(The Center Square) – Virginia agencies responsible for public safety, emergency management and critical infrastructure will coordinate under a new statewide preparedness framework announced Tuesday.
First-year Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed Executive Order 19 establishing the Commonwealth Unified Readiness Framework, which is intended to bring emergency planning, communications, training and response efforts under a more coordinated system.
The order defines unified readiness as “the continuous integration of planning, coordination, information sharing, logistics, capabilities, resource management, training, exercises, technology, and decision-making across sectors” to strengthen Virginia’s ability to prevent, respond to and recover from hazards.
The framework covers areas including emergency management, homeland security, public health, transportation, cybersecurity and continuity of government.
Under the order, the secretary of public safety and homeland security will establish and coordinate the framework. Existing emergency plans, hazard assessments and continuity plans will be incorporated into the system rather than replaced.
The framework focuses on five areas: operational readiness, workforce readiness, infrastructure and technology readiness, community readiness, and risk and security.
Priorities include emergency communications, disaster logistics, mutual aid, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection and health care readiness.
Executive branch agencies with emergency-related responsibilities must designate a unified readiness coordinator and participate in statewide assessments, exercises and improvement planning.
The order also says emergency-related plans maintained by those agencies should be reviewed and updated, as appropriate, with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management by Dec. 31.
The framework calls for a continuing preparedness cycle that includes planning, training, exercises, evaluation and corrective action.
The governor’s office said the order follows seven regional readiness summits held across Virginia this spring involving more than 750 participants from law enforcement, fire and emergency services, public health, local governments, utilities and other sectors.
“Keeping all Virginians safe requires a modern, seamless, and proactive preparedness system,” Spanberger said in a statement announcing the order.
The executive order took effect immediately and will remain in force until it is amended or rescinded.
