Sponsored by Supervisor Foust and the McLean Citizens Association
On September 26, in recognition of September as "National Preparedness Month",Dranesville Supervisor John Foust and the McLean Citizens Association (MCA) sponsored a program titled "The 2012 Derecho Storm: Lessons Learned and Improvements Made". The event included an in-depth discussion by high level County officials and Dominion Virginia Power experts, focusing on what was learned from the massive storm and what steps have been taken to make improvements across all facets of emergency preparedness and response. Also included was a discussion on how residents can be better prepared for emergencies. Participating in the panel were David Rohrer, Deputy County Executive for Public Safety; Steve Souder, Director of Public Safety Communications for Fairfax County; Roy Shrout, Deputy Coordinator, Fairfax County Emergency Management Department; Steve Willey, Lead Instructor for Community Emergency Response Team (CERT); and Tim Sargent, Government Affairs Director, Dominion Virginia Power. MCA President, Sally Horn and Dranesville Supervisor John Foust also addressed the group.
The Derecho hit Fairfax County at approximately 10:00 p.m. on June 29, 2012. Its fury was felt throughout the area. After every emergency, the County reviews its performance and prepares an after-action report. After the Derecho, Supervisor Foust and Mt. Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland introduced a motion that directed staff to address specific issues in the report and to make recommendations for improving response to future disaster events. Much of the September 26 presentation covered material requested by their motion.
Be trained to help with emergency response in your community
One way to get involved is by joining the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
The CERT program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. When emergencies happen, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims, and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site. CERT members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the preparedness and safety of the community. The CERT training addresses disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, light search and rescue operations, and disaster psychology. The CERT training is adjusted to accommodate the physical abilities and limitations of the individual student. Safety is paramount to all CERT activities.
All CERT training is overseen by trained instructors and first responders who have completed a CERT Train-the-Trainer course conducted by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
For more information on this program or to register to participate in training, please visit http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem/citizencorps/cert.htm or contact Patti Dinkelmeyer in Supervisor Foust's office at
Prepare your home and family to be self-sufficient for three days at any time.
Follow these steps:
- Develop an emergency kit for your home, business and car. For details on essential kit supplies visit Ready Virginia at http://www.ReadyVirginia.gov.
- Establish a family communication and emergency plan.
- Get your neighbors and work associates to do the same.
- Understand your emergency plan at work and school:
- Find out where it is located.
- If none exists, encourage your office to establish an emergency plan.
- Take emergency response training.
- Establish relationships and partnerships with key organizations.
- Sign up for an emergency warning notification service.
- Spread the word in your various communities about being prepared.
Emergency Preparedness Resources
Fairfax County
- Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management - http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem
- Community Emergency Alert Network (CEAN) - http://http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cea
- Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) - http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem/citizencorps/cert
- Dept. of Public Safety Communications - http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/911
- Volunteer Fairfax Emergency Response - http://www.volunteerfairfax.org/individuals/emergency-response.php
State / Regional
- Virginia Dept. of Emergency Management - http://www.vaemergency.com
- Northern Virginia Emergency Response System - http://www.nvers.org
- Virginia Dept. of Health - Emergency Preparedness - http://www.vdh.state.va.us/oep
- Office of the Secretary of Public Safety - http://www.publicsafety.virginia.gov
- National Capital Region Updates - http://www.capitalregionupdates.gov
National / Federal
- National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) - http://www.nemaweb.org
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - http://www.fema.org, http://www.ready.gov
