High Rise Fire Study Underway in Crystal City
The Arlington County Fire Department and numerous other local fire departments are participating in a month-and-a-half-long study in Crystal City that could help save lives.
The “Fire Fighter Safety and Deployment Study,” organized and funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), is putting real-world firefighters in realistic firefighting simulations in a vacant Crystal City high rise. The goal of the study is to determine how firefighters can be most safely and effectively deployed in the event of a fire in a high rise building.
Among the fire departments participating in the study are Arlington, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Howard County, the District of Columbia, Fairfax County, Fairfax city, Prince William County, Manassas, Manassas Park, Stafford County, and Baltimore city. Representatives from fire departments in Detroit, Chicago and New York City are also on hand.
On days when the study is being conducted (most weekdays between now and July 13), workers and residents can see the various agencies represented in the long line of fire trucks parked along 23rd Street. Between 25 and 30 Arlington fire personnel participate on study days, according to Capt. Chuck Kramaric, ACFD’s liaison to the study. ACFD is providing firefighters and logistical support to the study.
On Tuesday, Arlington’s latest fire recruit class was among the participants. Firefighters were asked to strap on portable heart rate monitors and all their firefighting gear, and — in crews of 3, 4, 5 or 6 — climb the stairs to the tenth floor of the vacant building. There, study organizers had set up makeshift plywood cubicles, placed a 130 pound victim dummy in one of the cubicles, filled the floor with dark theatrical smoke, and set up fire simulation displays in different parts of the floor.
Acting on instructions given by organizers during a briefing that morning, firefighters lugged a heavy, sand-filled hose (meant to simulate the weight of a hose filled with water) through the smoke-filled floor, “extinguished” the simulated fires, and located the simulated victim. The entire exercise was monitored and timed by NIST personnel.
In the end, study organizers hope to use the data collected to make suggestions to local fire chiefs and policy makers regarding the optimal number of firefighters needed to tackle high rise fires. Even though modern high rise buildings are, by law, equipped with sprinklers and other fire suppression systems, Kramaric said the recommendations from the study could be especially helpful for fires in older buildings.
“There are so many old mid-rise buildings without the modern systems in them… that’s where this is going to be beneficial,” he said. “This is a pretty big deal for the fire fighting community.”
Kramaric also noted that fires can still get out of hand in modern high rises in certain situations, like during construction, renovation and demolition. In August 2007, two New York City firefighters died during a fire in the Deutsche Bank building, which had been damaged during 9/11.
Ballston Farmers Market Opening Delayed
The opening of the revamped Ballston Farmers Market is not taking place today, as originally scheduled.
The farmers market will now hold its grand opening on Thursday, June 28, according to Ballston Business Improvement District spokesman Will Marlow. Local rockabilly band Jumpin’ Jupiter will provide live music for the grand opening.
Starting this year, the farmers market is being managed by FRESHFARM Markets, which also runs the Crystal City Farmers Market and numerous other markets in D.C. and Maryland. The market will from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursdays through October 25, at Welburn Square (between N. Taylor and Stuart Streets).
Marlow said the market may hold a “soft opening” on Thursday, June 21, but cautioned that it’s not 100 percent certain that the soft opening will actually take place.
Disclosure: Ballston BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser
Video: Preparing for Emergencies in Arlington
Arlington County has been working on various ways to help residents prepare for an emergency, to get information during an emergency, and to evacuate in the event of a major emergency.
In the video above, county officials discuss several initiatives, including the Arlington Prepares smartphone app, Arlington Alert emails and text messages, and permanent electronic message signs that will eventually be installed along Route 50 and other major local roads.
Also discussed: the county’s state-of-the-art traffic management center, which can adjust the timing of Arlington 282 traffic signals in the event of a weather emergency or an evacuation.
New Froyo Store Coming to Lee Harrison Shops
A new frozen yogurt store may be coming to the Lee Harrison Shopping Center.
According to a Facebook page, a Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt store is coming to the shopping center. Building permits were issued late last month (May) for the store, located at 2439 N. Harrison Street. Tutti Frutti will replace the former Serendipity store, which sold home furnishings, decorations and gifts.
No word yet on when Tutti Frutti will open, but the Facebook page lists the store’s hours (once it does open) as 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
With 580 locations in 23 countries, Tutti Frutti says it’s ”the largest self-serve frozen yogurt brand in the world.” The franchise has a roster of more than 50 flavors of frozen yogurt, along with numerous fruit, candy and other toppings.
Recently the company introduced soy frozen yogurt, a fat-free, dairy-free and vegan-friendly alternative to traditional frozen yogurt.
Hat tip to Along the Pike
New Apartment Building Coming to Waverly Hills
Archstone has broken ground on a new 227-unit apartment building next to the strip mall at the corner of N. Glebe Road and 20th Road N. in Waverly Hills.
Parkland Gardens, as the project is currently known, is billed as a high-end residential community in a “pedestrian-friendly, North Arlington neighborhood.” A press release (after the jump) claims the building will be “in close proximity to the Ballston Metrorail station,” though the station is a mile and a half away.
The building will be four stories high, according to county building permit records. The complex will have a variety of desirable features and amenities, Archstone says.
“The one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes and lofts will showcase a host of high-end finishes, including large, open floor plans, nine-foot ceilings, built in book cases, crown molding, European-style kitchen cabinets with glass doors, stainless steel appliances and master bathrooms with double vanities,” according to Archstone. “In addition, residents… will have access to a variety of unique amenities, such as a resort-style pool with a sun deck and private nooks, two courtyards, an outdoor amphitheater with tiered seating and a pet spa.”
The project is being constructed in a large, empty, fenced-in lot just south of the Thirsty Bernie Sports Bar & Grill. No word yet on how much the project will cost or when it’s expected to be complete.
Move Over Cupcakes, Pie has Arrived in Arlington
There are a lot of places in Arlington that sell cupcakes, but up until now, it’s been tough to find someplace devoted to pie. That’s where Heather Sheire and Leah Haskvitz come in, with their business “Livin’ the Pie Life.”
They first began operating in October, and now have their own booth at the Wednesday Farmers Market in Clarendon.
The two, who have children attending the same school, met while working at a PTA bake sale a year and a half ago. After months of learning about regulations and starting a business in the area, they began testing their original recipes.
To keep in line with health codes, Sheire and Haskvitz use the kitchen at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington. They bake on Fridays and invite neighbors over for pie tastings. They’ll make several versions of the same type of pie with just one thing changed to get input on what tastes best.
The women change their menu often based on what’s in season. In the fall, apple caramel pies were a big hit, and now berries are a summer favorite. They also use locally sourced ingredients, and no additives or preservatives.
“The whole idea is that we want people to feel good about pie,” Sheire said. “Pie is dessert. Pie is special. Pie is handmade. It should come from local sources.”
Not all of the offerings are sweet concoctions like the pecan pie and margarita pie. Customers have also been digging into savory pies like tomato basil or macaroni and cheese.
Haskvitz contends that the pies blow cupcakes out of the water.
“It’s got fruit, it’s seasonal,” Haskvitz. “I think it’s just got a healthier twist and it’s got a little more of that home, rustic feel.”
On Fridays, the duo deliver the freshly made pies to the homes of customers who ordered online. They arrive dressed up in 1950s garb to add to the business’ nostalgic, family vibe.
“It just makes it fun,” Sheire said. “We’re trying to have fun with this whole thing.”
Contributing to the nostalgia is the practice of giving a $1 credit to anyone who returns a pie tin from the larger pies ordered online. Those tins are then reused, as they often were in decades past. The tins for the smaller pies sold at the farmers market are recyclable, as is the rest of the packaging.
Although they’ve thrown around the idea of starting a food truck, they’re not interested in a brick and mortar location. Right now, they’d like to keep a focus on convenience.
“If we have a store, you have to come into the store. But we want to bring it to you,” Haskvitz said. “It takes care of an area that I don’t think is covered. There’s a lot of storefronts here, there aren’t that many where you have the convenience of ordering online and having it delivered to you.”
Although they’ve only been in business for a few months, the women have been accruing regular customers. Both say they’re proud of their products.
“Our first priority is that the pie should be fresh and delicious,” said Sheire. “Our goal is that you have the best pie you’ve ever had.”
Upton Hill to Host ‘World’s Largest Swimming Lesson’
Next week the water park at Upton Hill Regional Park will host one portion of what’s being called the “World’s Largest Swimming Lesson.”
At 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 14, children will gather at Upton Hill (6060 Wilson Blvd) to take part in a swimming lesson that will be held at the same time as lessons at 500 other pools and aquatic facilities around the world. The event is part of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) “Pool Safely” campaign, a national public education effort.
Rep. Jim Moran (D), CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum and other local officials are expected to help kick off the world record attempt.
The event will attempt to break its own Guinness-certified record from last year. In 2011, more than 20,000 kids and adults on five different continents participated in the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson. While the goal of the event is to set a new world record, the ultimate goal of the campaign is to reduce child drownings, near-drownings and entrapments in pools and spas.
From a press release:
This year the campaign’s focus is on populations most at risk of drowning: children younger than 5 years old (who represent nearly 75 percent of child drowning fatalities) and African-American and Hispanic children between the ages of 5 and 14, who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drown at higher rates than white children. CPSC reports that annually there are 390 pool or spa-related drownings for children younger than 15.
Photo via Ocean Dunes Waterpark
Morning Notes
CivFed Wants Separate Vote on Aquatics Center – The Arlington County Civic Federation would like the County Board to make the $42.5 million Long Bridge Park aquatics center project a standalone bond vote in November. County Manager Barbara Donnellan had proposed that that the project be included in a larger park bond that will go to Arlington voter on Nov. 6. [Sun Gazette]
Arlington Garbage Survey — The Arlington County Solid Waste Bureau is seeking feedback on its trash and recycling collection services. From an email: “The County would like your input on trash and recycling services. We invite you to take this ten minute Trash and Recycling Survey and help us determine the best way to meet the County’s waste management needs. Results will be used to assess our current services and offerings.” [Survey Monkey]
Jefferson-Jackson Dinner Tomorrow — The Arlington County Democratic Committee will hold its annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner tomorrow (Friday). The keynote speaker at the event is former Virginia First Lady Anne Holton, wife of current U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine. Tickets to the event, held at the Westin Arlington Gateway Hotel in Ballston, are $125. [Arlington Democrats]
