Today, our first responders have access to new 800 megahertz radios that will allow them to communicate with each other quickly and directly. The new radios are to be housed by Fairfax and Montgomery counties for regional use, and are part of an emergency cache that will help increase communications interoperability among first responders throughout the area. Personal Protective Equipment is also being purchased to help outfit first responders in the region.

The region’s transportation agencies have made great strides in their ability to communicate with the public and to monitor the region’s transportation infrastructure during an emergency. One of the most significant accomplishments of the emergency transportation planning process has been to address the complicated issues of evacuation and "sheltering in place," which means to stay indoors during emergencies.

The region’s health care system can better track the symptoms of diseases and more quickly respond with the appropriate care. Pharmacists, hospital emergency rooms, schools, veterinarians, laboratories and emergency medical services now are part of a region-wide system to track diseases and their early symptoms.

These improvements in communications and coordination are the result of the partnership between elected officials, emergency managers and the private and non-profit sector organizations that make up the National Capital Region Emergency Preparedness Council (EPC).

In the coming weeks, the EPC will announce plans for the development of a citizens’ education program to ensure that the public fully understands their role in regional security.