A large apartment complex on the eastern end of Columbia Pike sent the following email to residents yesterday, in response to complaints from the county.
One building in the complex is prone to false fire alarms, particularly when the power goes out.
On Saturday the board unanimously approved up to $15 million in bonds to fund the last phases of the Cherrydale Fire Station 3 project ($7.5 million), the initial construction of the Arlington Mill Community Center ($5 million), and the construction of a new park at the Buckingham Village 1 apartment complex ($850,000).
The projects were previously approved as part of the county’s Capital Improvement Programs.
On Friday, about 15 recruits are expected to graduate from Arlington’s fire academy and enter service as probationary firefighters. Next year, the department expects another 40 recruits to make their way through the academy.
The new recruits will help to make up for retirements and a wave of attrition that occurred during better economic times, when a number of Arlington firefighters were lured to departments in the outer suburbs.
Every year around this time, fire departments around the country take to the airwaves to remind the public that turkey fryers are incredibly dangerous and will probably catch your house on fire if you ever use one.
County public safety leaders held a press conference with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski this morning to discuss next-generation 911 services, which “will one day enable consumers to send text messages, videos and photos to 911 call centers via broadband applications.”
“The current 911 system is efficient and reliable… but [it] doesn’t support the communications tools of tomorrow, Genachowski said, pointing out that 70 percent of all 911 calls now come from mobile phones.
Neighbors aren’t too pleased with the made-for-TV house fire set by firefighters in Barcroft last month.
Last night the Barcroft School and Civic League passed the following resolution, asking Arlington County to rescind its policy of allowing the fire department to perform controlled burns in residential neighborhoods.
Arlington firefighters are responding to the Pentagon Metro station for smoke in the station.
Initial reports from the scene suggest that leaves and debris on the track caught on fire, causing light smoke to fill the station.
The National Science Foundation building at 4201 Wilson Boulevard in Ballston was evacuated after an apparent lightning strike caused an electrical fire.
At least one witness reported hearing a popping sound as power went out. Rancid-smelling smoke spilled out of the building’s parking garage as a large fire department response surrounded the building.
(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.
