|
January 2024
 Winter weather is in the forecast for parts of the state this weekend (January 6-7). Preparedness isn't *just* about what's in your car or home emergency kit. Part of being prepared includes knowing the forecast and potential impacts where you live. Depending on your location, you could see rain, sleet, snow, ice, or a mix. Gusty winds will also accompany this storm. Get the most up-to-date forecast from the National Weather Service at Weather.gov, or from your local media outlet.
 As the temperature drops and blankets of snow start to cover parts of the country, we know that winter is here. The frosty landscapes and the snowy charm of winter carry with them more than just a picturesque scene, they also bring hazards that can leave us vulnerable if the proper precautions are not taken.
Don’t freeze yourself out of preparedness, check out the tips below so you can stay #winterready.
1. Prevent fires caused by heating your home.
Although trending downward since the early 1980s, heating fires are a common cause of home fires throughout the winter. In 2021, these types of fires were the second leading cause of home fires. An estimated 32,200 home heating fires were reported to fire departments within the United States. These fires caused an estimated 190 deaths, 625 injuries and $442 million in property loss.
To prevent home heating fires:
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet from all heat sources including fireplaces, wood stoves, radiators, portable heaters or candles.
- Always plug space heaters directly into an outlet, and make sure its cord isn’t damaged or frayed.
- Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected each year by a professional.
- Visit the U.S. Fire Administration Home Fires page to learn about how to prepare for and prevent home fires including tips for individuals with disabilities and older adults.
2. Prepare for power outages.
Winter storms may bring power outages that can disrupt things like communications, utilities, transportation, stores, gas stations and electrically powered medical devices. It’s important to be prepared for power outages.
- Keep freezers and refrigerators closed. Throw away any food that has been exposed to temperatures 40 degrees or higher for two hours or more, or that has an unusual odor, color or texture.
- If you use a generator, ONLY use it outdoors and away from windows.
- Do not use a gas stove or oven to heat your home.
- Disconnect appliances and electronics to avoid damage from electrical surges.
- Have alternate plans for refrigerating medicines or using power-dependent medical devices.
- Go to a community location with power if cold is extreme and you can’t heat your home.
- Familiarize yourself with your utility provider’s procedures during a power outage, including how to report an outage and how to stay informed about estimated restoration times.
3. Stay safe during winter travel.
Winter weather conditions can be harsh and unpredictable, posing significant threats to travelers, especially those traveling by car. Snowstorms, icy roads and freezing temperatures can create a dangerous environment that increases the likelihood of accidents and emergencies.
Being prepared can help you “expect the unexpected” so your trip isn’t ruined by common problems travelers face in the winter.
- Make sure your vehicle is in good working order before you travel.
- Install good winter tires and make sure they have enough tread, or any chains or studs required in your local area.
- When driving, increase your following distance from 3-4 seconds to 5-6 seconds. It takes longer to slow down and stop on icy roads.
- Every vehicle should have an emergency supply kit in the trunk. Kits should be checked every six months and expired items should be replaced regularly.
- Keep family and emergency phone numbers, including your auto insurance provider and a towing company in your phone.
- If stranded, run the engine for about 10 minutes per hour to run the heater and charge your cellphone. Open a window slightly to let fresh air in and avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
4. Make a plan for your specific needs.
Consider any unique needs you have when making a plan.
Do you need low-cost tips for keeping your home warm?
To save on heating bills, close room doors for the areas you are not using. Also, close vents and keep basements doors closed. Place a rolled towel at the bottom of al doors to keep drafts out. About 30% of a home’s heating energy is lost through its windows, consider using an inexpensive window insulation kit that creates an airtight seal around windows. Visit the LIHEAP Map State and Territory Contact Listing to review eligibility requirements and see if you qualify for home heating assistance.
Are you an older adult?
Use the worksheets and checklists in the Take Control in 1, 2, 3—Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults to create your plan, then add it to your emergency kit or put it on your refrigerator as a visible reminder that you are prepared.
Engage your support network if you need help clearing ice and snow from your property so you can keep outside walkways and steps clear of snow and ice. Have the name and contact information of a nearby family member or friend who can regularly check in on you.
Do you work outside or frequently do outdoor sporting activities?
Be careful if you spend time outdoors, including for work. Always have a fully charged cellphone and carry a portable recharger, if possible. When outside, wear several layers of loose clothing, protect your ears, face hands and feet in cold weather. Carry cold weather gear, such as extra socks, gloves, hats, jacket, blankets, a change of clothes and a thermos of hot liquid.
Being prepared is more than just having a pantry full of hot chocolate and a closet full of blankets, it’s about taking the necessary steps to avoid the hazards that winter brings so we can safeguard ourselves and those we care about. Start your #winterready efforts today.
For more information, visit #WinterReady | Ready.gov.
As the 2023 calendar year has come to a close, VDEM is taking a look back at some highlights, takeaways, and plans for the upcoming year in 2024!
This year, several events activated the Virginia Emergency Support Team (VEST). The VEST is made up of other state agencies, the private sector, and other partners, who represent different emergency support functions. Some examples of these emergency support functions are transportation (VDOT), public works, firefighting (Department of Forestry), Mass Care, Housing, and Human Services (Department of Social Services and Red Cross), Public Health (VDH), etc. Depending on the situation, any number of these emergency support functions will be activated in the emergency operations center to respond to a disaster. Here's a look back at 2023's VEST activations:
-
Tropical Storm Ophelia- September 2023
Tropical Storm Ophelia originated off of the Florida Coast as a non-tropical, low-pressure system and developed into a strong tropical storm as it moved north, making landfall between Jacksonville and Morehead City, NC. This storm signified the first activation of the VEST as a precaution, resulting in a tropical storm and storm surge. Fortunately, the activation was downgraded shortly after as the Commonwealth did not experience the significant storm surge.
-
Wildfires and Election Day- November 2023
The only other activations of the VEST in 2023 occurred in November, starting with the declaration of a state of emergency by Governor Glenn Youngkin to assist firefighter response efforts on two wildfires around the state due to dry conditions and high winds. VETS partners were able to assist local and regional firefighters – on the ground and in the air (Virginia National Guard Black Hawk Helicopters fitted with firefighting buckets)– to help contain these fires, provide logistical support, and respond to additional fires as necessary to protect Virginian citizens and their property.
The VEST was also partially activated on November 7th, as a precaution for Election Day to monitor ongoing activities, and to ensure the safety and security of citizens as they made their way to the polls to vote!
VDEM 2023 Accomplishments
In our last meeting as an agency, each of VDEM’s divisions shared updates of their accomplishments throughout the year. Highlighted below are some of the accomplishments from our own Office of Community Impact:
-
Established Emergency Management Equity Working Group (Code of Virginia (§ 44-146.18 (B19)))
-
Released guidance to help localities embed inclusive language into their Emergency Operations Plans (Code of Virginia (§ 44-146.19 (E)****))
-
Working on developing a tool to help Virginians identify their top hazards and link them to preparedness information tailored to their specific vulnerabilities
-
Translated “My Emergency Plan”, Hurricane Evacuation Guides, and Hurricane – Inland Flooding Guides into top 6 languages
-
Printed the above materials in English, Spanish, & Chinese (digital versions available on our website with additional languages), along with VDEM-branded giveaways for outreach to vulnerable communities
- Supported regions by attending outreach events across the state
-
-
EMbassador Pathways Program for high school students to get them interested in a career in EM/Public Service anticipated in summer of 2024, pending leadership approval
-
Provided support to TEED in the form of videos to enhance realism of scenarios
-
Participated in several large projects/ committees to provide DOI-related insight: Commonwealth Shelter Strategy, AFNAC, collaborating with DSS to create a DOI Training for Emergency Operations
 2023 was a GREAT year for Partners in Preparedness! We have over 700 people signed up to receive this newsletter, and with many representing organizations, faith-based communities, businesses, education, and more...the preparedness message is being amplified exponentially!
We now have additional support to continue the growth of this program, and have plans in 2024 to explore large print and Braille preparedness materials. This continues our commitment to reaching more and more communities!
Do you have a request for the new year? Let us know! Email PIO@vdem.virginia.gov.
 This year, VDEM will be installing 109 new flood monitoring sites (both water-level and precipitation gauges) across the Commonwealth to fill in critical observation gaps, especially those in underserved and under-resourced communities. The modernized network will provide accessible and dependable real-time rain and water-level data to support planning and risk-based decisions at both the state and community level to prevent and reduce the loss of life and property. To accomplish that, all site data will be shared directly to the National Weather Service to enhance their situational awareness, and their watch and warning capabilities. Site installations will be phased in over the course of the project with a target completion of Summer 2024.
During National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, DHS Blue Campaign invites you to attend a webinar to learn how to best recognize and report potential cases of human trafficking. Hear from Blue Campaign leaders as they discuss what human trafficking is; common myths and misconceptions; who trafficking affects and how traffickers operate; indicators of potential trafficking situations; and resources to spread awareness. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get involved and help prevent human trafficking from happening in your communities.
When is it?
The webinar will take place virtually via WebEx Webinar on January 10, 2024, from 2:00 – 3:00pm EST.
How can I participate?
REGISTER HERE to join the English webinar on January 10, 2024.
We welcome you to share this event with others in your organization and/or community. Free registration is required to attend this webinar, and registrants will receive connection information upon registering. Due to the high number of anticipated participants, live Q&A and live chat will be disabled for this event. Please submit questions you’d like considered in the registration form.
If you have any questions about the webinar, please contact Bluecampaign@hq.dhs.gov.
|
Placed at periodic intervals on major highways in Virginia, green-and-white mile marker signs along the right shoulder help travelers report their location in an emergency
|
|
|
When you need to summon help along Virginia’s interstates, travelers can count on mile marker signs to identify their location along the highway.
As more people embark on year-end holiday trips in December and January, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is sharing a “Mile Marker 101” video that advises travelers on how to find and use mile marker signs on interstates.
Look for these green-and-white rectangular signs at the edge of the interstate shoulder. Interstate mile marker signs are usually placed at every mile and may also be posted every 0.1 or 0.2 miles. The signs help emergency responders map their route to reach a person requesting assistance.
“Time is precious in an emergency,” said VDOT Chief of Maintenance and Operations Kevin Gregg. “Mile marker signs help travelers report their location as precisely as possible when calling for assistance."
"Knowing where you are may help emergency responders reach you faster. After logging many miles on a road trip, motorists experiencing an emergency may not remember the most recent interstate exit they passed, especially if they are traveling in an unfamiliar area. Mile markers signs provide accurate information to travelers that is not reliant on technology or wireless connectivity,” said Gregg.
Messages about incidents, congestion and road work are also communicated on changeable message signs using mile markers as locations.
Travelers spotting debris or other road hazards on the interstate are encouraged to use mile marker signs to include the location in work order reports. Contact VDOT’s Customer Service Center 24 hours a day online at my.vdot.virginia.gov or by phone at 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623) or to submit a request, report a hazard, or ask a question.
If you are planning a trip along a Virginia interstate, visit vdot.virginia.gov to explore a list of exit numbers along each interstate before you go, along with other travel resources, such as the locations and mile markers for 41 Virginia Safety Rest Areas.
|
|
|
|
 On October 24th, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced at his Faith-Based Leaders Forum on Mental Health that the Commonwealth will be providing applications for micro-grants to community and faith-based organizations to help in Virginia’s fight against the opioid crisis as well as to address the mental health needs of their communities. Therefore, a total of $800,000 has been set aside for faith-based organizations to apply for a grant to provide care for people in their communities who are struggling with substance use and serious mental illness. The grants will be available in amounts up to $15,000.
Navigation Links and Resources:
Click HERE for information on the application process
Click HERE to Download the Application Worksheet
Click HERE for an FAQ of questions from our first webinar
Click HERE to watch the recording of our first webinar
This grant program includes two distinct opportunities:
I. Community and Faith-Based Organization Pathways to Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services:
$500,000 in federal State Opioid Response funding has been allocated to support community and faith-based organizations in the expansion or establishment of substance use prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and/or recovery services to individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), stimulant disorders, and other concurrent substance use disorders and their family and caregivers.
II. Community and Faith-Based Organization Pathways to Mental Health Disorder Support, Treatment, and Recovery Services:
$300,000 in federal Mental Health Block Grant Supplemental (ARPA) funding has been allocated to address service needs related to Serious Mental Illness (SMI) in adults and Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) in children. SMI is defined by someone over 18 having (within the past year) a diagnosable mental, behavior, or emotional disorder that causes serious impairment, substantially interfering with or limiting one or more major life activities. For people under the age of 18, the term SED refers to a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder in the past year, which resulted in impairment that substantially interferes with or limits the child’s role or functioning in family, school, or community activities.
Goal and Intent of these Funding Opportunities
The aim for this funding is to build partnerships between community and faith-based organizations and the behavioral health system, thereby expanding coordination of care, resources, and services that benefit individuals who have substance use and serious mental health conditions.
Governor Youngkin and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services recognize that community and faith-based organizations often deliver prevention, treatment, and recovery services in these important areas. For the purposes of these micro-grant programs, services are strategies and activities aimed to reduce and/or treat the impact of substance use and serious mental disorders in a way that is individualized and self-directed by the identified individual.
Two types of proposals may be submitted:
(1) Proposals that enhance the existing framework of evidence-based interventions to prevent, reduce, or treat substance use by working to educate and support individuals and communities in the prevention and recovery from the use and misuse of drugs. Activities include, but are not limited to: substance use education and awareness; naloxone training; sponsoring or development of peer run recovery groups; dissemination of harm reduction supplies; supportive individual and group counseling to individuals and their supports; public platforms to raise awareness to the opioid and drug crisis; phone based support services, employment readiness for those in recovery, transportation to treatment for those in recovery, periodic childcare coverage for individuals during treatment services; and linkage and coordination to a higher level of care to include referrals to community services boards, psychiatry, local health agency, residential treatment, and to recovery residences.
(2) Proposals that enhance the existing framework of evidence-based interventions to prevent, reduce, or treat serious mental illness in adults and emotional disturbance in children by working to educate and support individuals and communities in the support, and treatment of those with serious mental illness. Activities include, but not limited to: individual and group supportive counseling including peer-led services, medication management; linkage to community resources, housing, public awareness and community-based trainings (such as Mental Health First Aid, Lock and Talk) as well as the resources needed to host such trainings; linkage to community resources such as social services, food banks, social security, etc.; linkage and coordination to higher level clinical care to include referrals to community services boards, psychiatry, local health department, mental health inpatient treatment, and crisis assessment centers; conferences and trainings enhancing faith-based community programs focus on mental health services.; development of planning groups and/or meetings with faith leaders to build strategic alliances across faith-based and community groups; hosting dialogues between groups of congregations and families around issues of mental health, support, and recovery.
Funding Eligibility
These programs are available to churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faith-based organizations that meet the requirements of Internal Revenue Code (I.R.C) section 501 and 501(c)3.
These programs are one-time competitive grants. Total funding available is $800,000.00. Up to $15,000.00 will be made available to each qualified and successful applicant seeking to provide services.
Application Process
The Governor’s Office and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services endeavors to make this application process as simple as possible. Recipients of federal funding are, however, required to complete certain processes to be considered eligible.
After you’ve decided your organization will apply for grant funding, complete the steps below:
Application Step 1: Get a Unique Entity Identifier from SAM.gov.
All recipients of federal funding must have a Unique Entity Identifier obtained through SAM.gov. This is not a DBHDS or a Virginia process and is different from an EIN or Tax ID. Importantly, you do NOT need to register your organization to get a UEI. Getting a UEI, if you do not have one already, is a simple and often immediate process. Here is a helpful YouTube video with all the information you might need. Get your UEI at http://www.sam.gov/
Application Step 2: Register your organization in WebGrants
After you have your Unique Entity Identifier from SAM.gov, CLICK here to begin registration in WebGrants. To assist you, this Registration Guide has been prepared and contains an email address if you need to reach out for help. DBHDS will approve these registrations as they are received during business hours. Upon approval, you’ll receive email instructions on logging into the WebGrants system.
Application Step 3: Gather proposal information to ensure you’re ready to apply
We’ve developed this Application Worksheet to help you prepare the materials required to apply. Please give careful attention to the Project Description, the Desired Outcomes and how they will be measured and reported, and the budget information. We simply cannot approve an award for federal funding until this information is adequate.
Application Step 4: Apply for Micro-Grant in WebGrants
After your registration is approved, log-in to WebGrants with the credentials you received during registration and submit your application. This Application Guide will give you all the help you need to complete this task. Pay particular attention to Slide 2 to ensure you select the correct Micro-Grant Program (MH or SUD)
Application Review
DBHDS will begin reviewing applications as they are received and will award funding based on application eligibility, validation of organizational eligibility, project proposals, and expected outcomes. Preference may be designated for proposals that:
- Foster or enhance new or existing community partnerships with behavioral health organizations
- Develop partnerships between organizations rather than focusing solely on one organization
- Include training and knowledge-building that can benefit communities beyond the grant program period
- Enhance the delivery of services as described above in this page
DBHDS will evaluate proposals as quickly as possible but this process may take up to 30 days.
Further Questions
If you have further questions unrelated to WebGrants, please email communityoperations@dbhds.virginia.gov and we will reply as soon as we are able.
 Start making your emergency plan today!
 Don't get caught without a plan! Check out these planning resources that will help you kickstart your emergency preparedness and guide you along the way as you make your full plan. "My Emergency Plan" is now available in 6 other languages. Download it and get started now at Make a Plan | VDEM (vaemergency.gov).
|
|
Important
Contacts
📇
•Katie Carter
Partners in Preparedness
Katie.Carter@vdem.virginia.gov
•VDEM Public Information Inbox
pio@vdem.virginia.gov
•Region 1 Contact
Donna Pletch
Donna.Pletch.vdem.virginia.gov
•Region 2 Contact
Alexa Boggs
Alexa.Boggs@vdem.virginia.gov
•Region 3 Contact
Gene Stewart
Gene.Stewart@vdem.virginia.gov
•Region 4 Contact
Justin Haga
Justin.Haga@vdem.virginia.gov
•Region 5 Contact
Harrison Bresee
Harrison.Bresee@vdem.virginia.gov
•Region 6 Contact
Mike Guzo
Mike.Guzo@vdem.virginia.gov
•Region 7 Contact
Jake Kezele
Jake.Kezele@vdem.virginia.gov
|
Upcoming
Dates
📆
- Through January 7 - GardenFest of Lights at Lewis Ginter, Henrico County
- January 6 - 15th Annual Frozen Toe 10K, Roanoke County
- January 15 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- January 15 - Lobby Day at State Capitol, City of Richmond
|
|
|
Thank you for reading Preparedness News You Can Use! 😊 We hope you found it worth your time. The Preparedness News You Can Use editors welcome all content suggestions. If you have a suggestion for the next issue, please email Katie Carter at katie.carter@vdem.virginia.gov.
|
|
|
|
|
