/united-airlines-plane-slides-off-runway-austin-straubel-airport-green-bay/366245002/” title=”A United Airlines plane slid off the runway in Green Bay, Wisconsin”] early Friday morning amid icy conditions. The flight, a Boeing 737-900, carrying 180 passengers and 7 crew members, departed Houston Thursday night and was set to land in Minneapolis at 10:30 p.m., but was instead diverted twice for bad weather. [link url=”http://www.wbay.com/content/news/Plane-makes-emergency–474939063.html” title=”The first diversion sent it to Madison, Wisconsin”], where it landed and remained on the ground for about 45 minutes before departing again for its original destination. The plane then took off from Madison and headed to Minneapolis, where it circled above the city several times, and was again diverted, this time to Green Bay’s Austin Straubel International Airport where it [link url=”https://www.cbsnews.com/live/video/20180223142017-united-plane-slides-off-runway-after-emergency-landing-in-green-bay/” title=”landed and slid off the runway”].  

  2. Two people were injured during [link url=”http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/article_d360708a-18a1-11e8-8c9b-1fb3e3a35615.html” title=”a shooting incident on the Southeastern Louisiana University campus in Hammond, Louisiana, early Friday morning”]. University police are investigating the shooting incident that involved several people and occurred around 2:00 a.m. outside the athletic dormitory. According to university officials who confirmed the shooting, [link url=”http://www.wwl.com/articles/shooting-southeastern-campus-hammond” title=”two individuals suffered non-life threatening injuries and were transported to an area hospital”]. The victims have not yet been identified and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.  

  3. People in Indiana and Michigan were [link url=”https://www.cbsnews.com/news/midwest-flooding-extreme-weather-evacuation-homes-swollen-rivers/” title=”forced from their homes as floodwaters continued to rise”] after a major storm brought heavy rains and snow melt that have overflowed streams and rivers. Crews used boats to rescue residents from their homes and some sought refuge at the [link url=”https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/22/587881723/widespread-flooding-brings-misery-to-midwest” title=”eight shelters that were opened in northern Indiana”]. In Illinois, an evacuation order was issued for residents living near the Illinois River in Marseilles, and several local cities across the region have declared a state of emergency due to the ongoing flooding. 

  4. Mexican officials stated that [link url=”https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ferry-explosion-in-mexico-officials-report-people-injured/” title=”25 people were injured when a ferry exploded alongside a pier at Playa del Carmen”], a popular tourist resort town on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Reports indicated that two Americans and three Canadians were among those hurt in the incident, and those affected were taken to a nearby hospital. Officials stated that the [link url=”http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ferry-explosion-injures-18-playa-del-carmen-mexico-53255322″ title=”blast occurred after the boat returned from the island of Cozumel”], was moored at the dock, and passengers were exiting the vessel.  

  5. [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/02/22/fourth-victim-grand-canyon-helicopter-crash-dies-3-still-hospitalized.html” title=”A fourth victim has died from the injuries he sustained”] while onboard the sightseeing helicopter that crashed in the Grand Canyon on February 10. Neil Udall, 31, died at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, where [link url=”https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/grand-canyon-helicopter-crash-fourth-british-tourist-jonathan-udall-dies-two-weeks-later-a3773801.html” title=”three people still remain in critical condition from the crash”]. According to a preliminary report released Wednesday, the helicopter made at least two, 360 degree turns, before crashing onto the canyon floor. 

  6. The United States Embassy in the Balkan state of Montenegro [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/02/22/us-embassy-in-montenegro-attacked-with-grenade-prompting-security-scare.html” title=”was attacked Thursday”] by an individual who blew himself up after throwing a hand grenade into the compound. The compound, which was closed at the time of the attack, was swept by security officials, but no other threat was found. The only death was that of the attacker, who was later identified as [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/02/23/attacker-at-us-embassy-in-montenegro-resented-nato-joined-russophiles-facebook-group-report.html” title=”Dalibor Jaukovic, 43, an alleged anti-NATO, pro-Russia supporter”].
  7. Signs reportedly existed that the Florida school shooter, Nickolas Cruz might be a threat, and one such sign came just after Thanksgiving. The [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/02/22/nikolas-cruz-reported-to-police-for-threats-punching-walls-months-before-florida-shooting-report-says.html” title=”Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call regarding a physical altercation”] at the home where Cruz was staying in Lantana. Reports indicate that the [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/02/16/alleged-florida-school-shooter-nikolas-cruz-was-reported-to-fbi-cops-school-but-warning-signs-missed.html” title=”Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was also tipped off about Cruz”] and the potential for him to orchestrate a school shooting, when they received a phone call on January 5 through the tip line, from a person close to Cruz. The FBI has since admitted that protocols for following up on the tip may not have been followed, which has prompted the Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, to order an “immediate review”.   

  8. Police were called to a disturbing scene after a man, Steve Ellam, 27, [link url=”http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/02/22/driver-crashes-car-into-connecticut-hospital-sets-himself-on-fire-officials-say.html” title=”intentionally crashed his car into the emergency entrance of the Middlesex Hospital, in Middletown, Connecticut on Thursday morning”] while recording it on Facebook Live. Eyewitness reports stated that after the man exited the vehicle, he then set himself on fire, and [link url=”http://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-br-middletown-hospital-crash-20180222-story.html” title=”police recovered several cans of flammable liquid inside the vehicle”] after the ensuing fire was extinguished by fire fighters. The bomb squad was also called to the scene, and area homes were evacuated until first responders deemed the hospital and surrounding area to be safe.  

Kimberly Arsenault serves as an intern at the Cleveland/Bradley County Emergency Management Agency where she works on plan revisions and special projects. Previously, Kimberly spent 15 years in commercial and business aviation. Her positions included station manager at the former Midwest Express Airlines, as well as corporate flight attendant, inflight manager, and charter flight coordinator. Kimberly currently holds a master's degree in emergency and disaster management from American Public University.

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