Transcript: Health and Safety Podcast

April 15, 2026

Hello, and welcome to the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast. Coming up, learn about First Responder Interaction Day, the importance of keeping your first-aid kit stocked with fresh supplies, and black bears. Links to topics mentioned in this podcast can be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.

If you’re looking for a stress-free way to get to know our local heroes, mark your calendars for Saturday, April 25th. Fairfax County is hosting First Responder Interaction Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fire and Rescue Academy on West Ox Road. This free event is a partnership with The Arc of Northern Virginia, and while everyone is welcome, it’s specially designed to help neighbors with disabilities feel more comfortable in emergencies. Forget the long lectures; this is all about hands-on practice. You can:

• Walk through a practice traffic stop with police officers.
• Meet EMS crews and check out their equipment up close.
• Learn hands-only CPR in just a few minutes.
• And even get a personalized ID card to help first responders understand your specific needs during a crisis.

Again, it’s all happening on Saturday, April 25th, and it’s completely free. To grab your spot, head over to bit.ly/1stRID2026. That’s ‘1st’—the number one—R-I-D-2026. It’s a great way to build confidence and safety for the whole family. We hope to see you there! Learn more on our emergency information blog, fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/blog.

Be honest: when was the last time you actually opened your first-aid kit? If it’s been more than a year, that kit isn't a safety net—it’s a box of false confidence. Adhesives dry out, ointments separate, and medications lose their potency. Here is how to turn that dusty box back into a lifesaver in about 20 minutes.

The Meds Audit. Pull everything out. If it has an expiration date, check it. This includes:

• Pain relievers & Antihistamines: Expired pills can lose effectiveness. In an emergency, "partially working" isn't good enough.
• Antibiotic Ointments: Once opened, these can degrade faster than you'd think.
• Prescription Backups: Ensure you have at least a three-day supply of essential daily meds in case of a power outage or storm.

The "Sticky" Situation. Check your bandages, gauze, and medical tape. Over time, the adhesive breaks down. If the wrapper is yellowed or the tape feels brittle, toss it. Also, check your gloves—latex and nitrile degrade over time, especially if stored in fluctuating temperatures. Test Your Tools

• Thermometers: Do the batteries still work?
• Flashlights: Are they corroded?
• Scissors/Tweezers: Are they rusted or stiff?

The Car Kit Reality Check. Your car kit takes a beating from extreme heat and cold, which accelerates expiration. Check this kit twice a year (pro-tip: do it when you change your clocks for Daylight Saving). Make sure it includes a space blanket and a flashlight that actually turns on.

The 30-Minute Challenge Set a timer, dump your kits onto the table, and sort everything into three piles: Keep, Replace, and Toss. 

You don’t need a medical degree to stay prepared—you just need a kit that actually works when you need it. Go check yours now. You’ll thank yourself later.

Virginia is black bear country – including Fairfax County. But while bears are not commonly encountered in our community, multiple bear sightings are reported each spring and summer as bears wander into residential areas in search of food. Black bears and cubs emerge from their winter dens from March through May in Virginia. Bears typically avoid humans but may be drawn into populated areas due to the smell of food around homes. Bears are attracted by bird feeders, garbage, outdoor pet food, compost piles, fruit trees, beehives and berry-producing shrubs. Preventing problems with bears is a shared responsibility. Bears attracted to residential areas or human dwellings due to feeding activities by people, whether deliberate or inadvertent, can cause problems including the habituation of bears to people and serious property damage. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and our county wildlife management specialist recommend several specific actions to reduce your chances of encountering a black bear in your neighborhood:

• Secure your garbage in bear-resistant trash cans or store it in a secure building.
• If you have trash collection service, put your trash out the morning of the pickup, not the night before.
• Do not store household trash, or anything that smells like food, in vehicles, on porches or decks.
• Remove bird feeders if a bear is in the area and keep them down for 3-4 weeks. Birdfeeders are a common lure for bears in Fairfax County.
• Keep your grill clean. Do not dump drippings in your yard.
• Don’t put meat scraps in your compost pile.
• Keep pet food indoors.
• Work with your neighbors to follow the same recommendations.

NewsCenter has more on this story. Visit fairfaxcounty.gov/news for more information.

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.

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, Va., Government. Thanks for listening. Additional information about health and safety topics and emergency preparedness may be found on our emergency information blog at fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/blog. 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.