Latest news with #FirstResponder
Arab Times
10-07-2025
- Health
- Arab Times
Kuwait launches 'First Responder Fleet' to boost emergency medical services
KUWAIT CITY, July 10: The Ministry of Health (MoH) on Wednesday officially launched the 'First Responder Fleet' — a strategic initiative designed to strengthen the delivery of emergency medical services across Kuwait, particularly in critical situations and underserved areas. Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi inaugurated the project during a ceremony held in Kuwait City, describing the new fleet as a vital extension of the national health strategy aimed at bolstering medical preparedness and response times during emergencies. 'This project is not merely a logistical addition but a tangible embodiment of the state's commitment to enhancing its emergency healthcare infrastructure,' said Dr. Al-Awadhi. 'It reflects our national vision to protect lives and minimize health complications by improving rapid response capabilities.' The First Responder initiative is the result of strategic cooperation between the Ministry's Medical Emergency Department and the General Secretariat of Awqaf. It is designed to ensure swift access to life-saving care, including early resuscitation and first aid, particularly in remote or densely populated areas where response times are often critical. According to the Health Minister, the primary goal is to deploy trained personnel and resources quickly to the site of an incident to assess injuries, provide immediate care, and stabilize patients before they are transferred to a hospital. The fleet will also support field triage operations in the event of major incidents, helping determine the scale of response needed and facilitating effective coordination. The First Responder Fleet currently consists of 28 fully equipped vehicles, strategically distributed based on criteria such as population density, service coverage, and response priority. Al-Awadhi noted that these allocations will be regularly reviewed and updated to maintain optimal operational efficiency. Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Support Services Dr. Abdullah Al-Fars added that the vehicles are staffed by qualified emergency medical technicians and paramedics, all certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS). Each vehicle is outfitted with resuscitation equipment, oxygen supplies, advanced respirators, intravenous fluids, essential medications, and devices to stabilize fractures and monitor vital signs. Dr. Al-Fars explained that the response process begins at the central operations room, where incoming emergency calls are assessed and the nearest First Responder vehicle is dispatched. Upon arrival, the team evaluates the situation, administers necessary care, and prepares a report for follow-up teams or hospital transfer. Representing the Secretary-General of the General Secretariat of Awqaf, Nasser Al-Khedr emphasized the Secretariat's ongoing commitment to collaborating with government agencies on developmental projects. He acknowledged the contributions of donors who have funded such community-serving initiatives through the Endowment Fund for Health Care, which supports projects in accordance with Islamic endowment principles and donor directives. Al-Khedr affirmed the Secretariat's readiness to continue supporting national efforts in enhancing Kuwait's healthcare services, particularly in ways that align with both modern needs and traditional values. The First Responder project marks a significant step in Kuwait's health sector development, reinforcing the country's ability to respond effectively and swiftly to medical emergencies, while upholding the principles of community care and strategic preparedness.
The Citizen
30-06-2025
- The Citizen
Meet Constable Neo Sedi…
SEDIBENG – In celebration of Youth Month, the SAPS has embarked on a series of profiles to highlight the work of its young men and women in blue who go above and beyond the call of duty. Meet Constable Neo Sedi (30) who is attached to the Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC) in Vaalrand in Gauteng as a tactical trainer. His journey with the SAPS began in 2019. In 2020, he was placed at the Zamdela Police Station in the Free State, gaining hands-on experience in both the Client Service Centre (CSC) and Crime Prevention duties, before moving to Sasolburg Public Order Policing (POP) towards the end of 2020. Sedi was later transferred to Sedibeng K9 in the Vaal where he continued upskilling himself through attendance of several in-service training courses, including First Responder to Sexual Offences, Tactical Policing, Domestic Violence Programme, Road Crime Crash First Responder, DNA Buccal Sampling, Basic and Drug Crime Investigation, Human Rights in Policing and many others. While thriving in operational environments, Sedi discovered a parallel passion: to develop other members. His exposure to various in-service training opportunities sparked an academic fire within him, one that would eventually fuel his pursuit of becoming a tactical trainer and an academic facilitator. This year, he officially joined the HRDC in Vaalrand. As a tactical trainer in the SAPS, Sedi teaches specialised skills and training such as the Use of Firearm training, Tactical Policing, Tactical Survival Techniques, and present annual maintenance shooting. He is currently pursuing his post-school education in the field of law, further deepening his understanding of the law, policing and justice. 'For me, policing is about more than reaction;, it's about preparation. If we prepare our members well, we empower them to perform with confidence and credibility, both on the ground and in the courts,' said Sedi. To the youth of South Africa, his message is simple but profound: 'Find your passion and serve it with purpose. Don't wait for opportunity, prepare for it.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Destination XL Slips Into Red as Male Customers Shift to Lower-priced Apparel
Destination XL Group slipped into the red in the first quarter in response to what its chief executive officer characterized as the 'economic downcycle' that prompted a customer shift away from designer brands to lower-priced goods. In the period ended May 3, the Canton, Mass.-based men's big and tall retailer reported a net loss of $1.9 million, or 4 cents a share, compared to net income of $3.8 million, or 6 cents a share, in the same period last year. More from WWD Tariff Impact Evident in Caleres' Q1 as Sales, Profits Slide Navigating Tariff Turbulence With Pricing Elasticity FDRA Pushes Trump For Relief as Vietnam Tariff Talks Resume in June Total sales dropped 8.6 percent to $105.5 million from $115.5 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2024. Comparable-store sales decreased 9.4 percent. The company did say that sales improved as the quarter progressed with comps down 13.9 percent in February, 8.2 percent in March and 7.2 percent in April. But for the first three weeks of May, comps are down just under 10 percent. By channel, comparable sales in the DXL stores dropped 6.6 percent but 16.2 percent online. Even so, the retailer has made some tweaks that are expected to improve its performance in the second half. 'We believe that our targeted promotions, which include our Price Match Guarantee, Fit Exchange by DXL, our Hero/First Responder discounts as well as the introduction of new value-driven brands, have had a positive impact on our store traffic,' the company said. 'The direct business, which includes our website, app and marketplaces, struggled during the first quarter of fiscal 2025 and was challenged by decreases in online traffic and average order value, while conversion was relatively flat.' The company also said that there were some 'functionalities' that likely had a negative impact on sales in the quarter, but those have been corrected. As a result, it said it expects comp sales to gradually improve the remainder of the year and is projecting a single-digit decrease in the second quarter followed by a return to positive comps in the second half. In reporting the earnings Thursday morning, Harvey Kanter, president and CEO, said: 'We are currently managing our business through an economic downcycle, and our performance does not reflect the opportunity in our total addressable market or the longer-term potential for our brand. We believe the broader macroeconomic challenges within the apparel industry and consumer sentiment are pushing our customer to be more discerning in what he is buying. Our assortment is well positioned to serve those value-oriented customers who are trading down from national designer brands to our private label brands, which have lower average unit retail prices but higher margins.' He said in the first quarter, private brands accounted for 57 percent of sales, up from 55 percent last year. But national brands continue to be a focus. Kanter pointed to last month's introduction of Dickies and Haggar, which have performed in line or above plan respectively. And the Perry Ellis brand was just introduced last week. Turning to tariffs, Kanter said the situation remains 'very fluid and we continue to monitor trade discussions and changes to policy as they develop. We are leaning into relationships with our vendors and suppliers around the world and we are working very hard to mitigate the cost of those tariffs. Our discussions with our private label vendors have been productive. On the domestic side, we are also having dialogue with our national brands as we all try to navigate this environment.' In the company's earnings call Thursday morning, Kanter said that assuming the current global tariff rate policies do not change for the balance of the year, and no new tariffs are added, he expects the impact to add less than $2 million to costs this year. Approximately 80 percent of DXL's private label imports are sourced from Vietnam, Bangladesh and India and fewer than 5 percent from China. 'At this point, we have not yet taken any price increases, but that is still possible,' he said. 'We are continuing to assess whether there is enough price elasticity of demand to take market share by keeping constant prices at lower margin versus passing on the impact of those tariffs to the end consumer to maintain our margins but risk losing share. We know there is a sensitivity to price and we are trying to be smart about how we strike the right balance.' Kanter also provided an update on the company's performance on the Nordstrom Marketplace. DXL went live on the site in June of 2024 and now offers 37 brands and more than 2,200 styles. Top performers include Polo, private brands Harbor Bay and Oak Hill, as well as Vineyard Vines, Brooks Brothers and Reebok, he said. Destination XL operates a total of 290 stores under the DXL and Casual Male nameplates. In the first quarter, the company opened two new DXL stores and converted one Casual Male XL full-price store and one Casual Male XL outlet to DXLs. The company expects to open four additional stores this year before it pauses to focus on stabilizing the business and preserving cash flow, Kanter said. The company also touted a new technology that is expected to help boost business. Called FiTMAP, it is a proprietary sizing technology for which DXL has the exclusive license for big and tall men until 2030. It is a contactless digital scanning technology that captures 242 measurements to ensure a proper fit and can be used for both ready-to-wear and custom apparel. Currently, FiTMAP provides recommended sizes for all of DXL's private brands as well as 15 national labels. To date, the retailer has scanned over 20,000 customers in the 52 DXL locations where it is currently offered. The plan is to roll out the technology to 85 stores by the end of this year and to as many as 200 stores by the end of fiscal 2027. Best of WWD China's Streetwear Whisperer: Peter Zhong Some 600 Exhibitors Expected at Pitti Uomo's 101st Edition Peter Manning Purchased by Longtime CEO Who Plans Expansion Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Arlington police expanding use of drones to respond to emergency calls
Arlington police announced Wednesday that the department will expand its Drone as a First Responder program, which uses unmanned aircraft to help officers on the ground respond to calls. When a 911 call comes in, Arlington Police Department employees who are licensed drone pilots can fly the unmanned aircraft to the scene and use it to 'scope out the area from above,' police officials said in a news release. The approach can help officers find suspects more quickly and better plan for in-person response, according to the statement. The program originated in response to an influx of calls about fireworks during the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve weekends, police said. Docks have been installed at two 'strategic locations' in the city, allowing department employees to launch a drone instantly, officials said. The drones can fly up to 1.5 miles from the docking stations at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. The Arlington Police Department is also among the first agencies in the country to receive a 'beyond visual line of sight' distinction from the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing drones to be flown remotely and to greater distances than usually allowed, officials said. The program is subject to guidelines intended to protect public privacy, according to the statement. Drones will not be used for 'general surveillance or indiscriminate monitoring,' every flight must be logged and is subject to auditing, and drones will not record video on the way to a scene or without a legitimate law enforcement reason, officials said. 🚨 More top stories from our newsroom: → Texas warns Fort Worth ISD of potential takeover → Second teen arrested in man's beating death → Tarrant County Meals On Wheels funding restored [Get our breaking news alerts.]
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Indian Express
In Delhi markets, traders recall Covid, say well-versed with drills
As a red firefighting bike – the First Responder – runs circles while blaring air sirens at Khan Market, and ambulances and Delhi Fire Service (DFS) vehicles cruise inside its lanes, shoppers start running, many recording their sprints on phones. The scene being played out here is from a mock drill, conducted as part of Operation Abhyaas, on Wednesday. 'People who can run, please stand separately, those who can't, please come to this side,' Sanjeev Mehra, president of Khan Market Association, tells the 15 to 20 shopkeepers who have gathered. Not many move, prompting Mehra to address pedestrians. 'Shoppers, please, you can also join the drills if interested,' he said. Mehra then directs the people inside a tent, set up to act as a temporary control room for the drill. At 4 pm, the air siren on the red Aska firefighting bike is turned on, and people start running towards the Khan Market Metro station. The ones inside the control room go down on their knees, hands behind their heads. As the crowd clears — directed by 90 Delhi Police civil defense volunteers — two DFS tenders and ambulances rush in to rescue those posing as injured civilians. Around 4.10 pm, air sirens blare again, announcing the end of air strikes. After a drill by the fire tenders, volunteers posing as injured and dead are picked up, some on stretchers and some on the shoulders of NDRF officials. They are loaded into ambulances, which make way from the busy market, as police personnel clear roads by stopping traffic. At 5.30 pm, the mock drill ends. 'Last time, we saw a mock drill during the Covid-19 pandemic… So, we are well versed with it,' said Harish Goel (60), who runs the Mokobora franchise store. Puneet Kapoor (50), who owns the designer crockery store Sham Di Hatti, said that the mock drill was much needed as civilians don't understand the 'fragile nature of peace'. New Delhi District Magistrate Sunny Kumar Singh, who was at the market, said the purpose of the drill was twofold. 'The two main purposes of the drill were public and administrative preparation. We wanted to make people aware of the dos and don'ts… we also needed to see where we stand while dealing with such situations.' Another busy shopping destination in the Capital, the Central Market in Lajpat Nagar, also observed a similar drill. Soon after 4 pm, security personnel barricaded a portion of the market. As sirens blared, traders and shoppers vacated the market's barricaded portion on cue. Fire vehicles were stationed in the stretch, while police cars, ambulances, trucks and mini excavators entered the barricaded stretch. A small park at the centre of the market was turned into an incident command post, where doctors were stationed —providing treatment to the shopkeepers posing as injured civilians, before the civil defence volunteers loaded them into ambulances.
