Virginia Executive Order 40 (2024): Enhancing Coordination and Communication and Bolstering Wildfire Incident Command Operations

Executive Order 40 (EO40), Enhancing Coordination and Communication and Bolstering Wildfire Incident Command Operations, was issued in late 2024 by the Virginia Office of the Governor to better protect people, nature, and property from wildfires through effective incident communication. EO40 designates the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) as the lead agency for wildfire management, improves wildfire communication and coordination, reforms incident command and resource allocation, and develops a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and policy language for the Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Operations Plan (COVEOP).

Forests are an important part of Virginia’s economic, environmental, and cultural landscape, but they are increasingly at risk for larger, more frequent wildfires. Fall of 2023 and Spring 2024 saw tens of thousands of acres in Virginia’s forests burned by wildfires, attributable in part to a combination of drought, extreme heat, high winds, and rain bursts that lead to vegetation blooms. Homes are often built in or near forests, which also creates risk for human health, life, and property during wildfire events. Virginia must also balance efficient wildfire containment with firefighter safety, especially when dealing with woodland homes that may lack fire safety standards. Wildfires destroy homes, lives, and health. This EO aims to improve wildfire communication and coordination, leading to smaller and fewer fires, healthier communities, safer firefighters, and protected forests.

A prior Executive Order – VA EO 42 (2019), “Promulgation of the Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Operations Plan and Delegation of Authority” – calls for VDOF to “coordinate and perform wildland fire suppression and response statewide” as part of the COVEOP. VDOF is also responsible for law enforcement, developing response resources and crews, and providing training for incident management. In the 2021 COVEOP, released by Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), VDOF and the VA Department of Fire Programs are listed as the lead agencies for firefighting. EO40 establishes VDOF as the lead agency for incident command for wildfire, making the forest wardens forest fire incident commanders during wildfire events. Creating one state agency as the central wildfire response and operations lead is intended to create more effective communication for fire suppression at the local and state level.

EO40 establishes the Unified Incident Command, which is made up of VDOF, local fire departments, the VA Department of Fire programs (VDFP), and federal agencies (as necessary), and coordinated by VDOF and VDEM. The MOU formalizes this cooperative agreement, stating that VDOF and VDFP will provide personnel and resources during wildfires, recognizes VDOF as the main point of contact and VDFP as a source of technical assistance, and that VDOF and VDFP will collaborate on wildfire training and resources. VDOF is also responsible for three daily updates during wildfires about fire status, resources, and needs. The executive order also simplifies fire status reporting to the public and creates a liaison between the Unified Incident Command and elected officials.

Publication Date: October 21, 2024

Related Organizations:

  • Office of the Governor of Virginia

Sectors:

Resource Category:

Resource Types:

  • Executive order

States Affected:

Impacts:

  • Wildfires

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