IEM in the News
How these NC firms are honoring, observing Juneteenth
WRAL – June 19, or Juneteenth, marks the annual observance celebrating the date that Union soldiers enforced the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing those who were still enslaved in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. Effective this week, Juneteenth has been designated a federal holiday, as President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by both chambers of the United States Congress this week that will designate June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day. As a company, IEM is recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday, said a spokesperson for the company. The founder, CEO, and president, Madhu Beriwal, also sent a company-wide email yesterday, that was shared with WRAL TechWire and is quoted below.
Stafford will use stimulus funds for disaster preparedness consulting
Potomac Local News – The Stafford County Board of Supervisors has approved the use of funds obtained from the American Rescue Act, the latest round of federal stimulus money, to pay a consulting firm on how to better prepare for disasters such as the coronavirus pandemic in the future. The County’s approval of the use of these funds to pay IEM was also an official acceptance of the funds which will be received in two separate portions for a grand total of $28.7 million. The first portion was received in May 2021 totaling $14.9 million from which the payment to IEM will come.
Donation to help community
Suffolk News-Herald – The Western Tidewater Free Clinic earlier this month took a donation of a video interpreter machine from AshBritt-IEM Health. This machine has a screen and uses video technology for clients to access more than 131 other languages so that clients and Western Tidewater Free Clinic staff can easily communicate.
Tysons Vaccination Center To Close Near End Of June
Patch – As many people who wanted the COVID-19 vaccine have gotten it, the Tysons Community Vaccination Center will close near the end of June. The last day for walk-in or scheduled appointments at the vaccination center will be June 26. It is located at the former Lord & Taylor at 7950 Tysons Corner Center, accessible by the Tysons Corner Metro station on the Silver Line.
WTFC receives video interpreter machine
Suffolk News-Herald – New technology is breaking down barriers to bring the people of Western Tidewater the health care services they need. On June 4, the Western Tidewater Free Clinic received a video interpreter machine from AshBritt-IEM Health.
Disaster alert system depends on everyone
Mail Tribune – A consultant’s report on the official response to the Almeda and South Obenchain fires largely confirmed what everyone who lived through the disasters already knew: firefighters and other first responders did a tremendous job under trying circumstances, helping prevent loss of life and stopping the Almeda fire before it reached Medford. But the notification system, such as it was, failed residents of Phoenix and Talent. The report on the Sept. 8, 2020, fires is the result of months of work by Innovative Emergency Management, a North Carolina disaster and crisis management firm commissioned by Jackson County to evaluate the official response to the fires.
Interpreter machine donated to Western Tidewater Free Clinic in Suffolk
WAVY – The staff at the Western Tidewater Free Clinic in Suffolk have been a busy team since COVID-19 restrictions were loosened in Virginia. With more patients coming in, they also recently found the need for a new language interpreter. Before this, the machine was at one of Suffolk’s mass vaccination clinics run by AshBritt-IEM Health, to help people communicate about their shots.
Jackson County cities adopt evacuation zones
Ashland Tidings – Nearly one month after fire season was declared for southwest Oregon, Jackson County municipalities are in the midst of rapid revisions to emergency operations plans, and several have rolled out new evacuation zones to better manage disaster situations. Cities in Jackson County are accountable for emergency response within their limits and have individual emergency operations plans, said Jackson County Administrator Danny Jordan. A recently released report on fire response compiled by Innovative Emergency Management commended rapid multi-agency response, mass evacuations and shelter setup, and creation of live evacuation maps, but criticized communication breakdowns between officials and the public.
VDH mobile vaccine clinics reach more communities as vaccination rate decreases
CBS WTKR – This week, the Virginia Department of Health is making it easier to get vaccinated in Portsmouth. As the vaccination rate decreases, the health department is using mobile clinics to reach more people. The mobile vaccine clinics are run by the VDH, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and its contractor, AshBritt – IEM.
Independent review looks at strengths and weaknesses in Jackson County’s fire response
KTVL – During the meeting, Krista Houk manager for state and local preparedness at IEM noted that she hoped the report can help bring at least a small amount of closure to those affected by the fire in knowing that the county is doing what it can to improve readiness. “We want to acknowledge the residents who may be listening in this morning and we know that the recovery is long and we’ve spent time hearing a lot of stories and we would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that loss and know that we hope in some small way that what we present in the findings can help the county continue to enhance and improve moving forward,” Houk said.
