In 2004, the Fairfax County, VA, Police Department established the Safety Officer Program to maintain officer safety while law enforcement personnel were wearing personal protective equipment for situations involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). While many fire and rescue departments across the country have had longstanding safety programs, the program developed by Fairfax County is unique to law enforcement and comprehensive in scope. This article examines the principles that are unique to the Fairfax County program. These include the fact that the program has become an all-encompassing management-based program that focuses on preventative issues in addition to supporting operational response and training. County officials have also worked to incorporate the eight principles of the IACP's (International Association of Chiefs of Police) SafeShield Program into the design and structure of their program. The article examines these eight principles in more detail. The eight principles are responsible management, control of operating expenses, safety as a condition of employment, training employees to work safely, supervision for safety, prompt correction of deficiencies, the most important element: people, and safety while off duty. 1 reference