** Canadian military plane loaded with ambulances heading to storm struck Philippines
** Florida county doing criminal background checks on medics and inspecting ambulances to ensure both pass muster
CANADA NEWS
** A C-17 cargo plane from CFB Trenton landed in Hawaii Monday loaded with ambulances, a medical team, forklift and communications equipment bound for the typhoon devastated Philippines. The Brandon Sun (November 13) said the aircraft will remain on the island until an advance team determines how best to position the aid. According to the newspaper, this Disaster Assistance Response Team or DART, which is now in Manila, consists of about 17 military members as well as some 12 civilians from the Foreign Affairs department. The aircraft, meanwhile, includes about 43 DART members as well as the above mentioned equipment.
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A Florida county is being extra diligent about ensuring public vehicles like ambulances are safe for the public. ABC Action News (Jackie Callaway (November 13) said Hillsborough County inspectors are examining every EMS unit, taxi, limo, and wrecker by the end of the year. Vehicles failing the look-see are immediately removed from service until appropriately fixed. Criminal record background checks are also being done on driver’s of EMS and other public vehicles.
