Welcome to the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness
The Office of Commonwealth Preparedness has one main vision: To ensure a Virginia whose communities, businesses and government are safe, secure and prepared. For more detailed information, please see our About Us page.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security unveiled a new Web
site designed to provide stakeholders
and the public with easily accessible information about their role in
safeguarding critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR). The
website features a link to the new CIKR Resource Center, which includes
information about how to sign up for free Web-based seminars on the
tools, trends, issues, and best practices for infrastructure protection
and resilience; resources concerning potential vulnerabilities for
chemical facilities; and details about the National Response Framework,
which outlines guidance for all response partners to prepare for and
provide a unified response to disasters and emergencies. Visit the new site at www.dhs.gov/criticalinfrastructure.
New Citizen Corps survey finds increase in public preparedness
The 2009 “Personal Preparedness in America: Findings from the Citizen Corps National Survey” shows an increase in several aspects of personal preparedness, though many areas show a lack of action.
- 56 percent of households say they have emergency supplies set aside their homes for use only in an emergency (46 percent have supplies in their workplace, and 35 percent have them in their car).
- 61 percent expect to depend greatly on fire, police and emergency personnel for help in the first 72 hours of a disaster.
- 25 percent say they are not planning on doing anything to prepare.
The report also includes national Community Preparedness and Participation Target Capabilities List goals, such as:
- 80 percent of households should maintain pre-incident preparation, including creating and maintaining a communication plan, obtaining disaster supplies, and practicing evacuation/shelter-in-place and additional maintenance skills.
- Trained residents providing volunteer support to local emergency responder disciplines (law enforcement, fire, emergency medical, and public health services) should equal 10 percent of the population volunteering an average of 20 hours per year, or 560 million hours per year.
- 80 percent of residents within the jurisdiction are alert to unusual behavior -- indicative of potential criminal/terrorist activity -- and understand appropriate reporting procedures.
The full report and recommendations are available online on the Citizen Corps website.
Outlying Landing Field
The Navy announced on August 28, 2009, that it will delay the expected release of the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the OLF project. Please visit www.defenselink.mil to view a news release.
See more information on the Outlying Landing Field.