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Residents Encouraged to Prepare and Register Today 8/05-
In response to the Thursday, July 7, terrorist attacks in London, England, and the approach of Hurricane Dennis, county residents may be wondering how they can receive emergency information in times of crisis or severe weather.
The answer is the Community Emergency Alert Network, or CEAN, a service of the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management. Persons registered on the CEAN will be provided a personal connection to real-time updates, instructions on where to go, protective actions that need to be taken, and other important information such as National Weather Service watches and warnings.
CEAN alerts may include personal safety, weather, major accidents involving utilities or roadways, or disaster notification such as a terrorist attack. In addition, residents may also register for any or all of the additional CEAN alert categories: severe weather 24/7; severe weather 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; severe traffic disruptions and county government closings/schedule changes.
The CEAN will be used by county officials to deliver emergency alerts, notifications and updates during a major crisis or emergency. Messages will be delivered to e-mail accounts, cell phones (text messaging costs may apply; check with your service provider), text pagers, satellite phones and wireless PDAs that are registered on the system.
To register for the Community Emergency Alert Network, visit the Fairfax County Web page, www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cean. For additional information on the CEAN, contact the Office of Emergency Management at 703-324-2362, TTY 711.
Fairfax County Government offers the CEAN as a public service that will be used in conjunction with other public notification methods, such as the Fairfax County Government Emergency Information Line (703-817-7771, TTY 711); cable Channel 16; the Fairfax County Government Web site; and area media.
“State of Emergency Planning and Preparedness” Presented at Board of Supervisors Meeting
The Board of Supervisors accepted a report, “Fairfax County: State of Emergency Planning and Preparedness,” from County Executive Anthony H. Griffin that was presented to the board during the morning session of today’s meeting.
Griffin outlined the progress the county has made since Sept. 11, 2001; presented an overview of the county’s emergency management response and outline of who is in charge during an incident; discussed evacuation plans, including the needs and responses by the county for special populations and ways the county communicates with its residents and internally with key responders; and presented a future action plan for continued efforts the county can undertake. His plan of action included:
· Adopting best practices from other jurisdictions.
· Using performance-based approaches to the county’s staffing, planning, equipping, training and exercising.
· Updating the county’s Emergency Operation Plan to include full compliance with the National Response Plan, including the National Incident Management System and Incident Command Structure.
· Committing support to each of the emergency support functions to ensure that the county can provide a balanced response to an emergency.
· Building on existing relationships and forming others to look for creative ways to ensure that every county resident has an emergency supply kit in their home or apartment.
· Increasing the use of available funding to enhance communication capabilities, such as satellite phones, the National Capital Region’s interoperability efforts of connecting emergency operation centers, and the creation of a regional wireless broadband network.
Residents unable to attend the meeting may view a Channel 16 replay of the board meeting on Saturday, Oct. 22, beginning at 10 a.m. Griffin’s presentation is also available on the county’s Web site at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/planning_and_preparedness.pdf. For more information on the meeting or the presentation, call the Office of Public Affairs at 703-324-3187, TTY 711.
Emergency Planning Produces Shelter in Place Video
The Fairfax Joint Local Emergency Planning Committee has produced a video about shelter in place. The FJLEPC encourages county residents to watch the video with family, friends or co-workers to stimulate conversation and planning should an emergency situation occur that would force a shelter-in-place response.
The video is available through any of the Fairfax County public libraries as well as online through the county’s “video on demand” service at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cable/channel16/vod.htm.
Homeowners associations and civic groups are encouraged to show the video at meetings and to lend it to their members. FJLEPC members are also available to present a program on sheltering in place.
The video, approximately 10 minutes long, was produced by the Communications Production Division of the Fairfax County Department of Cable Communications and Consumer Protection.
For more information on the shelter-in-place video or the Fairfax Joint Local Emergency Planning Committee, call the FJLEPC at 703-246-4386, TTY 703-385-4419.
The FJLEPC comprises the towns of Herndon and Vienna, the city of Fairfax and Fairfax County. The Fairfax Joint LEPC includes local government officials; police, fire and rescue officials; environmental and governmental planners; public health professionals; hospital officials; public utility and transportation officials; and representatives of business organizations, professional societies, civic organizations and the media. The FJLEPC was founded in 1987 in response to the 1986 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act, commonly known as SARA.
County to Host Emergency Preparedness Training Sessions for Area Faith Communities
Area faith community leaders are taking the lead to encourage their members to prepare home emergency supply kits this September as part of a countywide, multi-faith campaign. In preparation for the “Ready … Pack … Go” effort, training sessions are scheduled for individual faith community leaders from June 28 to Aug. 25. The American Red Cross will provide a hands-on demonstration of home emergency supply kits, while representatives from Fairfax County’s Community Interfaith Liaison Office, Fairfax County Citizen Corps Council and area faith communities will discuss effective ways to promote emergency preparedness to faith communities.
Trainings are scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Faith community leaders may attend any session listed below by calling 703-324-3453, TTY 703-324-7914 or by sending an e-mail to ciluser@fairfaxcounty.gov. Interested participants also should contact their faith community to check if a trainer already has been identified for their individual house of worship.
July 14 – Franconia Governmental Center
6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria
July 21 – Government Center
12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax
Aug. 18 – Mount Vernon Governmental Center
2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria
Aug. 25 – West Springfield Governmental Center
6140 Rolling Road, Springfield
The “Ready … Pack … Go” campaign will encourage residents to prepare an emergency supply kit that can be taken to a safe area during an incident. According to an American Red Cross survey released last summer, only 40 percent of Americans assembled the basic supplies needed to take care of themselves, during an emergency. This lack of preparedness poses a challenge not only to individuals, but also to first responders, governments and businesses.
For more information about the campaign, contact the Fairfax County Community Interfaith Liaison Office at 703-324-8272, TTY 703-324-7914, or visit www.fairfaxcountycitizencorps.org.