Transcript: Health and Safety Podcast

May 27, 2026

Hello, and welcome to the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast. Coming up, learn about strokes, building safety, and ticks and Lyme Disease. Links to topics mentioned in this podcast can be found online at fairfaxcounty.gov.

Strokes — brain damage caused by a lack of blood flow — are the number one cause of long-term disability in the U.S with one in six people being affected. Fairfax County has been proclaimed as Stroke Smart — an initiative from the Virginia Department of Health that aims to reduce disability and death from strokes by educating you to recognize the signs of a stroke and to be confident calling 9-1-1 immediately when necessary. Signs and symptoms of a stroke can come and go. They can be different for different people, and a second stroke suffered after a first may look different. If you have even one of these symptoms, do not wait thinking it will pass.

• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or difficulty understanding speech.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or lack of coordination.
• A droopy smile or an inability to raise one arm.

Treatments to restore blood flow and save the brain are effective but time sensitive. As soon as you spot a stroke, call 9-1-1. The earlier you get to the hospital, the more likely you are to avoid serious health issues.

When people think about emergency preparedness, they often focus on emergency kits, evacuation plans and weather alerts. All of those matters. But the structure around you matter just as much. A home built or repaired to code is better equipped to handle high winds, heavy snow loads and flooding. One that was not may fail in ways that put your family at risk exactly when you need shelter most. That’s why pulling permits and hiring licensed contractors isn’t red tape. It’s life safety. Permits exist so that trained inspectors can verify that work was done correctly, that a new deck is properly anchored, that an addition is structurally sound, that electrical work won’t start a fire. When homeowners skip that step, often to save time or money, they may not discover a problem until something goes wrong. Deck failures are among the most preventable home safety hazards. Decks that were built without permits, repaired with the wrong materials, or simply neglected over time can collapse without warning.

Before spending time on your deck this spring and summer, take a few minutes to look for warning signs:

• Ledger board connection. The ledger is the board that attaches your deck to the house. It takes on a large share of the load. Rot, rust or improper fasteners here are serious red flags.
• Posts and footings. Posts should be plumb and secure, with footings that extend below the frost line. Wobbly posts or concrete sitting at surface level are signs of a problem.
• Decking and railings. Soft or spongy boards, loose railings and visible rot all need attention before the deck is used regularly.
• Hardware. Metal connectors, joist hangers and fasteners should not show heavy rust or visible deterioration.

If you are unsure what you are looking at, a licensed contractor can quickly assess the deck. Fairfax County’s Land Development Services also handles permits for deck repairs and replacements. You can start there at fairfaxcounty.gov/landdevelopment.

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.

Ticks are active in Fairfax County almost year round, including warm winter days. This guide walks you through various considerations and actions to help prevent tick bites. Lyme disease is still the best known and most common disease spread by ticks in Virginia, but there are others such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis. Factors like weather, habitat and the availability of host animals can affect the tick population from year-to-year and make it hard to predict their numbers. Here’s what you can do to prevent tick bites and avoid getting sick from the bite of a tick. Before you go outdoors: Know where to find ticks. Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or even on animals. Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening, fishing or hunting could bring you in close contact with ticks. Many people get ticks in their own yard or neighborhood. After you come inside, Check your clothes for ticks. Any ticks that are found should be removed. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed. If the clothes require washing first, hot water is recommended. Cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks. Also, examine your gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine animals, coats and backpacks. Check your body for ticks after being outdoors and shower soon after being outdoors. Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may be effective in reducing the risk of other tickborne diseases. Showering also helps wash off unattached ticks and it is a good opportunity to do a tick check. NewsCenter has more on ticks and Lyme Disease. Visit fairfaxcounty.gov/news.

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.