In my first year as the State Coordinator of Emergency Management I have time and time again been inspired by the dedication and resiliency of the team at the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM).

After over two years of serving the Commonwealth virtually, the VDEM team came together in person this year at the summer all-hands meeting to celebrate achievements and plan for the future.

Team members who previously only communicated virtually were finally able to share an in-person lunch and a well-deserved congratulations.

The tone and tenor of the discussions our team had two years ago were markedly different than the conversations that took place at this year’s event. The last time our team was together we were confronting the realization that a global pandemic was on our doorstep; we were in a dogfight and those next to us had our backs through what seemed like endless days. As I’ve heard it described here at VDEM, it felt like we were hugging a ghost. We couldn’t wrap our arms around it at the beginning, but due to the determination and commitment of everyone at VDEM, thousands of our fellow Virginians were protected. The efforts of the VDEM team are why we are able to meet in person, and we are able to begin to normalize our lives again.

Our small but mighty team is the backbone of the Commonwealth, and I take great pride knowing that we are nationally-recognized emergency managers wearing the VDEM logo. That logo represents something: it represents the blood, sweat, and tears that the team, their family, friends, and loved ones sacrificed over countless events. That logo represents the whole of government. That logo represents a disaster-capable Commonwealth. Without VDEM, without this team, there is nobody to call when the big one hits.

The numerous, high-profile incidents in which we have been engaged, validated the force-multiplying effect of a whole-of-government approach. The current disaster management landscape has been shaped in the wake of a global virus and has required us to conceptualize how to leverage the state’s physical and personnel assets to expand capacity in the maintenance of the welfare of our neighbors and our communities.

Over the past four years, our agency worked just shy of one million hours, and last year alone, our small but mighty team worked an additional 28,000 hours in overtime. These hours could be spent on other endeavors, but VDEM chose public service because this team believes in the greater good. They believe in lending a hand and in putting that oxygen mask on the person next to them instead of putting it on themselves first.

Since 2020, the VDEM team has played key roles in the following events, some of which were record-breaking and historic. We also coordinated numerous multi-concurrent disaster declarations, which is a first in Virginia’s history.

• 2nd Amendment protest of 22,000 demonstrators at the Virginia Capitol
• COVID-19 pandemic (PPE, testing, vaccinations)
• More than 500 1st Amendment protests
• Two of the busiest hurricane seasons on record
• A cyber-attack on critical infrastructure
• Severe winter weather events
• Election security
• Capitol riots in Washington, D.C.
• Operation Allies Welcome and Afghan Repatriation
• Severe flooding across the Commonwealth, with significant impacts in SW Virginia
• Tornadoes
• Avian influenza
• Trucker convoys
• National Special Security Events

During all of this, VDEM managed the transition of three state coordinators, facilitated two reorganizations, integrated a new chief deputy, and completed an executive branch transition. VDEM also on-boarded SharePoint, successfully transitioned to the Microsoft platform, updated more than 300 policies/procedures/job aids/and documents, shepherded several bills through the General Assembly, merged and integrated the NGS bureau, managed a billion dollars in disaster funding and grants, and did our regular day jobs.

This year’s annual report is a celebration of the accomplishments of the VDEM team. It’s an opportunity for us to reflect and take pride in our efforts to protect the Commonwealth. This report is also an opportunity to provide a better understanding of VDEM’s enormous contribution so we can continue bringing the Commonwealth to bear on any incident that arises.

This report reflects the work VDEM has undertaken in the last year. It is not only a summary of current data sets and information but also the dedicated work of the more than 200 members who comprise the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Although VDEM is a small agency, we stand ready to support our local, state, tribal, and federal partners as we work collaboratively to ensure the safety and well-being of all Virginians. Our efforts continue beyond the scope of one single incident, threat, or disaster to develop the resources that expand our capabilities to meet the ever-expanding scope of emergency management. It is a challenge we are proud to meet to support a resilient and ready Virginia.

Shawn Talmadge
State Coordinator of Emergency Management