Local officials and industry representatives held a press conference in Ketchikan to share information on preparedness for coronavirus in the community. Ketchikan fire chief and emergency manager Abner Hoage gave an overview of what local agencies and partners are doing to prepare for the coronavirus. He said Tuesday afternoon that it's likely cases will develop in Ketchikan, and everyone should have a personal plan in place for home and work. "And then just make plans for if something happens here and we have the virus arrive and that your employer has to make adjustments, or you have to make adjustments to deal with child care, etc." He pointed residents to the Centers for Disease Control's website for guidance on preventative measures and preparation. Like a cold or flu, coronavirus is transmitted by infected people coughing, and sneezing. It can also be picked up by touching a contaminated surface. Frequent hand washing with soap and water is advised as is covering coughs and sneezes and avoiding anyone with potential symptoms.  

VIDEO: Dr. Christopher Bosche was 44 when he died on Sept. 12th, 2017. His 3-year battle with cancer was linked to exposure while responding to Ground Zero following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. State Rep. Brenda Shields (R-St. Joseph) said Bosche is one of three first responders from Missouri who died from illnesses linked to their response to 9/11. "These families have suffered a lot," she said. "The deaths have not been easy, they have all been cancer-related and I think that they have a lot of medical bills they need to pay." That's why Shields filed HB 1771, which would establish the Christopher J. Bosche Memorial Act. The proposed legislation would allow the families of first responders who died from 9/11-related illnesses to receive a refund of state taxes their loved one paid for the year they died and the three years prior to their death.  

PHOTOS: "Stress is the body's reaction to harmful situations," according to WebMd. "Stress can affect all aspects of your life, including your emotions, behaviors, thinking ability, and physical health. No part of the body is immune." Working in stressful and intense situations can take their toll on police officers, firefighters and paramedics. One mother is on a crusade to help first responders. Carol Castle, of Coon Rapids, lost her son Maurice Roemhild, 31, to suicide in 2017. Her mission now is prevent as many first responders from taking the same path as her son. Castle's son was a firefighter for both the Maple Grove and Brooklyn Center Fire Departments. "I always say, my story starts when I realized that police and fire responders have double and triple the suicide rate," she said. "It's shocking." Just over 10 months ago, Castle created heavy-weight Life Coins about the size of a 50 cent piece through the Wrestling 4 Life campaign.  

Texas A&M University researchers have developed a flood prediction tool that can improve emergency response during hurricanes. The almost real-time device uses an algorithm to determine the flow of water with the help of information about a city's architecture, drainage systems and flood gauges, according to a Texas A&M Engineering website news release. Ali Mostafavi, assistant professor in the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, said in the release that knowing where water will flow is critical for first responders as they plan their rescues. "Our new algorithm considers the underground drainage channels to provide an accurate representation of how floods propagate," Mostafavi said in the release. "This tool, we think, can vastly help disaster management because first responders will be able to see which way flood water will flow in real time."  

The Eugene Springfield Fire Department received Tuesday the first in a new line of locally built electric trikes the vehicle manufacturer hopes will change the way first responders reach people in need of emergency help. Arcimoto, which last year launched its three-wheel Fun Utility Vehicle after a dozen years of redesign and development, now has delivered the first Rapid Responder model to the local fire department. The fire department will put the pilot vehicle through its paces and offer the company feedback for future design changes that may help the Rapid Responder become a more useful tool in other agencies' fleets. "They were the very first to volunteer to test the Rapid Responder about a year ago," said Arcimoto founder Mark Frohnmayer. "It has the ability to get to places you could never get to in a much larger vehicle."  

Kolby Adams is a tenacious 7-year-old with a lot of big ideas, and he's not letting his tender age stand in his way of shaking things up. The Swartz Creek youngster's latest venture is his vlog, the theme of which might come as a surprise to some people. "When he first said he wanted to be a vlogger, I thought that the last thing I wanted to do was a vlog about worms and G.I. Joes," said dad Don Adams. But instead of all that kid stuff, Kolby surprised his folks when he decided to vlog about firefighters. "I wanted to throw out there what the firefighters do for our community," said Kolby. "The firefighters do a lot. They save lives, they save animals." For the past four or five months, the father-son duo has been chasing fires, and Kolby's been getting some pretty interesting video from the scenes. In addition to serving as chauffeur, Adams also is his son's video editor, adding music and graphics.