The Bedford County Division of Emergency Management is responsible for overall coordination of Fire and EMS Training, Hazardous Material response and mitigation and mass evacuation situations. The Town of Bedford’s Office of Emergency Services is the lead agency in response to natural and man-made disasters in the town. The E-911 emergency system is the conduit for police, fire and rescue services.

Volunteer rescue squads with paid staff serve the entire county and provide advanced life support and ambulance service. Volunteer fire departments provide modern fire suppression equipment and well-trained personnel and agreements are in place with neighboring fire-fighting units to lend assistance in the event of a major fire.

The Bedford community is served by both a Police Department with jurisdiction in the Town of Bedford and a Sheriff’s Office that covers the county and provides court security for the Bedford County Courthouse. Major programs include regular patrol, traffic safety and control, motor carrier inspections, school resource officers, prevention of internet crime, gang resistance training, anti-terrorism, a full Tactical Team, lake patrol, and a K-9 unit.

There are a number of ways that citizens can be involved in crime prevention, including well-organized Neighborhood Watch programs. Additionally, the Virginia State Police assigns officers to the area and the Park Service provides rangers for the extensive federal land in the Bedford area.

For more information visit www.bedfordcountysheriff.org or http://bedfordva.gov/161/Police.