Early numbers show how significantly the coronavirus is devastating states' revenue streams — and could force choices between raising taxes or gutting services and laying off public employees.
Why it matters: Even as some states move toward reopening, the economic ramifications of having shut down will haunt them far into the future. - PUB DATE: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: AXIOS
The state of Texas is using lessons learned from hurricane response efforts to combat COVID-19, and UT Health EMS crews are training to be part of the state’s solution.
On Thursday, UT Health EMS provided training at its headquarters for their employees and Hopkins County EMS crews, both of whom are part of the state’s Rapid Assessment Quick Response Force. - PUB DATE: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Athens Daily Review
PHOTOS: High winds on Thursday spread fire and embers across a pallet factory, vacant homes, occupied buildings and a bus garage in downtown Detroit, requiring 60 firefighters to battle flames for seven hours and injuring one on the crew.
Then, power was knocked out in the area as the fire raged. Dave Fornell, deputy fire commissioner for the Detroit Fire Department, said the fire started Thursday in a palette factory near Pulford and Beaufait. - PUB DATE: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Detroit News
Artist Dwight White II has seen a nurse who lives in his University Village apartment building coming and going recently at late hours.
He’s talked to her from opposite sides of the elevator, pleasantries mostly, but never got her name.
She has no idea she’s the inspiration for a mural White just painted on the side of Lulu’s Hot Dogs, 1000 S. - PUB DATE: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Chicago Sun Times - Metered Site
When minutes could mean the difference between life and death, first responders and public service agencies require access to the latest offerings in technology and wireless equipment to close that gap.
Adding to a diverse list of products and services, Sourcewell has awarded contracts to AT&T and Sprint in its Wireless Voice and Data Services category; meaning participating agencies can purchase from these world-class vendors for voice, data, and messaging. - PUB DATE: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Sourcewell
If the federal government does not come to the rescue with financial assistance, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says that the city may be forced to lay off city employees like police officers, firefighters, and healthcare workers.
“They found $58B effortlessly for the airline industry, why are they not helping America’s cities and states get back on their feet,” de Blasio asked. - PUB DATE: 5/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WNYW-TV FOX 5 New York
On a cold Sunday night in March, Long Beach firefighter and paramedic James Dolas began to feel the first tingle of illness.
The next day, as the 34-year-old came down with a fever, sore throat and muscle pain, his supervisor delivered the bad news: He feared that Dolas and other firefighters at Station 11 had been exposed to the novel coronavirus. - PUB DATE: 5/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Los Angeles Times - Metered Site
As the United States enters its third month fighting the coronavirus pandemic, between 20,000 and 30,000 new cases have been diagnosed every day since the start of May. Even as data` remains highly limited, trends are beginning to emerge about which groups and parts of the United States are being hit the hardest — by the disease as well as economically. - PUB DATE: 5/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: 24/7 Wall St.
Researchers at Ivy League schools are looking into a theory that dogs can detect the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, with their noses. Man's best friend has a sense of smell that is tens of thousands of times more sensitive than humans and CBS's Chip Reid reports that it’s a tool that could be helpful to monitor the spread of the virus. - PUB DATE: 5/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WHP-TV CBS 21 Harrisburg
VIDEO: Bailee Bonick isn't crafty, but she is creative. When the 9-year-old Palm Beach Gardens resident saw her friends creating masks, cards and posters to support others during the coronavirus crisis, she decided to assist in her own, unique way. A longtime singer and theater veteran, Bailee created a YouTube video that pays tribute to first responders around the country. - PUB DATE: 5/7/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Palm Beach Post
Right now, the families of first responders who die of the coronavirus must first prove that they were infected on the job before they can collect federal death benefits.
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators say that’s unfair, and they’ve introduced legislation to automatically declare that first responders who die of COVID-19 gave their lives in the line of duty. - PUB DATE: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: NJ.com
Due to the highly infectious nature of the coronavirus, robots can provide contact-free alternatives.
From decontaminating hospitals and public spaces to delivery services, robots are a game-changer in pandemics.
A cylindrical robot rolls into a treatment room to allow health care workers to remotely take temperatures and measure blood pressure and oxygen saturation from patients hooked up to a ventilator. - PUB DATE: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: World Economic Forum
VIDEO: The Boston Pops is summoning the heroes to honor health care workers and first responders for how they’ve responded to the coronavirus pandemic.
Conductor Keith Lockhart and nearly 80 members of the Pops performed John Williams’ “Summon the Heroes” from their homes. Williams wrote the song for the 1996 Olympics, and it premiered at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Atlanta. - PUB DATE: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WCVB-TV ABC 5 Boston
The M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing at Villanova University has launched the national COVID-19 Caring About Health for All Study (CHAMPS) of health care, first responder and service workers for the health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Managing the health care needs of COVID-19 patients has had a tremendous impact not only on the lives of those delivering health care directly but on those who support that effort, from ambulance drivers to maintenance and housekeeping staff whose service has been essential to maintain the health care enterprise. - PUB DATE: 5/6/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Eureka Alert
On April 8, 2020 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that T-Mobile could not meet the public safety requirements that were established in a Request for Qualification (RFQ) that was issued by Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency which is an independent Federal entity. This RFQ for cellular services had as a requirement “enhanced priority-type features” which the agency identified as “AT&T FirstNet or equal”. - PUB DATE: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: All Things FirstNet
Information about the coronavirus is changing day by day, and that is why the state of Alabama has a team of state agencies working side by side to gather information and compile data about COVID-19 as the worldwide pandemic continues to unfold.
Located in the RSA Tower in downtown Montgomery, Alabama’s Unified Command for COVID-19 Response is a team comprised of four state agencies - the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA), Alabama National Guard, and Alabama Forestry Commission. - PUB DATE: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WSFA-TV CBS 12 News Montgomery
When Chase Sherrard completed field training ride-alongs for the Frederick County fire academy in February, the novel coronavirus was far from the major global threat it has become when his class graduated last week.
“Things are a lot different now than when we were doing ride-alongs, especially on [medical/sick person] calls,” the probationary firefighter said. - PUB DATE: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Frederick News Post - Metered Site
Recently published results of a survey of EMS providers from across the U.S. revealed inconsistent protocols, policies and training related to COVID-19 response could be contributing to the spread of the virus.
Cody Vaugh Gibson and Dr. George Donald Collier of the Calhoun Community College Biological Sciences Research Group; and Christian Ventura, a researcher at the Center for Mind and Brain Studies at Bard College, published preliminary results of their study this week, with the goal to “investigate available resources, PPE availability, sanitation practices, institutional policies and opinions” of EMS providers through a self-reported survey. - PUB DATE: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: EMS1
Police officers, firefighters and emergency medical services workers will be given an additional $300 weekly stipend to acknowledge their key role during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Chris Sununu said in a news conference on Monday.
Part-time employees in these categories will receive $150 stipends.
Eligibility for this extra pay began Monday and will continue through June 30. - PUB DATE: 5/5/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: The Lacoina Daily Sun
New York has formed a partnership with six other northeast states, including New Jersey and Connecticut, to purchase personal protective equipment, tests, ventilators and other medical equipment, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday.
The Governor said the agreement between New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, will increase the state's market power. - PUB DATE: 5/4/2020 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WABC-TV ABC 7 New York
