Transcript: Health and Safety Podcast

Oct. 28, 2026

Hello, and welcome to the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast. Coming up, learn about earthquake safety, Daylight Saving Time, Scammers and artificial intelligence, digital emergency kits, and home fire safety. Links to topics mentioned in this podcast can be found online at fairfaxcounty.gov.

Even though the annual Great Southeast Shakeout earthquake drill was held recently, it doesn’t mean you don’t need to be ready for earthquakes at any time of the year. Earthquakes are not just a West Coast problem. On Aug. 23, 2011, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake centered near Mineral, Virginia, shook the Washington region. People felt it from Georgia to Canada. It cracked the Washington Monument and damaged the Washington National Cathedral. Many people in Fairfax County ran outside that day, unsure what to do. That’s a natural reaction, but it’s also one of the most common ways people get hurt. Virginia has small earthquakes most years. There is no way to know when the next big one will hit, and there is no warning. When the shaking starts, you have seconds to act. Here’s what to do:

• Drop to your hands and knees before the earthquake knocks you down.
• Cover your head and neck with one arm. Crawl under a sturdy table or desk if one is close. If not, get down next to an inside wall, away from windows.
• Hold On to your shelter until the shaking stops. If it moves, move with it.
• Stay in place for about one minute. That’s it.  

You also don’t have to wait for an annual earthquake drill. Hold one for your family or at work at any time – it only takes a few minutes. Run the drill with your kids and talk about where they would take cover at home and at school. After the drill, take a few minutes to walk through your home and spot anything heavy that could fall. Ask your co-workers where the sturdiest desks and tables are in your office. Our emergency information blog has more information, or you can visit shakeout.org for more information and resources.

Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 a.m., which means clocks turned back one hour. While the time change gives many people an extra hour of rest, it also means darker evenings and a good reminder to take a few simple safety steps at home. Use the occasion to check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, replace batteries if needed, and test each device to make sure it is working properly. It is also a good time to review your emergency plan, make sure everyone in your household knows what to do during severe weather or a power outage, and check or restock emergency kit supplies such as water, nonperishable food, flashlights, batteries, medications, first-aid items, phone chargers, and important documents.

Each month, our Department of Emergency Management and Security produces the “Emergency Preparedness” newsletter and a monthly preparedness webinar. Learn more at fairfaxcounty.gov/emergencymanagement.

Scammers now use artificial intelligence to clone a family member’s voice from just a few seconds of audio pulled off social media. They call a parent or grandparent claiming to be in trouble and ask for money right away. The voice sounds real because, in a way, it is. Agree on a simple safe word or question with close family members, something a caller couldn’t guess or find online. If you get a distressed call asking for money or personal information, ask for the safe word before you do anything else. If the caller can’t provide it, hang up and call the family member directly using a number you already have saved.

Turn On Multifactor Authentication

Multifactor authentication adds a second step, usually a code sent to your phone, before anyone can log into your account, even if they have your password. Turn this on for email, banking and any account tied to your identity. Email deserves special attention, since it’s often the account criminals use to reset passwords on everything else you own.

Build Better Passwords

Skip passwords built around birthdays, pet names or simple words. A password manager can generate and store strong, unique passwords for every account so you’re not reusing the same one everywhere. If one account gets breached, a unique password keeps the damage from spreading to your other accounts. Our emergency information blog, fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/blog, has more information.

Most people know how to pack a physical emergency kit, and the reasons they should. Fewer think about having a digital one. Before an emergency hits:

• Save digital copies of insurance policies, identification and medical records to a secure, password-protected folder.
• Back up important files to a physical drive, not just the cloud, in case internet service goes down.
• Keep a printed list of important phone numbers. If your phone dies or networks fail, you’ll still be able to reach people.
• Store a spare phone charger and a portable battery pack with your emergency supplies.

If a fire broke out in your home tonight, could everyone get out in two minutes or less?

That’s not a guess. Two minutes is roughly how long fire safety experts say you have before a house fire becomes too dangerous to escape. Modern furniture burns faster than furniture did decades ago, which means smoke and heat build up quicker than most people expect. Here’s some guidance:

• Walk through every room in your home and find two ways out. For most rooms, that means the door and a window. Ground floor bedrooms should have a window that opens easily and is free of security bars that can’t be released from inside.
• For upper floor bedrooms, consider a collapsible escape ladder that hooks to a windowsill. Keep it in the room, not in a closet down the hall.
• Pick an outdoor meeting spot a safe distance from the house, such as a mailbox or a neighbor’s driveway. Everyone should go straight there and stay there. No one should go back inside for pets, phones or anything else. Firefighters are trained to search for people and animals. That’s their job once they arrive.

The county’s emergency blog has more on this and other emergency preparedness tips. Visit the blog at fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/blog.

Finally, Fairfax County's free alert system sends you important information during an emergency, helps you navigate your commute and shares community information. You can also customize your Fairfax Alerts to receive the information pertinent to you. Don't miss this important information!  Sign up today for Fairfax Alerts at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/alerts.

That’s it for this edition of the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast, produced by the Fairfax County, Virginia, Government. Thanks for listening. Follow the Health and Safety podcast on soundcloud.com/fairfaxcounty and our podcasts webpage, fairfaxcounty.gov/podcasts. And remember, if you have a police, fire, or medical emergency, call 9-1-1. For non-emergency needs, call 703-691-2131.