Spanberger Signs Executive Order to Boost Virginia’s Emergency Preparedness

Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced Executive Order 19 Tuesday afternoon, which is designed to strengthen Virginia’s preparedness for natural disasters and other emergencies and streamline the state’s response to crises.

The announcement comes ahead of hurricane season for states along the country’s southeastern coast. But the order extended beyond natural catastrophes, with the governor saying Virginia “faces an increasingly dynamic and complex threat environment that demands a modern, integrated approach to preparedness.”

She named “public health emergencies, cyber incidents, threats to critical infrastructure, supply chain disruptions, acts of violence, emerging technologies, and other complex hazards” that the order addresses by creating a “unified readiness framework,” Spanberger wrote.

The measure is meant to strengthen emergency communications, operations and planning, bolster retention and training for emergency response workers, promote community partnerships and enhance digital security.

This means that executive branch agencies with responsibilities related to emergency management, public safety and public health will designate a Unified Readiness Coordinator, participate in implementing the framework, share requested data and participate in statewide assessments and planning.

Private-sector entities, local first responders and nonprofit organizations will also be involved in the endeavor.

The coordination “breaks down operational silos and builds a stronger, more resilient Commonwealth,” Spanberger said in a press release announcing the order.

“By bringing together our first responders, state agencies, businesses, and community partners, we are ensuring Virginia is fully equipped to anticipate, respond to, and recover from any threat,” she added.

By Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury

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