Latest news with #WMP
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man arrested in connection with a burglary at a Birmingham church
A man has been detained in connection with a burglary at a church in Birmingham. Items were taken from the church, said to be in Selly Oak, during a break-in back in February. West Midlands Police said they had arrested a 47-year-old in connection with the offence on Wednesday (May 28). Read More: Driver urged to 'hand themselves in' after teenager left seriously hurt in Ladypool Road crash Read More: Police issue new update over Liverpool parade crash horror The man was arrested on suspicion of burglary in Cotterills Avenue this afternoon. He remains in custody and will be questioned. Get the latest BirminghamLive news direct to your inbox A statement from WMP said: "A man has been arrested after a church was broken into earlier this year. Officers from our Proactive Crime Team in Birmingham arrested a man in Cotterills Avenue earlier this afternoon. "The 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of burglary. Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp , click the link to join "He has been arrested in connection with the burglary at a church in Selly Oak in February. "He remains in custody for questioning," the statement said. The arrest was part of Operation Skybridge, where officers target offenders and disrupt crime."
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police arrest 17 and seize knives in city operation
Police have arrested 17 people and confiscated items including two Rambo knives, a screwdriver and £1,000 in cash in Birmingham. Operation Fearless Interchange saw more than 40 West Midlands Police (WMP) officers stationed at Birmingham New Street Station on Wednesday, which aimed to target drugs, anti-social behaviour and violence. Sniffer dogs and a metal detector knife arch were at the station, which is one of the busiest in the country. "We know that there are issues with drugs and theft and we've also seen issues with serious youth violence," said Det Supt Jim Munro. "We are showing that element of the community that feels that they can come into areas like this and commit crime that the police are actively responding to that." The operation came just two days after a teenage boy was stabbed at the station. It launched in Erdington in January, and last month, focus was shifted to the southside area, including the Gay Village, Chinese Quarter and Arcadian. WMP said arrests included a man spotted allegedly dealing drugs and another who was wanted on suspicion of shoplifting and failing to appear in court. He was found hiding in the toilet of a restaurant. "We know we can't arrest our way out of homeless issues and begging... we work really closely with our colleagues in the third sector, charities, to ensure that we are providing people with the right provision," said Det Supt Munro. "But of course, where criminality is present, we will take the right action." He added that the operation was "funded by criminals". He told the BBC that in the south of the city, over the past 10 days, the force had taken almost £80,000 off criminals. The WMP worked with other organisations during the operation, which included the British Transport Police and the Central Business Improvement District (BID). Other areas with patrols were at Digbeth bus station, bus interchanges and shopping areas. "This morning we've had a lot of positivity from our businesses… seeing police officers around makes them feel much happier," said Bryan Edwards from the BID. "Members of the public are saying they feel more comfortable," he added. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. 'We understand that people aren't feeling safe' West Midlands Police
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Southern California Edison submits three-year wildfire mitigation plan
(Reuters) -Southern California Edison (SCE), a unit of utility Edison International, said on Friday it has submitted a three-year Wildfire Mitigation Plan to California's Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety. The plan builds on efforts to address immediate and long-term wildfire risks in response to evolving customer needs and extreme weather events, SCE said. The company expects an investment of $6.2 billion over three years from 2026 to 2028, which includes installation of at least additional 440 circuit miles of covered conductor and nearly 260 circuit miles of underground distribution lines. "With drought conditions across the state, we are preparing for another busy year" fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority Brian Fennessy said. Southern California Edison has been facing multiple lawsuits alleging that its electrical equipment started one of the major wildfires in the Los Angeles area – the Eaton fire. In April, the utility had submitted an initial plan to rebuild the areas within its service territory that were devastated by the Los Angeles wildfires, where it estimated the cost to be between $860 million and $925 million. The wildfires tore across Los Angeles starting on January 7, leading to dozens of deaths and destroying thousands of homes. It is estimated to be the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. The WMP includes safety tools and methodologies such as AI and machine learning detection, early fault detection and alternative undergrounding approaches, SCE said.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Southern California Edison's Wildfire Mitigation Plan Leverages Grid Innovations to Advance Community Safety
Three-year plan provides blueprint for expanded public safety measures ROSEMEAD, Calif., May 16, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Southern California Edison submitted its 2026-2028 Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP) to California's Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety. The plan builds on ongoing efforts to address immediate and long-term wildfire risks in response to evolving community needs and extreme weather events. "We developed our three-year plan with a layered defense strategy to help safeguard our communities against wildfire threats," said Steven Powell, president and CEO of SCE. "The heartbreaking January wildfires in Southern California underscore the importance and urgency in advancing mitigations and using new tools to increase infrastructure resiliency and safety. While wildfire risk can never be fully eliminated, we continue to harden the grid and invest in innovative approaches to bring us as close to zero as possible." SCE anticipates an investment of $6.2 billion over three years to achieve the WMP, which calls for installation of at least an additional 440 circuit miles of covered conductor and at least 260 circuit miles of underground distribution lines. The company also seeks continued support for aerial firefighting assets throughout the service area, including the world's largest helitankers with nighttime firefighting capabilities. "With drought conditions across the state, we are preparing for another busy year," said Brian Fennessy, fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority. "The intensity of recent fires is a reminder of how important it is to hit fast and hard – and how devastating it can be if we don't react quickly. Having dedicated aerial resources funded by SCE allows us to respond swiftly and effectively to wildfires, securing the tools and support needed to protect lives and property." Enhanced Technology Driving Safety The 2026-2028 WMP includes new and expanded tools and methodologies to improve safety, reliability and efficiency. Highlights include: Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter: Immediately detects ground faults and reduces voltage when a line contacts the ground while maintaining service through remaining lines for customers. AI and Machine Learning Detection: Advanced models to improve grid inspections and identify maintenance needs, with faster, more accurate diagnostics and enhanced quality control. Vegetation Management via Remote Sensing: LiDAR and satellite imagery for precise, proactive and effective vegetation monitoring and management to help prevent ignitions. Alternative Undergrounding Approaches: Protected lines installed at ground level instead of traditional undergrounding (i.e., trenching into the ground), allowing SCE to perform grid hardening work more quickly and cost effectively. Early Fault Detection Expansion: Expand this grid "health monitoring" system to 200 new locations, helping SCE detect equipment failures early. Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) remain an important tool in wildfire prevention, given the threat of extreme weather events and potential for urban fire spread in Southern California. SCE plans to bolster customer support and outreach to improve safety and lessen the hardship of PSPS events. "PSPS saves lives," said Jill C. Anderson, executive vice president and chief operating officer for SCE. "During the windstorm this past January, we identified nearly 90 potential ignition sources in the storm's aftermath that were prevented because the lines were deenergized due to PSPS. We continue to make investments in critical safety measures, such as covered conductor and fast-acting fuses that prevent potential ignitions across the high fire risk sections of our service area." Additional new and expanded measures in the WMP include enhancements in transmission resiliency, such as more structure brushing, proactive splice shunting and subtransmission grid hardening. Other wildfire mitigation plans include increasing undergrounding efforts, integrating climate change scenarios into risk models and using AI for HD camera data feeds to assess real-time conditions of a fire. The plan continues SCE's foundational wildfire mitigations, such as installation of covered conductor, and more frequent equipment inspections and trimming of vegetation that could potentially contact power lines and lead to ignitions. "SCE's wildfire mitigation strategy continues to evolve as we balance cost, reliability and safety while pioneering innovative technologies to protect communities from wildfire risks," added Powell. Visit for more information regarding SCE's Wildfire Mitigation Plan. About Southern California Edison An Edison International (NYSE: EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of approximately 15 million via 5 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California. View source version on Contacts Media Relations: (626) 302-2255Investor Relations: Sam Ramraj, (626) 302-2540News@
Business Wire
16-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Southern California Edison's Wildfire Mitigation Plan Leverages Grid Innovations to Advance Community Safety
ROSEMEAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Southern California Edison submitted its 2026-2028 Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP) to California's Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety. The plan builds on ongoing efforts to address immediate and long-term wildfire risks in response to evolving community needs and extreme weather events. 'We developed our three-year plan with a layered defense strategy to help safeguard our communities against wildfire threats,' said Steven Powell, president and CEO of SCE. 'The heartbreaking January wildfires in Southern California underscore the importance and urgency in advancing mitigations and using new tools to increase infrastructure resiliency and safety. While wildfire risk can never be fully eliminated, we continue to harden the grid and invest in innovative approaches to bring us as close to zero as possible.' SCE anticipates an investment of $6.2 billion over three years to achieve the WMP, which calls for installation of at least an additional 440 circuit miles of covered conductor and at least 260 circuit miles of underground distribution lines. The company also seeks continued support for aerial firefighting assets throughout the service area, including the world's largest helitankers with nighttime firefighting capabilities. 'With drought conditions across the state, we are preparing for another busy year,' said Brian Fennessy, fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority. 'The intensity of recent fires is a reminder of how important it is to hit fast and hard – and how devastating it can be if we don't react quickly. Having dedicated aerial resources funded by SCE allows us to respond swiftly and effectively to wildfires, securing the tools and support needed to protect lives and property.' Enhanced Technology Driving Safety The 2026-2028 WMP includes new and expanded tools and methodologies to improve safety, reliability and efficiency. Highlights include: Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter: Immediately detects ground faults and reduces voltage when a line contacts the ground while maintaining service through remaining lines for customers. AI and Machine Learning Detection: Advanced models to improve grid inspections and identify maintenance needs, with faster, more accurate diagnostics and enhanced quality control. Vegetation Management via Remote Sensing: LiDAR and satellite imagery for precise, proactive and effective vegetation monitoring and management to help prevent ignitions. Alternative Undergrounding Approaches: Protected lines installed at ground level instead of traditional undergrounding (i.e., trenching into the ground), allowing SCE to perform grid hardening work more quickly and cost effectively. Early Fault Detection Expansion: Expand this grid 'health monitoring' system to 200 new locations, helping SCE detect equipment failures early. Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) remain an important tool in wildfire prevention, given the threat of extreme weather events and potential for urban fire spread in Southern California. SCE plans to bolster customer support and outreach to improve safety and lessen the hardship of PSPS events. 'PSPS saves lives,' said Jill C. Anderson, executive vice president and chief operating officer for SCE. 'During the windstorm this past January, we identified nearly 90 potential ignition sources in the storm's aftermath that were prevented because the lines were deenergized due to PSPS. We continue to make investments in critical safety measures, such as covered conductor and fast-acting fuses that prevent potential ignitions across the high fire risk sections of our service area.' Additional new and expanded measures in the WMP include enhancements in transmission resiliency, such as more structure brushing, proactive splice shunting and subtransmission grid hardening. Other wildfire mitigation plans include increasing undergrounding efforts, integrating climate change scenarios into risk models and using AI for HD camera data feeds to assess real-time conditions of a fire. The plan continues SCE's foundational wildfire mitigations, such as installation of covered conductor, and more frequent equipment inspections and trimming of vegetation that could potentially contact power lines and lead to ignitions. 'SCE's wildfire mitigation strategy continues to evolve as we balance cost, reliability and safety while pioneering innovative technologies to protect communities from wildfire risks,' added Powell. Visit for more information regarding SCE's Wildfire Mitigation Plan. An Edison International (NYSE: EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving a population of approximately 15 million via 5 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.
