An Arlington summer camp teaching teenagers firefighting skills could go up in smoke this year.
Camp Heat, which annually enrolls around 25 teens, is on the chopping block in the county’s budget draft. Cutting the free five-day camp to save $47,000 is part of a plan to maintain the Arlington County Fire Dept.’s current $76 million budget in Fiscal Year 2025.
“By eliminating Camp Heat, the Arlington community will lose a week-long summer camp opportunity for teenagers,” the budget says. “Also, the camp is a professional development opportunity for emerging leaders in the Fire Department who serve in coordinating and supervising roles at the camp.”
Activities at the summer camp include physical training and fire medical emergency simulations and meeting with female ACFD leaders. The program’s webpage highlights teamwork and gender inclusivity as key values. The camp was initially offered only to teen girls, but was opened up to boys a few years later.
In place of the camp, ACFD would “explore alternative ways” to conduct public outreach. Possibilities include CPR training, providing free smoke alarms and conducting school visits.
This is the first time the county has formally considered giving the ax to Camp Heat, which started in 2013, ACFD spokesman Capt. Nathaniel Hiner told ARLnow. He said camp enrollment has remained fairly consistent over the years.
The Arlington County Board is scheduled to spend the next several weeks finalizing the county budget, and Board members have given themselves some flexibility this budgeting cycle. Concerned about funding uncertainty in Arlington Public Schools, the Board authorized hearings on a 2.5 cent tax hike — 1 cent higher than the rate proposed by Arlington’s County Manager.
The union representing firefighters and paramedics, IAFF Local 2800, argues that a portion of that funding should go to boost ACFD’s budget. The union argues that low wages are responsible for the department’s current 7.5% vacancy rate.
Beyond Camp Heat, some other proposed cuts and sources of savings include:
- Eliminating the ART 62 bus route and combining the ART 53 and 61 routes — all low-performing routes in North Arlington ($665,553 savings).
- Contracting out an in-house dental clinic for low-income residents, which served 515 clients in the 2023 fiscal year ($165,581 net savings).
- Freezing a position in the Cultural Affairs Division that would further delay the opening of a public art facility at the former site of the famed Inner Ear Studios at 2700 S. Nelson St. in Green Valley — a project that is already several months behind schedule ($115,061 savings).
- Eliminating an outreach worker who provides therapy to patients with tuberculosis. The budget says 13 patients completed treatment according to county protocols in 2023 ($102,281 savings).