Only one British police force out of 44 has been meeting its target of answering 90 percent of 999 calls—the equivalent of 911 calls in the United States—within 10 seconds. Statistics released for the first time by the Home Office show Avon and Somerset Police was the only force that met its target between November 2021…

Three Southern California counties are joining forces to operate the world’s largest water-dropping helitankers prior to the start of a “bad fire season.” The cooperative, dubbed “Quick Reaction Force,” initiates June 15 after Southern California Edison (SCE) donated $18 million to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACOFD), the Ventura County Fire Department, Coulson Aviation, and Perimeter Solutions. “This…

A new outdoor emergency system to alert residents of disasters was put to the test May 27 in Laguna Beach, Calif. “Nothing presents a greater risk to our public safety than a wildfire or a major earthquake,” Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen said in a press release. “This outdoor emergency warning system will save lives in the event of…

When a hurricane in Florida knocked out the power where Eric Talman’s mother lived for 13 days, she was able to call him on her satellite phone to keep in touch and let him know she was safe. As vice president of the Satellite Phone Store, Talman is no stranger to the benefits of having…