Join Club

Ready Arlington: Who’s Responsible for Emergency Preparedness?

Ready Arlington banner

This biweekly column is sponsored by the Arlington Office of Emergency Management.

The question flashes across a screen at a recent Personal & Family Emergency Preparedness workshop for Arlington Network for Community Readiness (ANChoR) volunteers. Participant responses split between the public, the government and community leaders. A collective groan, and then conversation, ensues as they’re told they’re all right — everyone has a role in preparedness.

We cannot prepare alone

Let’s take a look at the numbers: Arlington County has a population of 220,000, which goes up to 300,000 during the day. The Office of Emergency Management has six staff that dedicate a portion of their time to preparedness outreach and education. With those calculations, we would have to reach 4,236 residents per week for 52 weeks to prepare every resident. And this is not even counting the daytime, business population. Clearly this is not possible.

This is why our team of ANChoR volunteers is such a critical resource: they can help our staff extend our reach into the community. They help to host Preparedness Workshops in their communities, staff tables at fairs and community events and connect our office with neighborhoods and networks throughout the county.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Following Winter Storm Jonas last year, elderly and informed residents needed help shoveling out their walks so they could receive critical services. While everyone needs to develop a network and plan for themselves, ANChoR volunteers are asked to be a critical part of that network. Volunteers are asked to meet their neighbors before a disaster, and to check on neighbors before and after storms to make sure they’re prepared and okay.

Volunteers do basic preparedness and response in their community, like adopting their local fire hydrant, bus stop or storm drain to keep clear during storms and prevent flooding in their neighborhood.

Many hands make work lighter

When a disaster does strike, we rely on many hands to make a response run smoothly, including ANChoR volunteers. Volunteers train to support the Emergency Operations Center, Watch Desk, Volunteer Reception Center shelters and more.

Volunteers may provide administrative help in the OEM office or serve as controllers and actors during exercises.

Kudos & Thanks

This week is National Volunteer Appreciation Week, and we’d like to recognize and thank the Arlington Network for Community Readiness, as well as all of the emergency support volunteer programs, including the Community Emergency Response Team and Medical Reserve Corps, for their time and service. Their dedication helps make our community safer and more prepared.

Interested in the Arlington Network for Community Readiness or how to help during an emergency? Go to ReadyArlington.com for more information.

Recent Stories

These Arlington-area auto-body shops received Washington Consumers’ Checkbook’s top rating for quality (as reported by their customers in Checkbook’s surveys).

Starting next month, weekday drivers and pedestrians like should plan for sporadic closures near the Shirlington Road bridge. Kicking off in April and lasting through the summer, the sidewalk and…

Morning Notes

Planning for New DCA Projects — “It passed below the radar screens of the traveling public, but the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority on March 20 moved a major step forward…

Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar. 🕗 News recap The following articles were published earlier today…

Award-winning drag queen Tara Hoot is bringing her Family Fun Story Time Brunch to Arlington at Freddie’s Beach Bar! Saturday April 6 at noon! Join Tara for songs, stories, puppets, bubbles and joy! It’s not just stories, it’s a SHOW that’s perfect for kids and kids at heart–fun for everyone! Plus a tasty brunch at Freddie’s! Click the link and make your reservations now! ❤️ 🫧 🌈

Submit your own Announcement here.

The Summer 2024 STEAM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Arts/Math) Fellowship application is now open! Apply by April 15 to be considered!

The STEAM Workforce Development Teacher Fellowship provides Arlington Public Schools (APS) high school, middle school, and elementary school teachers with opportunities to learn about workplace needs in STEAM-related fields and for them to use the experience to enhance student learning to match workplace expectations in a selected industry. STEAM Fellows participate in a three-week summer fellowship, receiving a $4,000 stipend upon completion.

Applicants planning to pursue a fellowship in the arts must demonstrate how they will build connections between the arts and science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

Click the button to learn more, share, apply, and see the variety of fellowships completed in previous years.

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

Free Right-Sizing Workshop – How to Get Rid of Your…

Cody Chance and Dick Nathan of Long & Foster are hosting a free workshop at our office on Cherry Hill Rd. (formerly Lee Highway) on the topic of “down-sizing” Thursday, March 28 from 5:30-7:30. We have created a workbook with

Portofino Italian Wine Dinner, April 6, 6:30pm

Four course Italian dinner, paired with 2 wines each. The wines will be served “blind” and notes on each wine will be discussed. The event is coordinated with Elite Wine Importers and The Portofino Restaurant. The dinner is on Saturday,

×

Subscribe to our mailing list