A major driver of cost increases in Albemarle’s budget is a growing number of calls for service for fire and rescue incidents. The first goal of the county’s strategic plan is to “nurture a safe and healthy community.”
To help advance the latter, Albemarle County Fire Rescue has launched a new service called Community Connect intended to give first responders more information about the people they are on the way to treat.
“The new tool allows residents and business owners to share essential details about their homes and properties that could make a life-saving difference in an emergency,” reads an information release sent out at 2:01 p.m. this afternoon.
The service can be accessed here.
Albemarle residents can fill out a profile to share information on household members who might have medical conditions, locations of utility shut-off points, and where pets are usually located. The Information will be shared with dispatchers and others during a 911 call.
“Emergencies are unpredictable, and they’re often chaotic,” said Shawn Maddox, Interim Deputy Chief of Community Risk and Resilience and Albemarle County Fire Marshal. “The more first responders know before they arrive, the faster and more effectively they can respond.”
The service is already operational in the City of Charlottesville and can be accessed here.
Before you go: The time to write and conduct research for this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment comes from the October 14, 2025 edition of the program. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.
Discover more from Information Charlottesville
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
