Bahrns, the communications director for Prince William County, is retiring this week after serving the county for 23 years. Before Prince William, Bahrns worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
What is your best memory during your time in Prince William County?
Probably the most recent memory is how communication has changed since Sept. 11, particularly crisis communication. We practice and train for different crises that occur. We learned that whenever there’s an incident, the response is essentially the same, it’s just the [personnel and scope that are different].
What advice would you give your successor to deal with hounding reporters?
One of the things I would tell them is you have to be mindful of the media’s deadlines, and as long as you give them the facts in a timely fashion, they can do their job and help you do yours by getting the message out.
Describe working with the media on Sept. 11. How did that affect the county?
On that day, it was very busy trying to decide what our involvement would be in the [disaster]. Trying to determine what we needed to do here — making sure families were safe and providing mutual aid to Arlington and Fairfax.
What are your plans after you leave?
My plans are actually to retire. I don’t have another job waiting. I started over at the FBI in 1976, so that’s 33 years. My plan is to relax and spend time with my husband.
Any outgoing message you’d like to give to reporters covering the county?
Reporters need to understand that Prince William County is a very integral part of Northern Virginia and the national capital region, that what happens here can impact [the region as a whole]. Make sure that you don’t forget we’re here.
