Uncategorized

Commonwealth Taking Additional Steps to Safeguard Against Ebola

Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that the Commonwealth is taking additional steps to strengthen the level of preparedness for the Ebola virus by mobilizing a statewide unified command group. This group is responsible for coordinating resources and personnel.  

“The Virginia Department of Health works every day to prevent the spread of infectious diseases of all kinds,” said Governor McAuliffe. “The department’s focus will be to keep the community informed, and ensure that, if there is any risk, the appropriate public health actions will be taken.”

The statewide unified command group will be composed of officials from the Governor’s Office, Department of Health, Department of Emergency Management, State Police, Department of Social Services, Department of Transportation, Virginia National Guard, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Education, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and others. 

“Ebola prevention is based on principles and approaches that we use every day,” said State Health Commissioner Marissa J. Levine, MD, MPH, FAAFP. “However, there are unique aspects of Ebola that require us to make sure our plans and processes are up to date for this new concern.” 

Dr. Levine has activated the regional hospital coordinating system, which was developed after 9-11 and the anthrax attack of 2001, to assess our capability in each region of the state and ensure appropriate coordination. The Virginia Department of Health will lead the state’s ongoing health preparedness efforts supported by these other agencies.

VDH, including its 35 health districts and local health departments, is working closely with the state laboratory (Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services), individual hospitals and first responders/EMS to make sure they have adequate training and protocols, established with the best guidance available, to care for Ebola patients safely. Following these guidelines thoroughly will help health care workers who are caring directly for patients with Ebola stay safe from infection. 

Over the next several weeks, this group will be developing additional statewide protocols for first responders to enhance their safety and readiness.

For more information about Ebola, visit www.vdh.virginia.gov.

Drills, Preparedness, Training

NOVA will take part in the Great SouthEast ShakeOut Regional Earthquake Drill on 10/16

On Thursday, October 16th at 10:16 AM, NOVA will participate in The Great SouthEast ShakeOut Regional Earthquake Drill.

What do I do?

An announcement will be made on the campuses and off-site locations at 10:16 AM using the intercom telephone system to start the drill.  Once the announcement is made, you should DROP, COVER, and HOLD ON!

The Timeline will be as follows:

10:16   An announcement will be made that the drill is starting. “This is the start of the Regional Earthquake drill, please drop, cover, and hold on!”  At this time, you should drop to the ground, take cover under a table or sturdy desk, and hold on to it until the shaking stops.

10:21   An announcement will be made that the earthquake is over.  “The earthquake is over, please evacuate your buildings.”  At this time, evacuate the building and report to your assembly point.  *Persons with disabilities should seek assistance in evacuations.

10:35   No announcement will be made, but the drill has officially concluded.  You should re-enter your building and go back to your office or continue class as scheduled.

Note* Mobility Challenged Individuals are encouraged to do the following:

If you are in a wheelchair: Lock your wheels and remain seated until the shaking stops.  Always protect your head and neck with your arms, a pillow, book, or whatever may be available.

  • Practice your individual emergency evacuation plan during the evacuation phase of this drill.
  • Relocate to an Area of Assistance (if you are on a floor that does not exit directly outdoors) and wait there until the drill is complete.
  • Please refer to the Emergency Action Plan for more information
Drills, Preparedness

Emergency Notification Systems Test scheduled for 10/10

The College has scheduled a test of the Emergency Notification Systems for this Friday, October 10th beginning at 9:30 am for the campuses and off-site centers.  The systems that we will be testing are listed below.

 •              NOVA desktop computer alerts (pop-up messages for networked computers only)

•              Digital signage (flat panels)

•              Automated and live broadcasts to all College phones

 The message that you will either hear or see will be, “This is a test of the NOVA Emergency Notification System. This is only a Test.”

  *Please note that the NOVA Alert text messaging system will NOT  be tested at this time, so you should NOT receive a “Test” message on October 10th  if you are registered on the NOVA Alert text messaging system.

Uncategorized

Ebola in the US

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently confirmed the first case of Ebola in the United States and we all need to be especially alert and careful.  In an effort to keep you informed and protected, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is working closely with state and local health officials to monitor the situation.  According to a CDC statement, the “CDC recognizes that even a single case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States raises concerns. We know how to stop Ebola’s further spread: thorough case finding, isolation of ill people, contacting people exposed to the ill person, and further isolation of contacts if they develop symptoms.”

 The CDC has provided a significant amount of detail regarding the symptoms, mode of transmission, and risk of exposure on their website.  Please take some time to visit CDC website at www.CDC.gov to learn more about the disease and the current outbreak.  

 

Preparedness, Training

OEM’s first Preparedness Festival was a huge success

If you were at the Annandale campus on September 24th or the Loudoun campus on the 25th, you probably thought you were seeing things.  Maybe you even thought a few students were dressing up a little early for Halloween.  Rest assured, your eyes were not deceiving you – the zombies invaded those campuses as part of OEM’s Preparedness Festival.  September is National Preparedness Month and OEM used the zombies to help bring attention to the need for preparation. 

If you missed out on all the action or are a student/faculty/staff at another campus and want to see the news coverage of what took place, click here.  You can also take a look at pictures of the events on NOVA’s Facebook page, You Tube site, or Twitter account. 

Remember, OEM wants you to be prepared for an emergency.  You can find out more on how to prepare an emergency kit at Virginia’s Department of Emergency Management website or at FEMA’s website.