Latest news with #SAFER
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
New community initiative launched in Dublin 8 to tackle alcohol harm
Today at 08:18 The canal communities of Bluebell, Dolphin's Barn, Inchicore and the wider Dublin 8 area have launched a major initiative aimed at reducing the harm caused by alcohol. The project, called Building SAFER Communities, focuses on strengthening the prevention of drug and alcohol use, and associated harms, among children and young people. Speakers at the launch included Dr Aisling Sheehan of the HSE, Superintendent Dave Butler of An Garda Síochána, Anne Doyle of the Health Research Board, Norah Byrne of the Canal Communities Regional Addiction Service, and Orla Fagan of Irish Community Action on Alcohol. Music on the day was provided by the Recovery Choir and the Dolphin House Choir. 'I was delighted to attend the launch of Building SAFER Communities,' said local councillor Daithí Doolan. 'This is a major initiative supported by the Canals Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force, the HSE, Gardaí, and Irish Community Action on Alcohol. 'It's a genuine community-based response to the harm caused by alcohol, particularly to our young people.' Building SAFER Communities is based on the World Health Organisation's SAFER package, a set of high-impact policy measures designed to reduce and prevent alcohol-related harm. 'Over the next three years, this project will be rolled out across 12 communities in Ireland, supported by seven local and regional Drug and Alcohol Task Forces,' Cllr Doolan said. The initiative is informed by local research, which showed that one in five respondents reported experiencing family or relationship difficulties due to alcohol, while just over one in ten had faced financial issues as a result of someone else's drinking. 'It is very clear that alcohol is having dangerous effects on individuals, families, and the wider community,' said Cllr Doolan. 'The response must also be community-based and focused on improving quality of life for people and their families.' He described the launch event as 'a very positive occasion, promoting healthy alternatives and celebrating recovery'. 'We had the Recovery Choir, the Dolphin House Choir, and leading experts including Dr Aisling Sheehan from the HSE and Anne Doyle from the Health Research Board outlining the level of harm caused by alcohol and, crucially, what can be done to reduce it,' he added. Related topics Sarah Burke
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
70-unit Illinois carrier files for bankruptcy protection
An Illinois carrier with 70 power units recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. AZA Transportation listed assets of between $100,001 and $500,000 on its bankruptcy filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois. It is based in Mount Prospect, which is in Cook County, the same county as Chicago. The company listed liabilities of $500,000 to $1 million. The bankruptcy was filed May the 20 largest creditors listed in the bankruptcy filing, the largest combined claim is from Keystone Equipment Finance Corp. based in West Hartford, Connecticut. It has three separate claims totaling $82,905. Another large creditor is Transportation Alliance Bank, based in Ogden, Utah. Its unsecured claim is $43,415, secured by a 2022 Freightliner. That same bank also has a $23,640 claim against AZA, secured by a Great Dane trailer. BMO, the former Bank of Montreal, which is a major lender to the trucking industry, has a claim of just under $20, total number of creditors is listed as between one and to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's SAFER document on AZA, AZA has 71 drivers for its 70 power units and carries general freight. The SAFER document reports no crashes for AZA in the 24 months prior to the bankruptcy. Its vehicle out-of-service rate for those two years was 12%, less than the national average of 22.26%. But its driver out-of-service percentage of 9.5% was more than the national average of 6.67%. More articles by John Kingston As shippers adjust to tariffs, the message at Momentum is: Don't forget the TMS Georgia tort reform aims to change practices in judicial 'hell hole' Double whammy for Wabash: 2 key agencies cut debt rating on trailer builder The post 70-unit Illinois carrier files for bankruptcy protection appeared first on FreightWaves. 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
Business Wire
08-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Bradesco Stops Fraud with AI on FICO Platform, 1B Monthly Transactions, Double the Approval Speed
BUSINESS WIRE)-- FICO World 25 – FICO (NYSE: FICO) 'FICO helped us rethink our approach from the ground up, using AI and machine learning to stay ahead of fraudsters while ensuring a seamless experience for our customers,' said Marcos Molina, corporate security manager at Bradesco. Highlights: Bradesco implemented FICO ® Platform to modernize fraud detection and enhance digital account opening The bank processes nearly 1 billion PIX transactions per month, reducing fraud-related customer friction by 89% Transaction rejections have dropped by 25%, while real-time account openings have grown by 11% Bradesco has won a 2025 FICO ® Decision Industry Vanguard Award At its FICO ® World conference today, global analytics software leader FICO announced that Bradesco, one of Latin America's largest banks, has overhauled its fraud prevention and digital banking systems using FICO ® Platform. Serving more than 71 million customers, the bank now analyzes nearly 1 billion instant payments per month, reducing fraud-related disruptions while enabling real-time account openings. FICO Platform has strengthened security and improved the customer experience, making transactions efficient and account approvals seamless. 'Bradesco is more than a bank; we are a technology-driven financial institution that continuously evolves to meet customer needs,' said Marcos Molina, corporate security manager at Bradesco. 'Since 2019, we have been building on FICO Platform, integrating AI-powered decisioning and digital onboarding. Now we have expanded this to fraud protection, boosting agility, security and efficiency with every innovation.' Watch Bradesco tell their story on video: Securing Digital Transactions & Accelerating Account Openings As Bradesco's digital footprint expanded, transaction volumes surged. The bank needed to scale security without compromising the customer experience. Traditional fraud models struggled, frequently flagging legitimate transactions as suspicious. This forced customers to go through additional steps, such as calling the bank, verifying their identity, or confirming transactions manually—causing delays and frustration. Meanwhile, fraudsters adapted quickly, exploiting gaps in real-time monitoring. To combat these challenges, Bradesco and FICO developed SAFER, an AI-powered fraud and compliance platform built on FICO Platform. SAFER processes up to 25 million PIX payments daily (Brazil's instant payment system) enabling real-time transfers, detecting and preventing fraud in real time. By automating decisioning and reducing manual reviews, Bradesco cut the number of transactions held for further review by 89%, boosting both security and efficiency. 'The sheer volume of transactions we process daily meant we needed more than just stronger fraud detection — we needed a smarter, faster, and more scalable solution,' said Molina. 'FICO helped us rethink our approach from the ground up, using AI and machine learning to stay ahead of fraudsters while ensuring a seamless experience for our customers. What we've built isn't just a solution for today, but a foundation for the future of digital banking.' Key achievements of Bradesco's transformation include: Fraud prevention at scale: Processes nearly 1 billion PIX transactions monthly, reducing fraud-related customer friction by 89% through fewer false positives, faster approvals, and less need for manual verification Operational efficiency: Cut the number of transactions held for further review by 50%, enabling faster approvals Real-time decisioning: Processes up to 25 million PIX payments per day, with a response time of just 50 milliseconds Instant account opening: Reduced onboarding time from hours to real-time, increasing new accounts by 11% Enhanced customer convenience: Reduced transaction rejections by 25% while maintaining strong fraud prevention Bradesco is evolving into a fully digital, decision-driven institution. By expanding its use of FICO Platform, the bank is integrating AI-driven credit risk modeling and real-time transaction monitoring to enhance security, efficiency, and customer experience. SAFER remains central to this transformation, initially focusing on fighting fraud, monitoring digital transactions, and enabling real-time account openings through digital channels. Looking ahead, Bradesco envisions SAFER as a foundation for developing a comprehensive, 360° view of its customers, strengthening protection measures, and advancing Know Your Customer (KYC), anti-corruption, and anti-money laundering protocols. 'Processing nearly a billion transactions per month while reducing fraud-related friction is a remarkable feat,' said Nikhil Behl, president of software at FICO. 'Bradesco's transformation showcases how advanced decisioning and analytics on FICO Platform drive agility, efficiency and security at scale.' For its achievements, Bradesco won a 2025 FICO ® Decision Industry Vanguard Award. To see the full list of 2025 FICO Decision Awards winners, check out: About Bradesco Bradesco is one of Brazil's largest and most respected financial institutions, serving over 71 million customers. The bank is at the forefront of digital banking, utilizing cutting-edge technology to enhance customer experience and financial security. Bradesco is committed to financial inclusion, innovation, and sustainable development, ensuring seamless and secure banking for individuals and businesses across Brazil. About the FICO ® Decision Awards The FICO Decisions Awards recognize organisations that are achieving remarkable success using FICO solutions. A panel of independent judges with deep industry expertise evaluates nominations based upon measurable improvement in key metrics; demonstrated use of best practices; project scale, depth and breadth; and innovative uses of technology. The 2025 judges are: Regan Goble, risk analytics senior manager at Westpac NZ (Previous Winner) Megha Kumar, research vice president at IDC Joe McKendrick, analyst and senior contributor at Forbes Luiz Pacete, technology and marketing industry influencer Ali Paterson, founder and editor-in-chief at Fintech Finance Mike Roberts, head of unsecured retail risk at HSBC UK bank (Previous Winner) Erin Stillwell, EVP, payment partnerships at Blankfactor Allan Tan, group editor-in-chief at Cxociety The winners of the FICO Decisions Awards will be spotlighted at and win tickets to FICO ® World 2025, May 6-9, 2025, at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. About FICO FICO (NYSE: FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 200 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, insurance, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 80 countries do everything from protecting 4 billion payment cards from fraud, to improving financial inclusion, to increasing supply chain resiliency. The FICO ® Score, used by 90% of top US lenders, is the standard measure of consumer credit risk in the US and has been made available in over 40 other countries, improving risk management, credit access and transparency. FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Providence Fire Department cuts millions in overtime costs, prepares to see highest staffing levels in years
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Providence Fire Chief Derek Silva said the department was able to achieve a slimmer proposed budget this year because it will soon see staffing levels that it hasn't been able to attain since 2018. City officials said the fire department's overall budget would decrease by nearly $1.1 million, for a total of $96.8 million. Silva told Providence City Council's Committee on Finance at its meeting on Tuesday that the department was able to do this, in part, by shifting hourly employees to salaried employees, which reduced overtime costs by about $3.2 million. Anthony Vega, a spokesperson for Mayor Brett Smiley, told Target 12 that the fire department had 409 full-time sworn members at the end of fiscal year 2024. He said the department is anticipating reaching 455 full-time sworn members when the new fiscal year begins on July 1. Last year, the city hired 54 new firefighters through two separate academies. Silva said in the department's 2024 annual report that for the first time, this included a graduate of the Division of Training's Community Technical Education program. Silva told the committee that a $16.9 million federal grant played a major role in being able to hire 44 new firefighters. The funds were awarded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program. Once the 44 firefighters graduate from the fire department's training academy, the city would have 455 full-time, sworn firefighters. '[That's] a number we haven't seen since 2018,' Silva said. Silva explained that, while the department has been able to decrease overtime costs, he was still anticipating paying about $5 million towards overtime in the next fiscal year. He noted that figure was about half of what the department was paying two years prior. Tuesday was the finance committee's third budget-related meeting since Smiley unveiled his proposed $624 million tax and spending plan earlier this month. The mayor's proposed budget calls for increasing property tax bills and making about $9 million in cuts, as well as boosting fines and fees. Smiley said after a thorough review of city finances, operating and supply expenses were reduced in nearly every department, saving $4.2 million. The city also plans to remove 23 positions, most of which were vacant, saving the city about $1 million. RELATED: Smiley seeks to raise fines for parking, pet violations, plus some license and permit fees The finance committee also discussed the proposed budgets for the city's commissioner of public safety and the Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) at Tuesday's meeting. Notably, PEMA is asking for $250,000 in discretionary funding for public safety related costs in anticipation of an influx of visitors for the FIFA World Cup 26 next summer. (Nearby Gillette Stadium is hosting seven matches.) Councilor Sue AnderBois asked how the agency determined it needed $250,000. Deputy Finance Director Krystle Lindberg said it was a number that the city wants to have available to show Providence is invested and 'prepared for it in a very real way.' 'There's a tremendous amount of uncertainty right now in the planning and preparation for this,' PEMA Director Clara Decerbo said. 'One thing we know for sure is we're going to have to be taking steps in this next fiscal year in preparation because games start on June 11.' The committee plans to discuss budgets for the police and telecommunications departments in a meeting on Wednesday. The first of two public hearings on the proposed budget is scheduled for May 6 at Providence City Hall at 5:30 p.m. The mayor's budget proposal has come under heat since his address earlier this month. Last week, dozens of taxpayers confronted the mayor at the State House after a hearing on a bill that would give Providence permission to exceed the state-mandated tax levy cap of 4% for one year. Smiley took questions from a number of taxpayers, and pulled out a binder with an overview of proposed tax rates to explain to residents what he was proposing. The mayor said the budget does assume that the levy, or the total amount of collected tax revenue, increases by 7.5% — nearly double the usual 4% cap mandated by the state. On Tuesday, the city released a new online calculator so residents can estimate how much their tax bill would cost under the proposed levy. The city noted that the estimator is intended for informational purposes only, and results that are generated are based on the information provided and may not reflect the actual tax liability. Smiley told the House Committee on Municipal Government and Housing last week that the city wanted a 'one-time permission' to exceed the levy due to the city's $15 million settlement with the R.I. Department of Education, which controls the city's public schools. The bill was held for further study to give lawmakers time to review all written and in-person testimony. A subsequent hearing on the bill has not yet been scheduled. Alexandra Leslie (aleslie@ is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Family-owned Florida trucking company closing
A family-owned and -operated Florida trucking company has announced it will close after 44 years in business. Davis Express, located in Starke, Florida, will stop making deliveries after April 23. In an announcement posted Wednesday to the company's Facebook page, owner James 'Jimmy' Davis said the company would return all trucks and trailers to its Starke terminal by the end of the month. The post stated that all employees will continue to be paid as scheduled every Friday and will receive benefits through the pay period ending June 15. Davis wrote that the business would continue employing mechanics and operate the shop as equipment is taken out of service and sold. According to SAFER data, Davis Express is an interstate carrier with 160 power units employing 140 drivers. The business carried general freight, fresh produce, meat, refrigerated food and beverages. As required by federal law for companies experiencing mass layoffs or permanent closures, Davis Express filed a Florida WARN Notice on Wednesday. In the notice, Davis cited 'unfavorable business conditions' as the reason for the closure. A total of 146 employees will be laid off on June 15, and the remaining 17 are expected to be laid off around Aug. 31, according to the notice. These totals are broken down into 117 truck drivers, 35 office employees and 11 mechanics. In his Facebook post, Davis said the past few years have been very challenging for refrigerated trucking due to rising costs and stagnating or falling rates. 'We have been unprofitable since early 2023 and do not see any signs of improvement in 2025,' he wrote in the post. 'In addition, plaintiff's attorneys have increasingly targeted the trucking industry. Every trip a driver takes is Russian Roulette for everything I worked for my entire life. After 50 years in the trucking industry, I am ready to retire and do not wish to wait any longer for things to improve or to try to find a buyer for the company.' Although the company has been unprofitable lately, Davis said it is not bankrupt and does not have any 'cash flow problems.' He said there is enough money to pay out all employees, vendors and creditors timely. 'As we enter the final chapter of Davis Express, I want to thank everyone that has made the company successful over the years,' he concluded. FreightWaves reached out to Davis Express for comment. The post Family-owned Florida trucking company closing appeared first on FreightWaves. Sign in to access your portfolio
