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When terrorists hijacked airplanes and attacked the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001, Loudoun County public safety personnel played a key role in regional efforts to ensure the safety of the public.
Loudoun County Fire and Rescue personnel were deployed to Arlington County with fire suppression and rescue efforts at the Pentagon, and other units | provided support in Fairfax County and other neighboring jurisdictions, while all Loudoun County stations remained fully staffed.
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office activated a law enforcement command center in Leesburg.
Representatives from the Sheriff's Office were dispatched to command centers at the Leesburg Police Department, Loudoun County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and Washington Dulles International Airport. The Sheriff's Office also provided security at key sites throughout the county while the Virginia State Police monitored major transportation corridors.
The declaration of a local emergency was made shortly after noon on September 11. The EOC, where the county’s emergency-related activities were coordinated, was activated and kept at the highest state of alert for possible additional terrorist incidents. The county government remained open in the aftermath of the attacks, and many county employees remained on duty around the clock in the field and at the EOC.
The EOC brought together representatives from many county departments and local agencies, including the Board of Supervisors, County Administrator, Fire and Rescue, Sheriff’s Office, Information Technology, Public Information, Health, Purchasing and Support Services, and Social Services, as well as other law enforcement agencies, Loudoun County Public Schools, Town of Leesburg, Loudoun Hospital Center and American Red Cross.
County Administrator Kirby M. Bowers commended the hundreds of Loudoun County employees and volunteers who responded to help ensure the safety of the public. In particular, he acknowledged the efforts of fire and rescue employees and volunteers and law enforcement officers.
“Their dedication and willingness to help has been overwhelming,” he said.
The Board of Supervisors formally ended the declaration of a local emergency at its next meeting, on September 17, and approved a resolution condemning the “cowardly and deadly” actions of the terrorists, and expressing the Board’s support for the President and his national security team to defend against additional attacks.
This is one of a series of weekly releases from the Loudoun County Office of Public Information highlighting landmark events in the Loudoun County government during its 250-year history.
Sources:
Loudoun County Press Releases
2002 Loudoun County Annual Report
Image: Howard Dawley of Loudoun County Fire and Rescue, briefs County Administrator Kirby Bowers (left) and other officials at the EOC on September 11, 2001; photo by Nancy McCormick
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