(Updated at 3:55 p.m.) A house on the 4600 block of 8th Street South in the Barcroft neighborhood was deliberately set on fire this afternoon.
Arlington firefighters set the house on alight then put out the flames for the filming of a CBS Early Show segment on fire safety. The house was condemned and set to be torn down before the controlled burn was arranged, firefighters tell us.
A tree trimmer had to be rescued by the fire department after a falling branch made contact with electrical lines. The incident happened around 12:30 this afternoon, near the intersection of 24th Road and Shirlington Road in Nauck.
The man was about 25 feet up in the tree when the branch made contact. Dispatchers were told that he was receiving electrical shocks every time he tried to move.
While there are often other options available in the event a call comes in while all ,paramedic units are busy, Arlington Fire Chief James Schwartz says it’s a problem the department is aware of and trying to address.
“EMS is one of my highest priorities,” Schwartz said. “Almost every day we run out of available medic units.”
This program has concluded.
In honor of National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend, we asked Arlington Fire Chief James Schwartz to write a guest column.
This weekend, the nation’s fire service will honor those firefighters who died in the line of duty during 2009. The names of 80 fire fighters who lost their lives in service to their communities will be added to the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in an annual ceremony at Emmitsburg, Maryland. The names of 25 firefighters who died in previous years will also be added. The plaques surrounding the Memorial, which was established in 1981, contain the names of more than 3,400 fire fighters. Firefighters and fire department honor guards from across the country will gather to pay tribute to the lives of their fallen comrades.
A painter in his mid-20’s nearly died after the ladder he was using touched 19,900 volt power lines at a home on North Highland Street. The employee was burned and knocked back nearly 9 feet by the electrical shock. He was without a pulse when paramedics arrived on the scene, but was resuscitated and eventually transported to the MedStar burn unit in DC.
At the time, College Pro Painters president Rodney Larmand told ARLnow.com that the company was “deeply concerned” and was “investigating the circumstances” that led to the accident.
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington, which just completed a $1 million renovation, was briefly evacuated twice this morning due to light smoke in the building.
The second time firefighters were called, just before noon, they reported finding a malfunctioning air conditioning unit.
On Saturday, the Nationals held a special ‘Heroes Day’ in remembrance of 9/11. The DC Fire Department was a major participant — DCFD firefighters were on hand, players wore specially-made DCFD hats with the Nationals logo in the center, and Nats general manager Mike Rizzo and catcher “Pudge” Rodriguez were recognized as Honorary DCFD Fire Chiefs.
But the Arlington County Fire Department — the first to arrive at the Pentagon on 9/11 — was not invited.
Obama Marks 9/11 Anniversary at the Pentagon — On the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, President Obama visited the Pentagon and called for tolerance and strength in the face of terrorism. More from Fox 5 and a transcript of the president’s speech from CBS News.
Arlington’s Fire Chief Remembers 9/11 — WTOP talked to Arlington Fire Chief Jim Schwartz, who was incident commander at the Pentagon on that fateful September day. “Every time I look at it, it still looks the same to me as it did that morning. I can still see the visions of the gash in the building, the column of smoke, the casualties laying out on the West Lawn,” Schwartz said.
Arlington firefighters and the hazardous materials team responded to the Lyon Village Shopping Center around 12:20 this afternoon for a strong chemical odor. Several people in the Starbucks reported feeling ill as a result of the odor.
Firefighters went up to the roof and came down with a bucket of epoxy that was being used for some sort of roofing work.
“This morning we gather to recognize the bond between Arlington, New York and Shanskville [Pa.],” said Arlington County Fire Chief James Schwartz.
Dozens of New York City and Arlington County firefighters were on hand for the ceremony. Music was provided by a large bagpipe corps and a youth choir from Georgia.
Today’s complaint of the day isn’t so much a complaint so much as an amusing call to police.
Apparently, a neighbor called police after hearing noises coming from an apartment. The apartment in question belongs to a woman who’s diabetic, and the neighbor thought she might be having some sort of diabetic emergency. The caller said it sounded like the woman was yelling “yes, yes, yes.”
