On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam near Johnstown, Pennsylvania collapsed and the devastating release of water killed more than 22 hundred people.

As a result, May 31st is remembered and recognized as National Dam Safety Awareness Day.

National Dam Safety Awareness Day seeks to encourage and promote individual and community responsibility and best practices for dam safety, as well as what steps can be taken to prevent catastrophic dam failures.

Pennsylvania has more than 3,400 dams and over a thousand of them are at least a hundred years old.

In its 2022 Infrastructure Report Card, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Pennsylvania dams a "C" grade. The report said 54% of the state's dams are "high hazard."

On The Spark Wednesday,  Kirk Kreider, Chief, Division of Dam Safety,for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, said high hazard doesn't mean dangerous,"It's not a assessment of condition. It's really if a dam were to fail for whatever reason, whether it's perfectly in fine condition or not, what happens? And if the answer to that question is if it fails and it hits habitable structures, people's homes, businesses, things like that, and causes a life, a likely loss of life, that's that's the definition of high hazard."

Duke Adams, Water Program Specialist, in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands said there are Emergency Action Plans for dams,"Emergency action plan is A, it's that it sits on a shelf and it's there to pull off. If there is something going wrong at the dam, they have trigger elevations in there. So during heavy rain events or if there's a known issue at a dam, we're going to ask an owner to be super diligent and watch what's going on. And if the water level over their spillway starts to reach a trigger elevation, they're going to call 911 and they're going to put their county emergency management on on notice that, hey, we have an issue here and we'll keep you posted. And then if it reaches the next elevation, then it's, hey, pull that plan. Let's get let's get roads closed. Let's get people evacuated. Let's get people out of harm's way."

Adams added that dams are being inspected all the time and when there is an issue with a dam, the owner is made aware to get it fixed.

On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam near Johnstown, Pennsylvania collapsed and the devastating release of water killed more than 22 hundred people.
As a result, May 31st is remembered and recognized as National Dam Safety Awareness Day.
National Dam Safety Awareness Day seeks to encourage and promote individual and community responsibility and best practices for dam safety, as well as what steps can be taken to prevent catastrophic dam failures.
Pennsylvania has more than 3,400 dams and over a thousand of them are at least a hundred years old.
In its 2022 Infrastructure Report Card, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Pennsylvania dams a "C" grade. The report said 54% of the state's dams are "high hazard."
On The Spark Wednesday,  Kirk Kreider, Chief, Division of Dam Safety,for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, said high hazard doesn't mean dangerous,"It's not a assessment of condition. It's really if a dam were to fail for whatever reason, whether it's perfectly in fine condition or not, what happens? And if the answer to that question is if it fails and it hits habitable structures, people's homes, businesses, things like that, and causes a life, a likely loss of life, that's that's the definition of high hazard."
Duke Adams, Water Program Specialist, in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands said there are Emergency Action Plans for dams,"Emergency action plan is A, it's that it sits on a shelf and it's there to pull off. If there is something going wrong at the dam, they have trigger elevations in there. So during heavy rain events or if there's a known issue at a dam, we're going to ask an owner to be super diligent and watch what's going on. And if the water level over their spillway starts to reach a trigger elevation, they're going to call 911 and they're going to put their county emergency management on on notice that, hey, we have an issue here and we'll keep you posted. And then if it reaches the next elevation, then it's, hey, pull that plan. Let's get let's get roads closed. Let's get people evacuated. Let's get people out of harm's way."
Adams added that dams are being inspected all the time and when there is an issue with a dam, the owner is made aware to get it fixed.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from <a href="https://www.witf.org">WITF</a>, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

Are dams in Pennsylvania safe?

Mike Kern, Chief of the Division of Forrest Fire Protection at the PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources, discusses the threat of wildfires in Pennsylvania, due mainly to the lack of rainfall in recent months, emphasizing the importance of fire prevention in Penn’s Woods.

Mike Kern, Chief of the Division of Forrest Fire Protection at the PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources, discusses the threat of wildfires in Pennsylvania, due mainly to the lack of rainfall in recent months, emphasizing the importance of fire prevention in Penn’s Woods.

Multiple Pa. Counties Under Drought Watch

Comedian Nurse Blake will be performing at Shippensburg University on November 22. Blake Lynch is a nurse, creator, advocate, viral sensation, and touring comedian.

Being born into a medical family, he followed suit by joining the healthcare field.

“My dad is a respiratory therapist. He's been a respiratory therapist for over 30 years. And my mom is medical device sales. And so, I had no other choice that night. Like that was my only option. I didn't consider anything else.”

His nursing journey includes roles in Surgical ICU, Live Transplant, Pulmonary Step Down, Injury Prevention, and Care Coordination. He realized he was funny when dealing with a patient while he was at work.

“I had a patient. I was telling her a joke and she went on, had a full asthma attack. And I'm like, You know what? I'm funny. Like, I'm funny. She was okay, by the way. She was fine.”

Being a comedian was never something Blake set out to do. Through comedy, he advocates for better working conditions for healthcare professionals.

“Being understaffed contributes to a lot of burnout. And nurses and nurses leave the profession at really, really high rates even after only a few years of being a nurse. Nurses also work, like I said, 12-hour shifts, right? We don't get lunches necessarily. We don't get breaks, but we still have to clock out for them. So, it looks like we got a break or a lunch. So, a lot of times, you know, your health care workers are working extended periods of time without going to the bathroom or without eating. And it just becomes really unsafe. And our health care in America is so expensive to other countries, you would think we would be able to provide, you know, higher quality care.”

Blake also insists those not in the medical field can enjoy his show as well. By telling his story, he believes anyone can relate to his experiences.

“I hope they realize that as nurses or people too, we have feelings and emotions. And if a health care worker is watching my video, I hope you feel less alone because it is a really, really hard job. And I hope that you watch the video and read the comments and realize that you're not the only one going through it. There's other people that can relate to you.”

Comedian <a href="https://www.nurseblake.com/pages/tour">Nurse Blake</a> will be performing at Shippensburg University on November 22. Blake Lynch is a nurse, creator, advocate, viral sensation, and touring comedian.
Being born into a medical family, he followed suit by joining the healthcare field.
“My dad is a respiratory therapist. He's been a respiratory therapist for over 30 years. And my mom is medical device sales. And so, I had no other choice that night. Like that was my only option. I didn't consider anything else.”
His nursing journey includes roles in Surgical ICU, Live Transplant, Pulmonary Step Down, Injury Prevention, and Care Coordination. He realized he was funny when dealing with a patient while he was at work.
“I had a patient. I was telling her a joke and she went on, had a full asthma attack. And I'm like, You know what? I'm funny. Like, I'm funny. She was okay, by the way. She was fine.”
Being a comedian was never something Blake set out to do. Through comedy, he advocates for better working conditions for healthcare professionals.
“Being understaffed contributes to a lot of burnout. And nurses and nurses leave the profession at really, really high rates even after only a few years of being a nurse. Nurses also work, like I said, 12-hour shifts, right? We don't get lunches necessarily. We don't get breaks, but we still have to clock out for them. So, it looks like we got a break or a lunch. So, a lot of times, you know, your health care workers are working extended periods of time without going to the bathroom or without eating. And it just becomes really unsafe. And our health care in America is so expensive to other countries, you would think we would be able to provide, you know, higher quality care.”
Blake also insists those not in the medical field can enjoy his show as well. By telling his story, he believes anyone can relate to his experiences.
“I hope they realize that as nurses or people too, we have feelings and emotions. And if a health care worker is watching my video, I hope you feel less alone because it is a really, really hard job. And I hope that you watch the video and read the comments and realize that you're not the only one going through it. There's other people that can relate to you.”

Comedian who left Nursing field to pursue comedy set to perform at Shippensburg University

Asia Tabb has a conversation with historian Tim Smith surrounding how the Civil War has turned Gettysburg into a tourism attraction for generations to come. 

Asia Tabb has a conversation with historian Tim Smith surrounding how the Civil War has turned Gettysburg into a tourism attraction for generations to come.

Are dams in Pennsylvania safe?

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