Emergency Services and Safety COMMITTEE |
The Safety and Emergency Services Committee is chaired by Maureen Daniels, who has led the group since 2011. The committee is composed of representatives from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Louisa and Spotsylvania County Sheriffs’ offices and fire and rescue departments, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Lake Anna Business Partnership, the Lake Anna State Park, TOWBOAT US and Dominion Energy. The committee meets quarterly to identify safety issues and brainstorm solutions. We have implemented three major safety initiatives to make it easier for users to identify where they are on the lake: naming the bridges crossing the lake, creating the Lake Anna 911 locator maps, and developing the dock and island signs program. The maps have landmarks and businesses referenced on it for navigational assistance. The signs, which give the names of the various bridges, or the bright yellow dock signs make it easier for people in trouble on the lake to tell 911 dispatchers where they are. The more accurate the location, the quicker the response and the more positive the outcome. Emergency Services was also involved in the evolution of the Lake Anna Rescue Group (LARG), which includes law enforcement, USCG Auxiliary, and fire and rescue groups mentioned above. The Rescue Group formalized the relationships among all first responders to Lake Anna so that, once on scene, the response is unified in terms of communication, cooperation, and coordination. LARG has been meeting every other month since 2017 to continually build on those relationships and improve performance. Biannual training events are held to ensure a seamless, coordinated response. The group is committed to making Lake Anna a safer place for all its users. |
