The Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management suggests a simple four-step process for residents to prepare themselves, their communities and their businesses for naturally occuring or man-made emergencies. Click on the images below to view useful emergency preparedness information as well as what to do in response to a specific emergency like a hurricane, winter storm or terrorist attack.
Register to receive alerts through the county's Community Emergency Alert Network
Assemble a Kit
Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:emergency supply kit
- Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
- Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Whistle to signal for help
- Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
- Local maps
Make a Plan
Family Emergency Plan
Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance: how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations.
- It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
- Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact.
- You may have trouble getting through, or the telephone system may be down altogether, but be patient.
Emergency Information
Find out what kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, are most likely to occur in your area and how you will be notified. Methods of getting your attention vary from community to community. One common method is to broadcast via emergency radio and TV broadcasts. You might get an email or a telephone call, or emergency workers may go door-to-door.
Register for the county's Community Emergency Alert Network to receive important emergency alerts, notifications and updates via e-mail, cell phone or text pager during a major crisis or emergency, in addition to day-today notices about weather and traffic.
Be Informed
Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as making an emergency supply kit and developing a family communications plan, are the same for both a natural or man-made emergency. However, there are important differences among potential emergencies that will impact the decisions you make and the actions you take. Wherever you are geographically, it is important to learn about the potential emergencies that could happen where you live or are visiting and the appropriate way to respond to them.
Emergency preparedness is no longer the sole concern of earthquake prone Californians and those who live in the part of the country known as "Tornado Alley." For Americans, preparedness must now account for man-made disasters as well as natural ones. Knowing what to do during an emergency is an important part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count.
Get involved
About the Fairfax County Citizen Corps
The purpose of the Fairfax County Citizen Corps is to harness the power of every individual through education, training and volunteer service to make communities safe, stronger and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues and disasters of all kinds. We build on community strengths and develop action plans to involve the whole community, including local businesses.
Working directly with the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, Police and Health departments, the Fairfax County Citizen Corps Council brings together first responders and other community organizations crucial to emergency preparedness and the development of volunteer opportunities and training to meet community needs. In addition, the Council serves as an official Fairfax County advisory body to promote federal and state volunteer initiatives, enhance services, facilitate the exchange of information and training, and support partnerships.
Visit our website for more information