Unified Readiness

Unified Readiness

Partnerships enhance community safety, especially during times of crisis. In support of Governor Spanberger’s Executive Order 19, which promotes emergency preparedness collaboration, the Public Safety & Homeland Security Secretariat developed the Commonwealth’s Unified Readiness Framework. This strategic initiative ensures the Commonwealth remains at the forefront of emerging threats and that all public safety stakeholders are aligned and ready to respond when their communities need them.

Regional Readiness Summits

Over the course of six weeks, the Secretariat hosted seven Regional Readiness Summits across the state. The events convened over 750 leaders from over 15 distinct sectors to discuss critical capabilities, mutual aid, and interoperability.

Key representatives from multiple disciplines participated, including:

• Law enforcement and fire services
• 9-1-1 and emergency medical services
• Transportation and critical infrastructure
• Healthcare and education

Together, these leaders identified overarching challenges affecting preparedness and began discussing how to overcome them.

Having everyone who attended yesterday at the table, engaging in open discussion and identifying action items… reinforced that our collective preparedness increases as we have more of these conversations together and work collaboratively toward shared goals.

Next Steps: Statewide Action

To build on this foundation, the Public Safety Secretariat is convening all preparedness stakeholders for the landmark inaugural Virginia Unified Readiness Summit. This one-day event will focus on turning regional insights into workable, actionable solutions, ensuring every community is prepared for the next emergency.