RICHMOND — Memorial Day weekend is considered the unofficial start of summer. Before you and your family and friends partake in fun summer activities, make sure you keep the following safety tips in mind:   Grilling/Fire Safety from USFA: • Use propane, charcoal, and wood pellet barbecue grills outdoors only. Indoor use can cause a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. • Place your grill well away from siding and deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. Do not store or use a grill on a porch or balcony. • Use chimineas, outdoor fireplaces, and fire pits outdoors ..read more

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) Region 4 team and response partners received the Response Program of the Year award at the 2023 Virginia Emergency Management Symposium (VEMS). (Region 4 Chief Regional Coordinator Justin Haga and Disaster Response and Recovery Officer Sara Harrington receive Response Program of the Year award at VEMS 2023). The Response Program of the Year award recognizes a program that has shown excellence in responding to an emergency or disaster situation. The recipient of this award has displayed “outstanding, timely, effective response to an affecte ..read more

RICHMOND – FEMA has released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FY 2023 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). This grant provides $152.5M in funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities to eligible nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist attack in Virginia. Each applicant will identify one of three Virginia area designations. There are three regional area State Administrative Agency (SAA) designations in Virginia: Hampton Roads Designated Urban Area, National Capital Region Designated Urban Area, and Virgi ..read more

Once again, VDEM is partnering with the National Weather Service to promote Virginia’s Severe Weather Awareness Week. The week is designed to refresh, remind, and educate everyone about the seasonal threats from severe weather and how to avoid them. It’s also a great time to make and practice your emergency plan! The week is usually planned for March and includes a statewide tornado drill. The 2023 Severe Weather Awareness Week will be from March 6-10, with the Statewide Tornado Drill taking place on Tuesday, March 7, at 9:45 a.m. Each day during the week, a different topic will be covered and ..read more

For those who live within a 10-mile radius of the North Anna Power Station (NAPS) and Surry Power Station (SPS), their alert sirens will soon be replaced with the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), which has two methods for alerting the public. The Emergency Alert System notifies television and radio broadcasters who, in turn, share messaging through television and radio channels. The second method is Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) that will come to your cell phone. Both alert methods, identical in nature to Amber and Severe Weather alerts, have several advantages over the si ..read more

The 2022 Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill is Thursday, October 20. Millions of people worldwide will participate at their workplace, school, or home. At 10:20 a.m. (local time) on 10/20, you can join more than a million participants in Virginia practicing earthquake safety. Join us as we “Drop, Cover, and Hold On.” Drop down, take cover under a sturdy desk, table, or bench, or against an inside wall, and hold on. If you use a wheelchair or a rollator walker, “Lock, Cover, and Hold On.” Lock your wheels, cover your head and neck with your arms or a book, and hold on to your device with one hand ..read more

WHEN: May 4, 2022 at 7 PM Join VDEM for a virtual Family Preparedness Night! Geared toward elementary school students and their families, preparedness and disaster experts will teach your family about different disasters that can happen in Virginia, and how we can ‘Be Prepared, Not Scared!” Grab your favorite snack and log on for an hour on Wednesday, May 4th at 7pm. Together, we will help Connor and Emily make the right decisions and learn what to do during emergencies through discussion and games. See you there!  Join ZoomGov Meeting https://fema.zoomgov.com/j/1609524406 Meeting ID: 160 ..read more