Bulova: FCC Report Validates Concerns Over Verizon 911 Service

Report issued late last week says outage following June derecho in Northern Virginia and other parts of the country was "unacceptable."

The Federal Communications Commission plans to introduce new rules to strengthen the reliability and resiliency of 9-1-1 communications networks during disasters. The rules come in the wake of a storm last summer that left Northern Virginia without 9-1-1 service, the federal agency said in a news release this week “These failures are unacceptable and the FCC will do whatever is necessary to ensure the reliability of 9-1-1," Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said. The announcement late last week coincides with the regulatory agency's release of a report (attached with this story) about the 9-1-1 service failure June 29 to 30, after the derecho storm hit Northern Virginia and other parts of the country.  The …

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2012: Northern Virginia's Year in Photos From a Patch Photojournalist

It was a busy year!

The year 2012 is nearly over, and as we look back, it truly was a remarkable period for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The presidential election, a hurricane, and so many other events kept us busy, and there was always reason to celebrate and find happiness. So, with thousands to choose from, here are my favorite photos of the year. It really was tough eliminating some from the group! Enjoy the pictures, and Happy New Year!   - James Cullum, Local Editor, Patch

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Hurricane Sandy Leaves Hundreds Without Power Along Mason Neck

But the storm was pretty tame otherwise...

Hundreds along Mason Neck remained without power Tuesday afternoon after Hurricane Sandy swept through Northern Virginia. As storms go, however, the impact was relatively light. Only a single point on the power lines along Gunston Road in Lorton was affected, and Mason Neck State Park is expected to open Wednesday morning.  Many felt that July's "derecho" was more powerful and caused more damage.   Brock Benson lives along Gunston Road in Mason Neck. "We lost power at around 10 p.m. on Monday," he said. "When we bought the house seven years ago it came with a generator, because the power always goes out around here. This storm was ok — not as harsh as the last one (the derecho). That last storm — a tree fell on our house. This time there …

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Verizon: 'We're Ready for Sandy'

Telecommunications company has spent months making improvements in hopes of avoiding another 911 system failure.

An estimated 2.3 million people lost access to 911 service this summer when the area was hit by a derecho. Now, with Hurricane Sandy lined up to potentially slam Northern Virginia, Verizon — the company that provides the emergency communication service — is confident that the long list of improvements it has made in the months since are enough to weather the storm. "We're ready for Sandy," Verizon spokesman Harry J. Mitchell told Patch in an interview Friday evening. In late September, Verizon released an 11-page Moving Forward presentation (see the PDF attached at the right) outlining the issues with its power system and internal and external communication that contributed to the 911 system failure — and the steps that have been or will …

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Forecast: La Niña Weather Pattern Causing Warmer Fall Temperatures

Northern Virginia's extreme weather started last winter, meteorologists say.

Derechos, blizzards, hurricanes, thunderstorms, extreme heat...is there any wacky weather Northern Virginia hasn't seen in recent years? This past summer saw enough 100-plus degree days to make 2012 the most intense in 141 years of record-keeping according to the Capital Weather Gang. “Starting from this past winter, we had temperatures that were much above normal,” said Ken Widelski of the National Weather Service. “It was an abnormally warm winter, followed by a cooler than normal spring and we definitely had our periods of hot weather over the summer.” As for this June's derecho, it’s typical climatologically for this area to see a derecho every couple of years, Widelski explained. What was unique about this year's derecho was the …

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Fairfax Seeks Input on Emergency Communication Improvement

Fairfax County encourages residents to take a brief online survey.

As hurricane season looms, Fairfax County officials want to know how they can improve their communications during times of crisis, and they’re seeking feedback from residents. After the June 29 derecho that killed four people in Fairfax County and damaged more than 100 homes, officials want to know how they can best interact with residents and business owners during emergencies like severe weather, hurricanes or even terrorist attacks. “We’re asking for every resident to provide input, as well as business owners,” said David McKernan, coordinator for the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management, in a release on the county’s web site. “It’s important for us as emergency planners to learn how this storm affected our residents, …

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Keep Your Communication Options Open in Case of Emergencies

Sometimes old school technology, or none at all, is the most effective way to deal with emergency situations

The old expression “hanging by the telephone” might confuse anyone under 30 these days. They have no idea what it was like before the advent of cell phones, and for those under 40, they may not remember a time without call-waiting or even answering machines. You had to wait at home for important phone calls. Fast forward to today: You find yourself in a wireless dead zone or your battery dies. Desperation sets in. How will I call home? How can I connect with those I am supposed to have a business meeting? Enter old school technology Do you know that an address book also refers to a small book that has room for alphabetical listing of your friends, family and business contacts with their numbers, addresses and other information? Even if you…

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Tech Trends

A Technology Kit for Emergencies

Prepare now for the next time we're without electricity.

There have been ample opportunities over the past weeks to be reminded of how much we rely on electricity. Perhaps the first few hours without power are okay, even possibly fun as we indulge in memories of camping. Then the need to hunker down sinks in, as we eat the second (or third) quart of softening ice cream and put another thawed steak on the grill. We intended to be better prepared for the next emergency, but oops! Where to start? Forewarned is forearmed. Local services, such as Fairfax County’s Community Emergency Alert Network (CEAN) provide traffic and weather notices to your phone, via email or other options. Visit Fairfax County’s Website for links to a variety of local and national alert services and sign up. The United States…

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Look Back, Look Ahead: Fairfax County News to Know

Where we get into details about what the news was.

Welcome to the weekend! You made it, and finally have a chance to unwind with the computer for a few to catch up on some local news. Here are some of the highlights of the week: Lorton's Fourth of July Celebration Check out our photos of Lorton's Fourth of July Parade! The day was hot, loud and loads of fun. Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland was the grand marshall of the parade, and the after-party was attended by hundreds.  The Super Derecho Storm coverage dominated the news this past week, as thousands of Fairfax County residents waited out their power outage in the heat and dark. The derecho knocked out power to more than 1 million people in Virginia, Maryland and the District — the largest non-hurricane outage in Virginia’s…

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Poll: What Got You Through the Power Outage?

While waiting for the power to return, what was your most helpful item?

When a surprise derecho hit Northern Virginia Friday night, its winds downed trees and power lines, cutting off "juice" to thousands in the area. While most customers of Dominion Virginia Power are back up and running, there are still 13,000 homes without power in Northern Virginia Thursday morning, according to the company's latest figures. If you were in the dark after the derecho, what got you through? What was the one most useful item that made it bearable? A generator, a flashlight, a book, ice? Take our poll — and if you don't see your top item in the list, tell us about it in the comments box!

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