Tag: emergencies
Barricade situation resolved peacefully
Police respond to barricade situation at the Jefferson. [FCPD] A man is in custody following a barricade situation at the Jefferson apartment complex in the 6100 block of Leesburg Pike, the Fairfax County Police Department reports. Police had been called because a man was acting erratically. When officers arrived at about 2 a.m., on March … Continued
Fairfax County considers drone program
Drones from the private collection of Roy Shrout. Fairfax County’s police, fire, and emergency management departments are seeking approval from the Board of Supervisors for a drone program to help with such functions as search and rescue and disaster response. Several county officials explained the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) proposal at a community meeting Feb. … Continued
Fairfax County to launch drone program
Fairfax County plans to use unmanned aircraft systems, commonly called drones, for public safety purposes. The county has scheduled six public information meetings on the proposed UAS system. The first meeting is Jan. 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Mason District Government Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale. The formal presentation starts at 7 p.m. Officials from … Continued
Lifesaving award presented to Mason District residents
A lifesaving presentation at the Edsall Road Fire Station. From the left: Deputy Fire Chief Willie Bailey, Mason Supervisor Penny Gross, Michael Illenberg, and Drew Murphy. What started as a simple early morning dog-walking excursion turned into a chance encounter that ended up saving the life of a small child. Michael Illenberg was walking his … Continued
VDOT open house features traffic management and safety agencies
Dozens of trucks on display at VDOT’s Incident Management Open House. Although traffic congestion is a way of life in the D.C. metro region, imagine how much worse it would be without the dozens of agencies from multiple jurisdictions that work to keep things running as smoothly as possible. Many of those agencies took part … Continued
Prepare for Hurricane Florence
The projected path of Florence, as of Sept. 11. [National Hurricane Center] As Hurricane Florence approaches the Carolinas, Fairfax County urges residents to prepare for possible flooding. While major winds are not expected to be a problem, Fairfax County could get four to eight inches of rain beginning late Thursday into early Friday, according to … Continued
When faced with an active shooter: Run, hide, fight
A scene from a training video by the Houston mayor’s office showing office workers fighting an active shooter. What would you do if someone bursts into your office, school, or house of worship and starts shooting? Everyone should be prepared to run, hide, and fight, said Lt. Brian Ruck in a presentation at a meeting … Continued
Emergency system test tomorrow
If your cell phone buzzes loudly twice tomorrow between 10 and 11 a.m., don’t be alarmed. Local governments in the D.C. region, including Fairfax County will be testing the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system. Cellphones or mobile-enabled devices located in Fairfax County will receive a test message that reads: “This is a test of the … Continued
Windstorm causes widespread damage
The windstorm uprooted a tree on Cindy Lane, Annandale. [Raffie Shahrigian] The windstorm on March 2 caused significant damage to homes and cars throughout Northern Virginia. Trees were down all over, and Dominion Energy reported more than 100,000 people in Fairfax County lost power at some point. In the Annandale area, as of 9 p.m. … Continued
Toppled tree traps man in bed
Tree destroys bedroom in Lake Barcroft house. [Photos: FCFRD] Heavy winds knocked a tree onto a house in the 3500 block of Highview Place in Lake Barcroft, trapping an occupant in his bed, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reports. The incident happened at about 3:40 a.m. on March 2, as winds throughout the … Continued
Concerns raised on Vulcan project
Railcars on the Vulcan property. About a dozen people spoke at a Fairfax County Planning Commission hearing March 1 on a rezoning application from Vulcan Materials Co. Among residents who live near the Vulcan concrete facility on Industrial Drive in Springfield, the main concern is about the potential health risks from Vulcan’s proposal for an asphalt … Continued
Prepare now for an emergency
Examples of items for an emergency kit. Pack an emergency kit. Draw up an action plan. Organize essential information. That’s some of the advice from public officials at a Resilience Summit Oct. 12 hosted by Mason Supervisor Penny Gross. The key message is to prepare now, so if a natural or human-caused disaster strikes – … Continued
Fairfax County rescue team working in Puerto Rico and St. Croix following Hurricane Maria
Members of VA-TF1 at the San Juan command post [FCFRD]. It’s been a busy month for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team (VA-TF1). After weathering Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 19 team members were airlifted to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to perform search and … Continued
Fairfax County team in the Virgin Islands helping victims of Hurricane Irma
VA-TF1 team members rescue a hurricane Irma rescue a Hurricane Irma victim. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team (VA-TF1) rescued an elderly woman who was critically ill and trapped in her home, which had been damaged by Hurricane Irma, on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, The team … Continued
Fairfax County team in Texas helping Hurricane Harvey victims
The Fairfax team brought seven boats to Texas. [FCFRD photos] The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team is in the Houston area helping with the emergency response to the severe flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey. So far, the team, VA-TF1, helped evacuate six residents in the Kingwood, Texas, area, and … Continued