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Click on the question to view its answer below: Be Prepared
Special Situations - Shelters
Shelter In Place Information Be Informed-County Planning
Designations, Declarations and Miscellaneous Legal Information
Emergency events can occur quickly and without warning. Planning for any emergency requires considering all likely scenarios. If you are able to stay at home, electricity, water, heat, air conditioning, telephone service and transportation could be disrupted or lost for a considerable amount of time. It is important to develop an emergency preparedness plan that includes:
Most emergency management planners suggest having enough food, water, medications and other essentials on hand to last your family for at least three days for weather-related events. In other types of emergencies, you may have to evacuate your home or community.
What should I have in my home emergency preparedness kit?
Put together a three-day supply of the following items in an easy-to-carry container:
In the event of a community or national emergency, or an evacuation or a shelter-in-place order, parents should check the local media and local school system cable stations, hot lines and Web sites for announcements about changes in school openings and closings. Prince William County Public Schools offers an e-mail notification system to alert parents immediately of changes in school schedules. Generally, unless evacuation of a particular school is ordered, students will be kept at school until school officials can safely transport them home. Because the best place for children during a regional crisis may be at school, parents are discouraged from going to school to pick up their children. If a parent does go to a school, he or she should be prepared to present the identification required by the school system—usually a photo ID.
Note that if a school is ordered to provide shelter-in-place—to protect the safety of the children—no one will be allowed into or out of the school building until the danger is passed. In that event, parents, for their own safety, should also remain indoors. Relying on the schools to transport students home on normal bus routes will help avoid gridlock in and around schools, and will help keep roads clear for essential emergency vehicles. If buses are severely delayed, schools may ask parents to help by picking up their children. Parents should check the local media and school news outlets regularly for announcements about school decisions.
Emergency planning is for all members of the family, including pets. With the exception of service animals, most shelters do not accept pets. Prepare a list of kennels, friends or family members who may be able to care for your pet in an emergency. If you plan to place your pet in a kennel, make sure that the facility meets all requirements for long-term care and has an adequate disaster plan itself. If your family must relocate to a shelter or other site and there is no place for your pet to go, as a last resort, confine your pet to a specific room in the house, and provide plenty of food and water to sustain the animal while you are away. Put together a basic disaster kit for your pets to take with you in case you must leave your residence quickly. Recommended items include:
More information on emergency preparedness for pets is available at VDEM, or the Humane Society of the United States, 202-452-1100.
Establish relationships with nearby neighbors before an emergency or disaster happens. Ask nearby family or neighbors you trust to check on you during a disaster. Keep in touch with your family and neighbors and look out for each other by:
During storms and other emergency events, check to see how your relatives and neighbors are coping, especially senior citizens and persons with disabilities. If possible, help them plan or locate resources from which to obtain assistance. Contact your the Department of Social Services at 703-792-6500 for information on services available for the elderly and residents with disabilities.
Prince William County does not have permanent shelter facilities. The County Emergency Operations Plan includes procedures for establishing shelters as needed in suitable facilities. When there is a need to establish a shelter, the County will work with the Red Cross to open a facility that is appropriate to the needs of the situation. Listen to local media and be prepared to follow all instructions.
Local officials may call for evacuation in specific areas at greatest risk in your community. If you are told to evacuate, it is important to stay calm, listen to local media reports carefully and follow all instructions. Local officials will provide information about where shelters have been established.
What do I do if I'm told to evacuate?
If you are told to evacuate, it is important to stay calm, listen carefully and follow all instructions. If you’re sure you have time, call your family contact to tell them where you are going and when you expect to arrive. Shut off water and electricity, but leave natural gas ON unless local officials advise you otherwise. Only a professional can restore gas service once it’s turned off, and this could take weeks in a disaster situation. If you must choose quickly what to take with you, grab these things and go: medical supplies; disaster supplies (flashlight, batteries, radio, first-aid kit, and bottled water); a change of clothes, sleeping bag or bedroll and pillow for each family member, and car and house keys. If you plan to travel by car, become familiar now with alternate travel routes you can use to avoid congested main arteries in the event of an emergency. Remember, it is against the law to drive on the shoulder. Shoulders are reserved for police, fire and rescue vehicles.
All news radio stations such as WTOP (1500 AM/107.7 FM) and WMAL (630 AM) provide 24/7 traffic information.
Carry a winter survival kit in your vehicle. Suitable items include blankets, flashlight, shovel, jumper cables, road salt or kitty litter, flares or reflective triangles, local road maps, and high-calorie food like granola bars and juice.
Consider keeping an old cell phone and a power cord in each of your cars. Even if the phone does not have a service provider, it should still be able to dial 911.
Your first priority is to focus on what you need to do to protect yourself and your family. Here are some other things to do:
What does it mean to "shelter-in-place?"
In many cases, you are better off staying where you are rather than evacuating to another location. You should stay where you are if you are not in imminent danger from the event or its consequences. If a large number of people try to leave an area all at once, traffic will soon back up and even come to a standstill. Being stuck in traffic while danger still threatens may put you at greater risk for your safety than staying in your home or other substantial structure. Listen to your radio for directions about what to do. Pay close attention to hear information about what to do in your immediate area. Authorities may call for a "phased evacuation," moving to safety first those at greatest risk of loss of life and injury. In built-up areas, traffic jams under normal conditions are bad enough. In an emergency, the backup could mean lengthy gridlock. How do I use duct tape and plastic sheeting?
Duct tape and plastic sheeting should normally be a part of a disaster supply kit. In a chemical attack, authorities may recommend that you go to a room in the center of your home away from outside doors and windows. You will need to seal the room completely, including doors and windows. Use the plastic sheeting and duct tape to seal all of the cracks and openings in the walls, floors and ceilings, light fixtures, fans, plumbing, electrical outlets, door handles and even locks. Shut down all air-handling units. Seal the room as tightly as you can to prevent even small quantities of the chemical from seeping through. Residents should sign up to receive emergency notifications through PWCAN, the County's electronic emergency notification system. Visit http://www.pwcgov.org/pwcan to sign up for this free service. While every attempt is made to communicate local information through the a variety of media sources, information specific to Prince William County is not always reported in its entirety, or correctly. The Office of Executive Management Communications staff is continuing efforts towards working with local media sources to make accurate information available. Residents may get information about Prince William County government through the County Web site (http://www.pwcgov.org), The Prince William Channel/Comcast Cable Channel 23/Verizon Channel 37, or the County's 24-hour automated phone system PWC-INFO (703-792-4636).
Click the link to view the Fact Sheet: Prince William County's Emergency Operations Plan.
When the County government is announced as being on unscheduled leave, County buildings are open for business. Unscheduled leave is a term used for County government employees. It describes leave used during severe weather, i.e. annual or compensatory leave or leave without pay. Unscheduled leave differs from other leave since advance approval is not required. An unscheduled leave status will be announced on PWC-INFO (703-792-4636), the County’s 24-hour automated phone system; and reported to local television and radio stations. When using unscheduled leave, employees are expected to notify their supervisor as early as possible prior to their normal arrival time, and are expected to report to work when weather conditions permit safe travel. Essential employees are exempt from unscheduled leave.
What is the Emergency Alert System (EAS)?
The Emergency Alert System enables the president to address the American people directly in the event of a national emergency. The system gives the president access to thousands of broadcast stations, cable systems and participating satellite programmers to transmit a message to the public. The EAS and its predecessor, the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), have never been activated for this purpose. For the past 40 years, however, state and local emergency announcements have been transmitted through the system. Your local Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio or television station will be a primary source of information and instructions. You will receive specific instructions on what to do in your area. Remember that an emergency may affect each area differently. How do I find my Emergency Alert System (EAS) station?
In Prince William County, WTOP (1500 AM/107.7 FM) is the primary broadcaster of EAS alerts. How can I help my community prepare?
There are many ways you can help your community. You can help strengthen your neighborhood, state and nation through volunteerism and service. Volunteering to support your first responders during this busy time is one good way to help your community. Another way to help is to learn new skills that can help you and your family be prepared for all types of disasters. What do Code Green, Blue, Yellow, Orange and Red alerts mean?
Virginia has adopted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System, which categorizes credible threats at five levels ranging from green (low) to red (high). The higher the threat condition, the greater the risk of a terrorist attack. Risk includes both the probability of an attack occurring and its potential gravity. Citizens often want to know what they should do at each threat level. Here is a summary of what the codes mean:
The Office of Commonwealth Preparedness Web site contains a comprehensive listing of recommended citizen actions.
What does a state of emergency mean? A state of emergency declaration authorizes the governor to speed state agency assistance and resources to localities following a manmade or natural disaster. In Virginia, declarations may cover hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, winter storms or a terrorist incident. In general, the governor issues a declaration when the emergency exceeds the ability of the locality to respond effectively. In turn, when a disaster exceeds the Commonwealth's resources, it seeks federal assistance through the Department of Homeland Security.
When does the governor act?
The governor declares a state of emergency when he believes a disaster has occurred or may be imminent. The situation has to be severe enough to require state aid to supplement local resources in preventing or alleviating damages, loss, hardship or suffering. What happens after the governor declares an emergency?
Acting on behalf of the governor, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management uses the resources and assets of appropriate state agencies to provide immediate assistance. Typically, Virginia State Police, the National Guard and the Virginia Department of Transportation are called in. Other agencies may include the department of Health, Agriculture, Corrections and Environmental Quality. What guides government agencies under a declaration?
After the governor issues the declaration, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management puts its Emergency Operations Plan into effect. It may activate the state Emergency Operations Center to full 24-hour staffing to coordinate and direct state response and recovery resources. The declaration also streamlines purchasing and procurement requirements to speed aid and resources to needed areas. Covered may be costs for rescue, evacuation, shelter, heating fuel, food and clothing. Resources also are available to quell disturbances.
Does an employer have to pay employees who cannot get to work during a state of emergency?
Each place of employment sets policy on work hours and compensation during an emergency. Under certain circumstances, employees unable to get to work during a prolonged disaster may be eligible for unemployment assistance. Does a declaration of emergency bar the sale of alcoholic beverages?
Localities may impose restrictions on the purchase of alcoholic beverages under their local emergency declaration. Click the link to view Non-County Emergency Management Information.
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