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Emergency and disaster management briefing for August 14, 2019: A CHP officer was killed in a shootout on the 215 Freeway in California; Georgia is struggling to locate the source of its largest Legionnaire’s outbreak ever recorded; Dole has recalled baby spinach products over possible salmonella contamination; workers are set to begin lead removal in France following the catastrophic fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral; Wednesday is the last day to apply for federal disaster assistance in Oklahoma; Malibu will hold a free CERT training course beginning in September as part of National Preparedness Month; Hurricane Florence revealed major gaps in preparedness across North Carolina; and the Johnson County Emergency Management Agency hosted an active shooter drill at the University of Iowa.

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1) A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer identified as Andre Moye, Jr., 34, is dead after being gunned down on the 215 Freeway in California. The gunman, Aaron Luther, 49, was stopped by the officer — who made the decision to impound Luther’s vehicle — when the motorist grabbed a rifle from his vehicle and opened fire on the officer as he was filling out paperwork. The fatally wounded CHP officer still managed to call for help, and three other CHP officers arrived and were met with gunfire. The shooter was able to hit and wound two more officers before police fatally shot the gunman.

2) The Legionnaire’s disease outbreak at an Atlanta hotel is now the largest on record in Georgia. According to state health officials, the Legionnaire’s outbreak at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel includes 12 lab-confirmed cases, one of whom died, and an additional 63 probable cases. The source of the outbreak has yet to be determined. The hotel voluntarily closed its doors and says it will remain closed until the Legionella source is located and fully remediated.

3) Dole has issued a voluntary recall of some of its baby spinach products due to possible salmonella contamination after a random sample tested positive. The product being recalled includes six-ounce bags of Dole Baby Spinach, along with 10-ounce Dole Baby Spinach clamshell. The products were distributed to stores in 10 states, including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.

4) Workers have begun the tedious task of decontaminating streets surrounding the Notre Dame Cathedral in France. Officials halted work on the burned-out cathedral after dangerously high levels of the substance were found last month at the site and in the streets, following the devastating fire in April that melted the roof and spire. The roof and spire held hundreds of tons of lead, and new equipment that includes decontamination units will help protect workers. Along with stricter safety procedures, the equipment will also allegedly prevent any dangerous elements from being released to the outside.

5) Wednesday marks the final day for residents of Oklahoma to apply for federal disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and to apply for loans from the Small Business Administration. Anyone who lives in Oklahoma and was impacted by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding from May 9 to June 7 is eligible to apply. FEMA has dispersed over $8.5 million in individual assistance in Tulsa County, with a total disbursement of more than $29 million across Oklahoma.

6) September is National Preparedness Month, and in preparation of California’s peak fire season, Malibu will offer a free Certified Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course beginning on September 5. The seven-week course will certify citizens to assist first responders and others in the event of a disaster. As part of the Malibu CERT Team, they will also be registered Disaster Service Workers. However, they must also complete Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trainings, serve 30 hours per year, and regularly attend scheduled meetings and drills.

7) Hurricane Florence ravaged North Carolina in 2018 and exposed critical gaps in emergency preparedness across the state. As one of the only states on the East Coast without evacuation zones, residents flooded 911 emergency call centers for more specific evacuation information during Hurricane Florence and also to request rescues. Counties throughout North Carolina are attempting to learn from the failures that occurred on nearly every level. The counties are working hard to implement evacuation zones, update emergency plans, relocate shelters, update communication infrastructure, develop backup plans and re-write mutual aid agreements.

8) The Johnson County Emergency Management Agency conducted an active shooter drill on the campus of the University of Iowa on Tuesday. The drill, which included multiple agencies across the county, was set to begin at about 8:30 a.m., when a person posing as an active shooter would enter the Recreation Center and shoot 12 people. Officials noted that recent shootings over the past few years prompted Johnson County to design the drill, which has been several years in the making.

Start an Emergency & Disaster Management degree at American Military University.