A Ballston-area medic unit temporarily went out of service last Friday due to ongoing staffing problems at the Arlington County Fire Department.
The unit at Station 2 ceased operations during the day shift to avoid holding firefighters on mandatory, unscheduled overtime, ACFD spokesperson Capt. Jamie Jill told ARLnow.
The fire station remained “fully operational,” with a paramedic engine, rescue unit and EMS supervisor providing coverage.
Medic 102 was the busiest medic unit in the county last year, responding to 3,341 calls.
“The Arlington County Fire Department’s Command Leadership Team evaluates staffing daily to ensure optimal coverage and efficient allocation of resources based on available personnel,” Jill said. “While rare, taking a unit out of service has occurred and remains a last resort measure, used only to prevent undue impact on personnel through mandatory, unscheduled overtime.”
One night in October, staffing issues led ACFD to take the same station’s fire engine out of service — prompting criticism on social media from firefighter union IAFF Local 2800. Union leaders said this appeared to be the first time the fire department had “browned out” an engine in at least 22 years.
Local 2800, which held its second vote of no confidence against Fire Chief David Povlitz in November, hasn’t posted about Medic 102 going out of service this time. However, a tipster within the fire department connected the incident to ongoing disputes with department leadership.
“The firefighters of the ACFD sincerely hope the citizens served by Medic 102 do not experience any medical emergencies during the hours that the Fire Chief has taken this resource from them,” the firefighter told ARLnow on Friday morning. “The Fire Chief, County Manager, and County Board are dismantling the county’s fire department through their careless management and unwillingness to keep the best and brightest employees on the job.”
Jill noted that ACFD is currently “conducting back-to-back recruit classes and actively recruiting lateral firefighters.”
Arlington County’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget includes $2.2 million in one-time funding for a second recruit class at the fire department. Firefighters are also set to receive a substantial pay increase.
Six employees were held on mandatory, scheduled overtime on Friday, Jill said.
