Stafford BOS Gives Thumbs Up to Emergency Response

A little over a year ago my next door neighbor set my apartment on fire (afterwards, another neighbor sent this video to the Free Lance-Star). A few days later my District Supervisor, George Schwartz, called me up to ask me if I thought the first responders got to the scene in a timely fashion or not. Mr. Schwartz said he had some concerns based on what he was hearing. I told him that when you’re watching flames slowly creep closer and closer to everything you own…seconds feel like years, so I probably wasn’t the best person to ask. Me and my neighbors did go around to every apartment in the building and pounded on doors to make sure everyone got out of there in time. I suppose it would have been nice if the fire department had gotten there sooner to do that for us, but it took a few minutes for the flames to really get out of control. I then gave George some names of other people who may be able to give him a more accurate, less biased, account of the timeline of events that night.

Fast forward a year later, after tornados destroyed several homes in the area. Schwartz, now Chairman of the Stafford Co. Board of Supervisors, has nothing but good things to say about the response, which came from fire & rescue workers from all around the commonwealth. The board met for a special session on May 14 to unanimously pass an “Emergency Declaration.” According to the Stafford County Sun:

…a declaration is required to activate the county emergency plans. Once a plan is activated the first responders can proceed to render emergency assistance to victims of a disaster. This includes actions to protect the health, safety and welfare of individuals and property. It also authorizes participation in the response by both local and interjurisdictional agencies.

At least 40 families were rendered homeless the morning after. But, miraculously, no one was seriously hurt.