AMU Emergency Management Public Safety

EDM Monday Briefing: Roosevelt Bridge to Remain Closed Indefinitely

Emergency and disaster management briefing for June 22, 2020: U.K. officials are investigating a stabbing attack that killed three in Reading as an act of terrorism; the Bush Fire is now the fifth largest fire ever in the state of Arizona; GSK Consumer Healthcare issued a recall on two of its children’s cough syrups due to overdose concerns; Ventura County has adopted state guidelines for its evacuation order language to help clarify public announcements and when and how they should be acted upon; the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart, Florida, is likely to be closed indefinitely while repairs are made to ensure its safety; Fresh Express voluntarily recalled some of its salad due to undeclared allergens that can be life-threatening to some individuals; Australian wildfires produced record setting smoke plumes that reached the upper stratosphere; and the Bighorn Fire continues to burn north of Tucson, amid unfavorable fire weather conditions that prompted down canyon winds overnight.

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1) United Kingdom officials are investigating a stabbing at a park in Reading, England, as a terrorist attack. Parkgoers were attacked by a male wielding a large knife, who stabbed multiple people, three of whom died from the attack. According to Thames Valley Police, the incident occurred at the Forbury Gardens on Saturday evening, and the alleged attacker was taken into custody at the scene.

2) Fire officials in Arizona said that the Bush Fire has now become the fifth largest wildfire in the history of the state. The wildfire, burning northeast of Phoenix in the Tonto National Forest, has now scorched more than 184,500 acres, although no homes have been lost to the fire. The blaze grew explosively last week, thanks to severe fire weather conditions. Weather conditions caused the Bush Fire to double in size in just 24 hours and forced thousands to evacuate.

3) GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare has issued a voluntary recall for two varieties of its children’s cough syrup. Both Robitussin Honey Cough and Congestion DM and Children’s Dimetapp Cold and Cough are being recalled due to an overdose risk. The products both contain an incorrect dosing cup. If caregivers dispensing the product do not notice the discrepancy between the dosage in the directions and the graduations printed on the cup, a larger amount of the product will be administered.

4) In Ventura County, California, the language used to issue evacuation orders during disaster incidents has changed. The County adopted state guidelines and the new terminology will now use the words “evacuation warnings” and “evacuation orders,” to help clarify public notices and when and how people should act on them. An evacuation warning will let residents know of a threat that is not yet imminent, but the time should be used to prepare for the evacuation order. During an evacuation order, the threat is now imminent, and residents, including their pets and livestock, need to get out immediately.

5) The Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart, Florida, is to remain closed for an extensive time period, after further inspection of the bridge found steel support cables that were corroded and even ruptured. A portion of the southbound section of the bridge will be supported with steel plates and towers no later than Monday to prevent a catastrophic incident. Falling concrete and a large crack that appeared last Tuesday evening prompted the closure of the bridge last Wednesday. The bridge closure increased the commute to work for many residents.

6) Fresh Express has issued a voluntary recall for its Southwest Chopped Salad kits under three different production codes. The products include undeclared high-allergen items, such as wheat, soy, cashews and coconuts, which can be life-threatening to allergic individuals. The products being recalled were distributed to 11 states between June 12-18, including Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

7) The recent wildfire season in Australia scorched millions of acres, destroyed thousands of homes and set new records. The bushfires released a large amount of smoke into the stratosphere through the formation of pyrocumulonimbus clouds (pyroCb), which caused thunderstorms. One of the fire-fueled smoke plumes rose to record heights in the stratosphere (nearly 20 miles above the earth) and was wrapped in rotating winds. Concern over the plume and its potentially negative effect on the ozone layer are currently being studied.

8) The Bighorn Fire continues to burn north of Tucson, Arizona, where it has now consumed more than 51,625 acres and is currently only about 16 percent contained. Firefighters are making slow progress. Evacuation orders have been issued for nearby communities as fire weather conditions remained unfavorable, with high temperatures, low humidity, and down canyon winds, especially overnight. A Type I Incident Management Team (IMT) is now in command of the fire. The team brought additional resources and nearly 1,000 personnel have been assigned to the wildfire, which began on June 5 due to lightning.

 

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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