Fairfax County emergency staff outline hazards, resources and simple steps to prepare

Fran Guastidissangi, host of the Mature Living program, opened the segment by asking how older adults should prepare for emergencies in Fairfax County. Courtney Arroyo, assistant coordinator of communications and community engagement with the Department of Emergency Management and Security, said the department maintains the county's emergency operations center and works with other agencies to support residents during incidents.

"We help residents to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies," Arroyo said. "Our goal is to make Fairfax County the most prepared county that we can." She listed hazards residents face locally — extreme heat and cold, snow storms, thunderstorms that can trigger flooding, and even isolated earthquake activity — and said the county's Community Emergency Response Guide (CERG) provides scenario-based checklists and templates to plan before, during and after incidents. Arroyo directed viewers to fairfaxcounty.gov/emergencymanagement for the guide and printable checklists.

Arroyo used a recent Centerville gas leak and house explosion to illustrate why preparedness matters. The county used Fairfax Alerts and an emergency blog to message affected residents and set up an incident web page; Arroyo said staff escorted residents back to their homes when it was safe but described those operations as resource intensive. "A lot of people did not have these resources," she said, adding that a simple go bag and signing up for alerts would reduce stress for residents and responders.

The segment closes with practical advice: start small by using a spare bag and checklist to gather items already in the home, customize kits for family needs, and update kits seasonally. Arroyo recommended checking the county site and signing up for Fairfax Alerts for traffic, weather and emergency information.