VirginiaCORPS
Serve, Strengthen, Unite,
Best Practices from Around VA

Announcement of Public Preparedness Planning Group 
From May 28, 2002 letter from the County Manager, Ron Carlee, to Jim Pebley, President of the 
Civic Federation for announcement at the May 29, 2002 Civic Federation Leadership Forum 

I regret that I cannot attend the Civic Federation Leader’s Forum on Emergency 
Preparedness. I am fulfilling a long-standing commitment to share lessons learned from 9/11 at a 
conference of Pennsylvania city and county managers. 

As County staff have de-briefed after 9/11, we remain extraordinarily proud of the 
professionalism of the emergency response and the effectiveness of our Comprehensive 
Emergency Management Plan, which was initially created in 1956. We also learned that the 
Arlington community is fully prepared to do whatever is necessary to support an emergency 
response. 

As part of a commitment to continuous improvement, an area in which we have 
concluded that we must take our planning to a new level is in public preparedness and 
communication. This is important so that we can take full advantage of the public’s willingness 
and desire to support emergency efforts. 

On 9/11, we were able to immediately implement a 24/7 informational hotline and mental 
health hotline. We also transformed the web site and cable channel into virtual newspapers. 
However, the public did not have an existing knowledge of these resources. Communication 
efforts also had to be continuously improved to approach the level of effectiveness expected and 
needed by the public. We also needed more effective procedures for harnessing the energy of 
the public into effective support of the response. 

To enhance emergency preparedness we need to accomplish the following: 
• Enhance communication systems to the public; 
• Ensure public awareness of emergency communications procedures; and 
• Provide the public with greater understanding on how to prepare for and respond to 
different emergency scenarios. 
The Civic Federation Leader’s Forum provides an excellent opportunity to initiate these 
objectives. 

I am pleased to announce the appointment of a Public Preparedness Planning Group to take 
public preparedness to the next step. This action is based on guidance from the County Board, 
which included an emphasis on both emergency response and civic participation as part of its 
2002 strategic objectives. As part of the Fiscal Year 2003 budget, the County Board also 
approved an additional position for emergency coordination to specifically focus on public 
preparedness. 

The planning group that I am forming is charged with developing recommendations for the 
creation of a model public preparedness program. I have asked Jackie Snelling of the Civic 
Federation to chair this 60-day effort, with staff leadership from Clare Halsey of the Fire 
Department. I have asked the following organizations to name members to the Planning Group: 
• Arlington County Disability Commission 
• Chamber of Commerce 
• County Council of PTAs 
• Interfaith Council 
• Red Cross 
• United Way

The group is empowered to add representation as necessary to ensure inclusion across 
Arlington's diverse population. The Police Department and Department of Human Services will 
provide additional staff leadership. 

The purpose of the Planning Group is to recommend the structure of an on-going public 
preparedness council including mission, membership, and initial work plan with timelines. The 
program designed by the group should achieve the following: 
• Create a model program that is consistent with FEMA recommendations; 
• Enable the creation of an on-going Public Preparedness Council by Labor Day; 
• Achieve new public preparedness procedures by the 2002/2003 winter storm season; and 
• Identify incremental improvements that can be made continuously. 

Additionally, staff is working on a new public notification system that will use existing 
pagers, cell phones, and e-mail for emergency notices. While I do not want to raise expectations 
prematurely, I want you to know that we are aggressively pursuing new technologies that 
Arlington would be the first in the nation to implement. 

On 9/11,Arlington demonstrated a world-class response to the Pentagon. We must sustain 
this capacity while extending it to the full community. The leadership of the Civic Federation in 
this effort is greatly appreciated. 

Sincerely,
Ron Carlee
County Manager