Behind the Wheel, Hands and Eyes Are for Driving

​When you’re driving, there are a lot of things you could be doing with your hands, eyes and brain that take your attention off the road: eating, scratching your dog’s head, getting something out of the glove compartment, texting a friend about tonight’s plans. But you should only be focusing on one thing when you’re behind the wheel, and that’s driving.

As of this month, how you interact with your phone behind the wheel was even voted into Minnesota state law, informally referred to as the hands-free cell phone law. Learn more about it in our latest blog and on the HandsFreeMN website.

Spring Flooding: Get the Latest Information and Resources

The spring snowmelt caused significant flooding in dozens of counties across Minnesota and now some rivers are heading for a second crest after the heavy rain last week.

HSEM is in touch with other federal, state and local partners who are working together to prepare and respond. Due to favorable conditions, the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) is transitioning to recovery operations.

Visit our Spring Flooding page for the latest information on conditions across the state and how to take action to protect yourself and your property before, during and after a flood.

An Appliance That Saves Lives

There are special washing machines – known to firefighters as “gear washers” – designed to remove the carcinogens that build up in the turnout gear they wear when they fight fires. Why is that important? Because those carcinogens, also known as toxic combustion byproducts, stick around long after a firefighter leaves a call, causing health problems such as lung damage, chronic bronchitis and cancer. But they can be prohibitively expensive. Thanks to a grant allocated by the State Fire Marshal Division, 145 Minnesota fire departments have been able to buy gear washers and dryers since 2015.

Learn more in our blog.