Transcript: Health and Safety Podcast

June 24, 2026

Hello, and welcome to the Fairfax County Health and Safety Podcast. Coming up, learn about pet preparedness, summer heat and pets, and lightning safety. Links to topics mentioned in this podcast can be found online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.

June is National Pet Preparedness Month, and it’s a good time to make sure your emergency plan covers every member of your household, including the ones with fur, feathers or four legs. Pets depend entirely on you in a disaster. If you have to leave your home in an emergency, your animals need to come with you. A plan that doesn’t include them isn’t a complete plan. Just as you would put together a go-bag for yourself, your pets need one too. Pack it now and keep it somewhere easy to grab. A well-stocked pet go-bag should include:

• Food and water: At least a week’s supply, along with bowls
• Leash, collar and carrier: Make sure ID tags are current
• Medications: A supply of any prescriptions, with dosage instructions
• Vaccination records: Copies of all records, including rabies certificates
• A photo of you with your pet: This helps prove ownership if you and your pet are ever separated
• Comfort items: A favorite toy or blanket can reduce stress for anxious animals
• Keep the bag near your own emergency kit so everything is in one place when you need it.

Learn more about keeping our pets safe on our emergency information blog. Visit fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/blog.

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.

Summer in Northern Virginia brings heat and humidity that can be dangerous for animals, especially dogs. Pets can overheat quickly, and they can’t tell you when they’re struggling. Never leave a pet in a parked vehicle. On an 80-degree day, the inside of a car can reach 99 degrees in just 10 minutes. Cracking a window doesn’t help. This applies to children too. If you see a child or animal in distress inside a hot vehicle, call 9-1-1. Walk dogs during cooler parts of the day. Early morning and evening are better than midday. Pavement and asphalt can burn paw pads quickly. If the ground is too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for paws. Watch for signs of overheating. Heavy panting, drooling, weakness, vomiting or collapsing are all warning signs. If your pet shows these symptoms, move them to a cool area, offer water and contact your veterinarian or an emergency animal hospital right away. Make sure pets always have shade and fresh water. Outdoor animals need protection from direct sun and a constant supply of cool, clean water. Your pets are counting on you. A little preparation now means you’ll be ready to keep them safe no matter what the season brings. Learn more about keeping our pets safe on our emergency information blog. Visit fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/blog.

On average, lightning kills about 20 people in the U.S. each year and injures hundreds more. Most victims are caught outdoors during activities like fishing, camping, hiking and yard work. Many of those deaths are preventable. The problem is that people tend to underestimate lightning. It does not need to be raining hard — or raining at all — for a strike to happen. Lightning can reach the ground more than 10 miles away from a storm, well outside any rain or dark clouds. That bolt that seems to come out of a clear sky? It is real, and it has a name: a “bolt from the blue.” The Rule Is Simple. If you can hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you. The National Weather Service puts it plainly: “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors.” Do not wait to see lightning. Do not wait for the rain to pick up. If you hear thunder, get inside immediately and stay there until 30 minutes after the last rumble. “Indoors” does not mean just anywhere out of the rain.

This is where a lot of people make dangerous mistakes. Not every structure offers protection from lightning. A substantial building — one with plumbing and electrical wiring — is your safest option. Think your home, a school, a library or a large retail store. Once inside, stay off corded phones, avoid plumbing, and stay away from windows and doors. A hard-topped metal vehicle with the windows rolled up is also a safe option. The metal frame helps conduct the electrical charge around the occupants and into the ground. It is not the rubber tires protecting you — it is the metal shell. These locations are NOT safe during lightning:

• Open picnic pavilions or shelters
• Tents, including large event tents
• Small sheds or open-sided structures
• Under trees — trees are one of the most common strike points
• Near tall, isolated objects like flagpoles or light towers
• On or near water

If you are at a park, a sports field or a campground and you hear thunder, an open pavilion is not good enough. You need to get to a real building or a hard-topped vehicle. Our emergency information blog has more. Visit fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/blog.

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 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.