Montgomery County Department of Public Safety

06/12/2026

In late May, 15 members of our Urban Search and Rescue Team completed their final instructor-led class for our new water search program, which utilizes advanced sonar systems. This equipment can scan an acre of water in just 45 seconds to identify a human body based on size, shape, density, and roughness. While this is incredible technology to support our water specialists, our core values remain rooted in the expertise of trained professionals and proven rescue tactics.

We recognize that sonar systems can still be affected by water conditions such as silt, sediment, and air, as well as environmental factors like underwater vegetation. Our training emphasizes how specialists evaluate these variables to develop comprehensive search plans that integrate both conventional methods and new technologies. We look forward to continued training to ensure we can accurately interpret data and locate missing individuals when called upon.

Thank you to Springfield Township Parks and Recreation, the Spring Mill Fire Company No.1 Dive Team, and the Copper Collar Group, LLC for supporting our training!

Note: at times, PFDs (personal floatation devices) were removed in a controlled environment with a rescue plan in place to make scenarios as realistic as possible.

06/11/2026

A Code Red Hot Weather Emergency has been declared for Montgomery County, PA for the following periods of time:

Today (Thursday): 12-6pm
Tomorrow (Friday): 12-6pm

A Code Red is declared when the temperature or heat index is expected to be at or above 100°F for two or more hours.

Find a cooling center and get more heat safety resources: https://brnw.ch/21x3eYW

06/09/2026

06/08/2026

Last call! Applications close at 11:59pm tonight (Monday)!

06/08/2026

On Tuesday, June 2nd, 19 members of our Hazardous Materials Response Team conducted a HazMat competency skill station training. Technicians donned multi-threat suits and SCBA and were put through four separate stations, during which they were evaluated on speed, proficiency, and knowledge of the particular subject matter. They were faced with the following objectives:

1️⃣ Cap a simulated liquid chlorine leak from a 1-ton cylinder.

2️⃣ Identify the different parts of a leaking propane cylinder and make the proper connections to prepare for a flaring operation.

3️⃣ Disassemble a damaged pipe fl**ge, replace the gasket, and reassemble the pressurized pipe while ensuring no hardware was dropped in the process.

4️⃣ Overpack a leaking 55-gallon drum while minimizing contact with the product.

All four stations were completed on air and consecutively to add a level of stress to the environment. Trainings like this prepare our technicians for real-world emergencies where operating conditions are not favorable and are often very physically demanding. Our winning team, Technicians L. Kelly and Glenning, completed the evolutions in 29 minutes and 30 seconds, less than 7.5 minutes per skill station!

06/06/2026

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for Montgomery County, PA until 10pm tonight (Saturday). The main threat with these storms is damaging wind gusts. Know where you’ll go to stay safe if you’ll be outdoors this evening!

***This post is no longer valid.***

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for parts of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania until 10 PM EDT.

06/05/2026

Have any outdoor plans tomorrow (Saturday) evening? Make sure you know where you can go to stay safe if a severe thunderstorm approaches your area. The main threat is expected to be damaging wind gusts. Have a great weekend!

There is increased confidence that some strong to severe thunderstorms may make it as far southeast as the I-95 urban corridor Saturday evening. The primary threat with any severe storms remains damaging wind gusts.

06/03/2026

Last week, members of our Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Team conducted a drill focused on locating, accessing, and removing a subject trapped in a commercial stair tower after a building collapse.

Upon arrival, members were briefed on initial actions and operational tasks. Three squads were established to manage victim location confirmation, hazard mitigation, and rescue access. Given the scenario of a live, verbal subject, all squads operated within a 30x30 area.

The initial goals of the exercise were confirming the subject’s location and controlling debris falling into the stairwell, while contending with impalement risks via exposed rebar. Squads also had to manage a suspended load hovering above the subject, requiring them to work from above to secure the load before making entry.

Members successfully cut through layers of rebar using specialized cutters and manually cleared concrete debris. While this type of training is simulated, it was designed to be as realistic as possible to prepare our responders for real-world incidents.

06/03/2026

Say hi to Sydney, Aleksander, and Jennifer!

Emergency Communications Class 114 started with us in early May and will spend the next six months in training before becoming certified 9-1-1 Telecommunicators. Please join us in wishing them the best of luck!

06/02/2026

Testing is continuing throughout the day today (Tuesday).

HAPPENING SOON: Today (Monday) at 2:00 PM, and again tomorrow (Tuesday) at various intervals throughout the day, Constellation will conduct its semi-annual, full-volume test of the emergency warning sirens surrounding Limerick Clean Energy Center (formerly known as "Limerick Generating Station"). This is one of two semi-annual tests performed each year. There is no emergency or cause for concern.

The warning siren system consists of sirens located in the 10-mile radius around Limerick Clean Energy Center in Montgomery, Chester, and Berks Counties. In a real event, the sirens are not a signal to evacuate, but a warning to tune to a local Emergency Alert Broadcast television or radio station.