A new platform has been launched in Albemarle County to allow residents and business owners to share details about their homes or properties that could be helpful in the event of an emergency.
Albemarle County Fire Rescue has launched Community Connect, designed to better prepare first responders responding to a scene.
“Emergencies are unpredictable, and they’re often chaotic,” said Shawn Maddox, interim deputy chief of community risk and resilience and Albemarle County Fire Marshal. “The more first responders know before they arrive, the faster and more effectively they can respond.”
The program allows residents to create a household profile and provide details including family members, medical conditions, mobility challenges, pets, utility shutoffs, entrances and exits. Users can also enter additional information that could be helpful to first responders.
The data is protected and accessible only to verified first responders. Any time data is viewed, it is documented. When a 911 call is received, the data for the registered address is immediately available.
It is unknown if information of this nature would have been helpful in two recent high-profile incidents in Keswick.
On Oct. 5, a Keswick couple died from injuries sustained in a house fire on Starry Sky Lane one day after celebrating their 11th wedding anniversary; the couple’s two daughters were also hospitalized but survived.
On Aug. 19, a home on Ferndown Lane in the Glenmore neighborhood in Keswick exploded killing one woman and injuring one man. Twelve additional homes were evacuated while crews assessed damage.
ICYMI
- Albemarle County | Police building community registry of exterior security cameras
- Albemarle County | Tragic fire in Keswick kills two adults, injures two children
- Albemarle County: Keswick home leveled in explosion, one dead, 12 homes damaged
For more information, visit the Community Connect website.
Earlier this month, the county also announced it has launched a registry of private cameras to help police in the event of a crime. The NeighborLink program allows residents and businesses to fill out a form to add their cameras to the network. Police do not have direct access to the cameras, but if a crime happens in the area of private cameras, detectives have the list as a starting point for evidence.
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Crystal Graham
