Arlington Firefighters Move Into New Fire Station 10 in Rosslyn

Arlington County firefighters have moved into their new, permanent Fire Station 10 in Rosslyn last Monday.

The new station, a brick building with retractable glass doors, sits at the base of one of the high-rise building in The Highlands development, two apartment towers and one condo tower on the 1500 block of Wilson Blvd.

Nearly five years ago, the County Board voted to relocate the firefighters from an aging single-story station along Wilson Blvd — which was demolished to make way for The Highlands — to a temporary station at 1791 N. Quinn Street while the new station was built. Members chose to locate the station next to the construction site for The Heights, now home to the H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program and the Shriver Program, which opened in 2019.

“We cannot say thank you enough for all who have designed, funded, and built the station,” said Fire Chief David Povlitz.

The pandemic will not allow for station tours, but ACFD looks forward to sharing the features of the fire station through various media content through social media sites, said Lt. Nathaniel Hiner, a spokesman for the department.

“This is a world class facility that will allow our members to serve the community for many generations to come, while providing our firefighters a safe and comfortable work location,” he said. “The station incorporates many modern design features that improve responder turnout, safety, health, and wellness along with the ability for the department to adapt to changing needs of the community for years to come.”

The station will house a fire engine, paramedic ambulance, and technical rescue support unit, Hiner said. There are six personnel consisting of an officer, three firefighters and two medics assigned on each of three shifts.

Construction on the three towers of The Highlands, which started in October 2018, is wrapping up. The fire station appears to have finished earlier than developer Penzance anticipated. A spokeswoman previously told ARLnow the station would be ready in the fall, along with a new apartment tower and condo tower.

Passersby can see a 35-foot tall sculpture of a bronze nozzle with twisting spirals of stainless steel, representing water. At night, light illuminates the stainless spirals. The art installation, a tribute to firefighters, marks the first time public art has adorned a fire station.

Baltimore artists David and Eli Hess were commissioned for the art, which was funded by Penzance as a part of the development process.

Fire Station 10 is part of the 2015 Western Rosslyn Area Planning Study, which created a plan for developing the neighborhood. Other parts of the study included The Heights school building, the new Rosslyn Highlands Park and the recently completed Queens Court Residences affordable housing development (1801 N. Quinn Street), which features a new playground on-site.