NEW 911 CENTER

``When the Pentagon dials 911, Arlington County answers.''

In May 2o08, Arlington County opened a new Emergency Communications Center for the fire and police departments.


New digital radio system

Arlington is the first jurisdiction in the region to install a digital radio system that adheres to Project 25, a new national standard of public safety interoperability. The new system will enable Arlington’s first responders to better communicate with our regional partners. More 9-1-1 lines – Tripled the number of 9-1-1 lines from 16 to 48 to increase call capacity. Also includes dedicated lines for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls.

­Digital Monitors

14 digital monitors enable ECC to monitor numerous video and data systems, including traffic and security cameras, mapping, and real-time status of utility outages; such inputs are essential for emergency management.

Enhanced emergency management

Arlington ECC is the first in the region to train all its ECC supervisors as sworn emergency managers.

Watch Desk

Monitors incidents and activate emergency protocols for events such as winter storms; major power outages; events with substantial first responder presence. Watch Desk Officers also activate the outdoor warning system and 1700AM Arlington emergency radio. Improved work conditions – Created a more comfortable environment to maximize productivity.

________________________________________________

• FIRE/EMS COMMUNICATIONS: 800 Mhz trunked
• FIRE/EMS DISPATCH SIMULCAST: 154.13 Mhz

"FIREFIGHT"

Firefight - a book about the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon by Patrick Creed and Rick Newman - will be released on May 27, 2008, according to Arlington County Fire Chief James Schwartz.

Summary

Amid all the stories of tragedy and heroism on September 11, there is one tale that has yet to be told-the gripping account of ordinary men and women braving the inferno at the Pentagon to rescue friends and co-workers, save the nation's military headquarters, and defend their country.

Pentagon firefighters Alan Wallace and Mark Skipper had just learned the shocking news that planes had struck the World Trade Center when they saw something equally inconceivable: a twin-engine jetliner flying straight at them. It was American Airlines Flight 77, rushing toward its target. In his Pentagon office, Army major David King was planning a precautionary evacuation when the room suddenly erupted in flames.

Arlington firefighters Derek Spector, Brian Roache, and Ron Christman, among the first responders at the scene, were stunned by the sight that met them: a huge flaming hole gouged into the Pentagon's side, a lawn strewn with smoking debris, and thousands of people, some badly injured, stumbling away from what would become one of the most daunting fires in American history.

For more than twenty-four hours, Arlington firefighters and other crews faced some of the most dangerous and unusual circumstances imaginable. The size and structure of the Pentagon itself presented unique challenges, compelling firefighters to devise ingenious tactics and make bold decisions-until they finally extinguished the fire that threatened to cripple America's military infrastructure just when it was needed most.

The Authors

Granted unprecedented access to the major players in the valiant response efforts, Patrick Creed and Rick Newman take us step-by-step through the harrowing minutes, hours, and days following the crash of American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon's western façade. Providing fascinating personal stories of the firefighters and rescuers, a broader view of how the U.S. national security command structure was held intact, and a sixteen-page insert of dramatic photographs, Firefight is a unique testament to the fortitude and resilience of America.

Reviews

"Firefight is a gripping human drama and a powerful story-not to mention a significant addition to the annals of American history."- David Morrell, author of First Blood

"Overshadowed by the calamity in New York, the attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, was nonetheless a day of extraordinary drama, heroism, and tragedy. With riveting detail and a compelling narrative, Patrick Creed and Rick Newman have done a superb job in Firefight of capturing the courage, chaos, and sacrifice of that remarkable day."- Steve Vogel, author of The Pentagon: A History

"A gripping inside look at the swift actions taken by a small group of firefighters who saved the Pentagon from destruction."- Bing West, author of No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah

"Firefight presents a different view of September 11, getting into the actions and mindsets of both the firefighters and the military in Washington D.C. A powerful read."- Richard Picciotto, co-author of Last Man Down: A New York City Fire Chief and the Collapse of the World Trade Center

"Firefight does an excellent job of showing the unique issues presented when the heart of America's military was attacked on September 11, 2001. As I read this book, I felt a brotherhood with the courageous professionals at the scene of the Pentagon and their need to ameliorate the suffering of others."- Lt. William Keegan, Jr., PAPD., author of Closure: The Untold Story of the Ground Zero Recovery Mission

"This little-known but equally horrifying story of 9/11 will raise the hair on your neck and add to the historical outrage inspired by these senseless murders. The firefighters are seen in grit and in heroism as they fight their way through the Pentagon flames to contain the fires, triage the wounded, interrelate with the FBI, and search for the all-important black boxes. Read this book to remind yourself just how shocked you were that day."- Dennis Smith, chairman of First Responders Financial and author of Report from Ground Zero

`MICRO-QUAKE'

On May 6, 2008, a small earthquake - a ``micro-quake'' - rattled Northern Virginia. The magnitude 1.8 temblor was centered near Annandale. There were no reports of damage or injury, according to the Arlington County Office of Emergency Management. The time of the quake was 1:30 p.m. EDT.

The last major earthquake centered in Virginia occurred more than a century ago - on May 31, 1897 in Giles County in the southwestern part of the state, and registered magnitude 5.9 on the Richter scale, according to the U.S. Geological Service. Two moderate quakes - magnitudes 3.9 and 4.5 - were centered in central Virginia on May 5, 2003 and Dec. 9, 2003.

NOROVIRUS OUTBREAK

Medic 325
Photo: Airport web site

It was a busy night for the Reagan National Airport Fire Department.

On April 3, 2008, a norovirus infection sickened a dozen travelers with nausea as they headed home from a conference in Maryland. The airport fire department - with the assistance of Arlington County paramedics - treated the victims who were apparently infected at the conference.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control:

``Noroviruses are a group of related, single-stranded RNA, nonenveloped viruses that cause acute gastroenteritis. ... People can become infected with the virus in several ways, including eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus; touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus, and then placing their hand in their mouth; having direct contact with another person who is infected.''

DC RIOTS - 1968

40th Anniversary

In 1968, Washington, D.C. burned following the April 4 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis. Arlington County sent Wagons 2, 9 and 10, Engines 4 and 10, Truck 2 to aid the city's fire department. Disturbances broke out in sections of Arlington County as well.

Photo: Progressive Review

NEW FIRE STATION

STATION No. 5
Crystal City
1750 South Hayes Street
Arlington, VA 22202
Engine 105, Truck 105 & Medic 105

RESCUE DOG `GUS'

Photo: U.S. Army

The Arlington County Fire Department received assistance from across the nation in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon.

Among those to answer the call to duty were rescue dog ``Gus'' - and his handler, Ed Apple of Tennessee Urban Search and Rescue Task Force No. 1.

SNAKE BITE

On March 24, 2008, Arlington County firefighters used a fire extinguisher to freeze a rattlesnake that bit Andrew Bacas, crew coach at Yorktown High School.

Bacas, 49, was unpacking his duffel bag after a team trip to South Carolina. A 10-inch-long rattler had stowed away in the bag - and bit his right hand.

According to The Washington Post: ``Using a 10-foot pole, rescue workers gingerly unzipped the duffel bag, just enough to slip in the nozzle of a carbon dioxide extinguisher.''

Bacas was treated at Fairfax Hospital.

PAGE AIRWAYS - 1945

On April 27, 1945, a Page Airways passenger flight crashed at National Airport:

Washington, April 27 -- (AP) -- A transport plane en route from Miami, Fla. to Rochester, N. Y., crashed and burned in taking off at the national airport today killing two persons and injuring a number of others.

A civil aeronautics administration official said the plane, operated by Page Airways, was carrying 13 persons including the pilot and co-pilot.

Coroner's deputies identified the dead as:

MRS. J. WELLAN, of New York City.
RALPH WEISMAN, Forest Hills, Long Island.

Names of the injured were not immediately available.

An officer at the army dispensary at the airport said 11 persons were taken there for treatment.

Airport attaches said the plane was on a chartered flight and had stopped at the airport for fuel.

CITY OF ALEXANDRIA

Alexandria Fire Station No. 1 - Old Town

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Alexandria Fire Department participates in the Northern Virginia regional response plan and regularly answers alarms in Arlington County.

­Washington Examiner

The Alexandria Fire Department is critically short of staff and equipment and needs $5.5 million - which Alexandria is ill-equipped to spend - to bring it up to speed, a city-hired consultant has found.

City Manager James Hartmann hired consultant J. Gordon Routley in the wake of an August three-alarm fire at a high-rise condo building on Edsall Road in which three firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and dehydration and three more were injured.

"Alexandria's increasing population density, commercial activity, traffic and related factors are placing increasing demands on the fire department," Routhley wrote. "The fire department has innovated, reorganized and adapted to make the most efficient use of its resources. The resulting organization is very lean and its resources are stressed to meet normal day-to-day demands."

In February, the state cited the department for procedural failures, including that the first firefighters at Edsall Road fought the fire for one continuous hour instead of in 15-minute shifts as outlined in department procedures, "apparently due to staffing issues."

Routley, a fire investigation expert and former fire chief, details a laundry list of staffing, equipment and procedural issues that contributed to the injuries.

Most significantly, he noted a need for a minimum of four-person staffing on fire trucks instead of Alexandria's three-person minimum - an initiative Arlington County already has phased in. Fairfax and Prince William counties also are trying to add firefighters, but are suffering from budget woes.

Meeting the consultant's recommendation would require hiring 36 new firefighters and would cost the city more than $3 million.

Alexandria, as well as most jurisdictions in the area, is struggling to maintain its current programs in a tight budget year.

The Aug. 25, three-alarm fire at Edsall Road happened at the same time as two other multiple-alarm fires in the area, all of them sparked by thunderstorms.

The high number of incidents was one reason that the first firefighters to respond to the Edsall Road scene were not relieved by backup personnel quickly enough to avoid injury, but inadequate department communication also contributed, Routley said.

The department does not have a command vehicle - a $250,000 specialized vehicle equipped with radios, computers and meeting space.

"An environment that provides multiple radios, telephones, work stations with computer terminals, proper lighting and other enhancements is much more functional than standing at the rear of an SUV in a crowded parking lot," Routley said.

"It's a very sobering report," Vice Mayor Del Pepper said. "I had no idea that we had these needs - we knew some of these things, but certainly not the extent."

Mayor William Euille said the City Council will review the financial impact of the recommendations at April budget meetings.

MUTUAL AID TO DC

Photos: Channel 5, Channel 9

On March 13, 2008, the District of Columbia Fire Department requested mutual aid from Arlington County and other suburbs for a fire that swept an apartment building and church.

Firefighters encountered "heavy, heavy fire" at the general alarm in the Mt. Pleasant section of the city, D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin said at a news conference.

FATAL HOUSE FIRE

Photos: Channel 7 WJLA web site

On March 7, 2008, a house fire killed an elderly woman in Arlington County and injured a firefighter. According to Channel 4, firefighters ``found the victim in her bed.'' The Washington Post reported the injured firefighter ``fell through the second floor of the structure while battling the blaze.''

Battalion Chief Carol Saulnier, quoted by the Post, said firefighters were called to the 5500 block of South 4th Street at 5:30 a.m. They found two people sitting outside the house with minor injuries who told them a third person was still inside. The elderly woman's body was recovered on the first floor of the dwelling. The firefighter's injuries weren't considered life-threatening.

CIVIL WAR WEAPON FOUND

Old Arlington Hall

By David Shultz of The Connection newspaper

A PIECE of weaponry dating back to the Civil War was discovered underneath a local Arlington building late last month.

The weaponry consisted of an unexploded shell from the mid-1800’s. It was discovered on the evening of Jan. 31 underneath Arlington Hall which is located on Route 50 between Glebe Road and George Mason Drive.

Benjamin Barksdale, the Chief Fire Marshall for Arlington County, said that “They were doing some construction work and one of the construction people found it and called 911… You could clearly see it was a shell. It was one foot long, five inches in diameter. It looked like a large bullet.”

He said that County fire officials were unsure if the shell was live but, as a precautionary measure, the workers who were in the building above the shell were temporarily moved to another part of the building.

Because the shell was found on federal property, Barksdale said that bomb experts from Fort Belvoir were brought in to handle the shell.

The Arlington County Fire Department has handled buried munitions before, Barksdale said, but “Not like that… We’ve come across more modern day stuff. Every once in a while we’ll get a call that someone has got something from [the] Vietnam [era].”

SMOKE AT PENTAGON

On Feb. 8, 2008, smoke forced the evacuation of part of the Pentagon.

The source of the smoke was smoldering insulation in a utility room on the fifth floor of the ``E Ring,'' according to a Pentagon spokeswoman, quoted by the Reuters news agency.

There were no injuries.

ALARM SYSTEM

UPDATED MARCH 2008

Old bell at Station No. 4

Heart attacks from stress are a leading cause of firefighter deaths, so the Arlington County Fire Department has found a safer way to ease firefighters into emergencies - a soothing computer-generated voice over firehouse public address speakers.

Rather than the blast of an airhorn, a piercing radio tone or a bell jolting them into action, firefighters are alerted by a calm female voice - "Engine Company, structure fire" for example - followed by full details announced by a live 911 dispatcher.

Battalion Chief Ben Barksdale said the system has improved response times because firefighters aren't startled, according to Channel 5 News.

_____

Regarding the ``soothing alarm,'' a Fire Journal reader - who grew up in Ohio many years ago - writes:

``Even as a kid, my heart always took a jump when Columbus rang four quick blows on a bell - sharp and loud - over the radio as a prefix to a structural response.They changed it some years later to a tone, that was only slightly less terrifying.''

_____

Monday, March 10, 2008

By Daniela Deane - Washington Post Staff Writer

Jesus Escobedo is nodding off atop his Batman sheets when the little red lights flip on, casting a low light across his face. A woman's voice informs him gently, almost seductively, that it's time to get up. An alert is going out because an elderly nursing home patient is on the edge of death.

"Engine, medic, altered level of consciousness," the voice tells the Arlington County firefighter as he jumps out of his bed at the Ballston firehouse. In a matter of minutes, Escobedo is dressed and hurtling down Carlin Springs Road toward the nursing home.

"One minute you're sleeping, and the next minute you're going 50 miles an hour," said Escobedo, 27, sitting in the firetruck, sirens blaring, on his way to the 911 call last week. "And it can happen several times a night. It's a lot better when the waking up part is a little bit nicer."

A firefighter's job can be very stressful, involving long shifts, emotionally draining work and a response time measured in seconds, often many times a night. To reduce the cumulative stress on their 315 firefighters and paramedics, Arlington was one of the first jurisdictions in the Washington region to install kinder, gentler wake-up calls in its 10 firehouses.

"Before we put this in, fluorescent lights would snap on overhead, lighting up the whole place, and there would be this loud, shrill, rapid-fire beeping," said Capt. Randy Higgins, an Arlington firefighter for 24 years and Escobedo's shift supervisor. "You'd go from sound asleep to your heart beating wildly in your throat several times a night."

The consequences can be alarming.

Cardiac arrest -- not fighting fires -- is the leading cause of death among the estimated 300,000 full-time firefighters throughout the country, said Patrick Morrison of the International Association of Fire Fighters. Morrison, assistant in charge of education and training at the union, said that more than 50 firefighters die each year of heart attacks.

"The big thing we're seeing is that loud, sudden sounds give them a huge adrenaline dump," he said. "And the cumulative effect of that is contributing to early heart disease."

Morrison said studies have shown that heart rates more than double when firefighters, even the youngest, most fit ones, are roused by loud sounds and lights. Arlington is at the forefront of a national trend toward less jarring wake-up calls at firehouses, he said.

"When you go through that surge of adrenaline as many times as we do, it's worth making these kinds of investments in a system that diminishes that effect just a little bit," Arlington Fire Chief James Schwartz said.

Arlington installed its system in 2004, just six months after the city of Manassas Park. Since then, Prince William and Stafford counties have opted for the system, which is sold by several vendors.

Other local fire departments, including Fairfax, want to make the switch as they upgrade their facilities or their budgets allow it.

With the economic downturn, it is unclear when funds will be approved for the county to install the system in its 38 fire stations, Fairfax Battalion Chief Dean Cox said. "It's becoming the standard in the Metro area," he said.

Besides a healthier wake-up, the system has other advantages.

It's targeted, so it alerts only the crew needed on a specific call, not everyone in the firehouse. And the computer-activated system is faster, so it shaves important seconds off response time. The firefighters are usually already running toward their vehicles by the time they hear where they're going.

"It might save them 10 to 15 seconds," said Carol Saulnier, Arlington's chief fire marshal. "That might not seem like a lot, but it can really make the difference between life and death."

Arlington's average response time -- from the moment the dispatcher advises the firefighters to the time they get to their destination -- is four minutes, which is better than the national standard. Arlington firefighters and paramedics answered 24,215 emergency calls in 2007; Escobedo's station in Ballston took 5,565 of those calls.

Schwartz gets excited about another feature of the system: the ability of one jurisdiction to directly dispatch firefighters from another. That won't work until everyone is on the same page, though.

"Several times a day already, units from Fairfax run into Arlington to serve our citizens who dial 911 on the west end of Columbia Pike, since the closest unit to a good deal of that portion of Arlington is in Baileys Crossroads," said Schwartz. "When Fairfax comes online with the system, we will be able to alert them from our own dispatch center, which could cut up to a couple minutes off our response time."

Schwartz said that "response time is everything" in the emergency services business. "If you're in cardiac arrest, you need CPR within four minutes," he said.

A few decades ago, volunteer firefighters in many rural communities across the country would be roused from beds in their own homes by loud wailing sirens that would wake up the whole area.

Then came the night-watch method of alert, where firefighters would take turns staying up to answer a dispatcher's call on the phone and then wake up the rest of the team. Or one firefighter would sleep next to the phone and have the responsibility of answering it and waking everyone up. After that, the radio-based system with the loud, shrill beep-beep prevailed.

Still, in some fire departments in the country, every time there's a call, every fire station in the area gets notified, according to the IAFF.

Escobedo, who's only worked with the new system, admits he's got the sultry woman's voice turned up as high as it goes. He said he tends to be a heavy sleeper.

Is there any worry that it's all just a little too gentle?

"Nah," said Higgins. "There's a lot of peer pressure to get up quickly in this job. You don't want to be the guy who slept through the alarm. You get called Rip Van Winkle and stuff like that. You never live it down."

TRAINING

Photo: acfd3.com
Training at National Airport - 2007

Vintage photo of drill tower - 1950s

MR. LEROY

UPDATED FEBRUARY 2008

Harold LeRoy, 90, long-time president of the Arlington County Fire and Rescue Association, died Jan. 22, 2008. He would have celebrated his 91st birthday on Feb. 1. He remained active with the association until his passing.

Firefighters - both career and volunteer - addressed him as "Mr. LeRoy'' as a sign of respect.

Mr. LeRoy joined the Jefferson District Volunteer Fire Department in the late 1930s, and during the manpower shortages of World War II was sworn in as a member of the Arlington County Fire Department - though he never collected a paycheck.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Beth.

Mr. LeRoy, who also served as chief of the Jefferson District VFD when he was younger, enjoyed sharing stories of his career, including his many runs on old Squad 5.

Recalling the 1959 general alarm at the Pentagon, LeRoy said one image that remained with him into old age was that of a paid firefighter, Eddie Dodson, emerging from the smoke-charged basement of the massive building covered in soot. ``He sat down on the running board of the wagon – and promptly lit a cigarette,’’ LeRoy chuckled.

`MURPH' THE FIRE DOG

Modern fire dog

Many years ago, Murph - "The Fire Engine Dog" - resided at Old Station No. 2 in Ballston, and we are told that when the bells went off, Murph was the first one to hop on the wagon - even before the firemen.

After one fire call, Murph climbed on the wrong engine and went back to another firehouse. The firemen at the other station knew him, though, and phoned No. 2. ``We have Murph. Come and get him," they said.

There are no active canines in Arlington County firehouses as of this writing.

HIGH-RISE FIRE - 2008

UPDATED FEBRUARY 2008

Photo: Station 28 web site

Photo: Fox 5

A three-alarm fire erupted in a 12-story apartment building in Seven Corners on Jan. 12, 2008. More than 100 Fairfax County and Arlington County firefighters raced to the blaze triggered by a natural gas explosion. The alarm went out as a seemingly routine medical local for Engine 428.

According to The Washington Post: ``The initial call came in at 7:52 a.m. as a suicide attempt at the Cavalier Club Apartment on Wilson Boulevard. But when rescuers arrived, they found a natural gas leak that led to an explosion in a second floor apartment.''

The Fairfax County Fire Department said in a press release: "Firefighters encountered heavy smoke and fire in Apartment 211 (and) brought the fire under control in approximately 15 minutes."

Mark Williams, 39, a resident who suffered severe burns, died at the Washington Burn Center on Jan. 13. Five people, including three police officers who assisted with the rescue, were treated for smoke inhalation.

FIRE JOURNAL

UPDATED APRIL 2008

Photo from Station 4 web site

Photo from Station 9 web site

"See you on the big one.'' - Firehouse salutation

Welcome to the ARLINGTON FIRE JOURNAL - an online history book. The fire and rescue service in Arlington County, Virginia, has a storied history, from the first volunteers to today's career Arlington County Fire Department, as well as the fire departments at Fort Myer and National Airport and the volunteers' Arlington County Fire & Rescue Association.

TOTAL FIRE & EMS RUNS FOR 2007 - 44,115

FIRST DUE ON 9/11/01: The Arlington County Fire Department was "first due" at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Read about the response in the article entitled "ATTACK ON THE PENTAGON." Other articles recount the hiring of the nation's first female firefighter in 1974, the Air Florida crash in 1982, a tragic school bus accident in April 2005 - and much more.

The ARLINGTON FIRE JOURNAL - written and edited by Vinny Del Giudice - is dedicated to the memory of retired Battlion Chief Robert ``Cuz'' Carpenter and retired Battalion Chief James ``Jimmie'' Fought, founding members of the Arlington County Fire Department Historical Society.

E-MAIL - wb2kqg@arrl.net

VISIT OUR RELATED SITES

http://londonfirejournal.blogspot.com

http://springfieldfirejournal.blogspot.com

OFFICIAL FIRE DEPT. WEB SITE

http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/Fire/FireMain.aspx

TRUCK COMPANIES

From Collection of Arlington Fire Capt. Randy Higgins

ENGINE 66

Engine 66, staffed by federal firefighters, protected the old Arlington Hall Station of the U.S. Army until base closed in 1990.

The two-piece engine company, which consisted of a wagon and a pumper, covered Box 6672 - and rarely left the post. It was a quiet station. Very quiet.

Today, the site - at Route 50 and George Mason Drive - is occupied by the State Department training center and the National Guard.

This photo of Engine 66's wagon is from the collection of Arlington Fire Capt. Randy Higgins. The rig - a 1980 Hahn/Firetec 1000/500/30 - was transferred to the Fort Belvoir Fire Department in Fairfax County, according to Higgins.

APPARATUS ROSTER

Engine 103 and Rescue 104
(Photo courtesy of www.acfd3.com)

Station No. 1 - Engine 101, Medic 101, Hazmat 101, Battalion 111
Station No. 2 - Engine 102, Medic 102, EMS 112, Mobile Command
Station No. 3 - Engine 103
Station No. 4 - Rescue 104, Truck 104, Medic 104, Battalion 112, Safety 114
Station No. 5 - Engine 105, Truck 105, Medic 105
Station No. 6 - Engine 106, Truck 106, Medic 106, Ambulance 106, Utility 106, Canteen 106, Light & Air 103
Station No. 7 - Engine 107
Station No. 8 - Engine 108, Medic 108, Air 108
Station No. 9 - Engine 109, Rescue 109, Medic 109, EMS 111
Station No. 10 - Engine 110, Medic 110, TRT 110
Station No. 61 - Rescue Engine 161, Rescue Engine 162
Pentagon Heliport - ARFF
National Airport - Rescue Engine 335, Medic 325, ARFF

BUS FIRE

ADDED FEBRUARY 2008

On June 7, 2007, fire destroyed an Arlington Transit ART bus as it was making a night-time run.

According to an official Arlington County press release:

``The fire broke out at about 7:40 p.m. on an ART bus making the final northbound run on ART Bus Route 75, as the bus entered the intersection of South Carlin Springs Road and 6th Street. All three passengers aboard and the driver evacuated without injury.

``The bus driver told Arlington County Fire Department officials that he saw smoke coming from rear wheels and pulled over in front of 601 Carlin Springs Road. Flames quickly engulfed the bus, and damaged cable and power lines directly overhead. The utilities were shut down to avoid any injuries on scene, causing some temporary cable and power outages.''

COLD WAR CLASSIC

Arlington County operated CD Rescue unit in 1950s
(Photo courtesy of www.civildefensemuseum.com)

A LETTER FROM PATTON

OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING OFFICER
FORT MYER, VIRGINIA

March 1, 1934

Fire Chief,
Clarendon Fire Department,
Clarendon, Virginia

Dear Sir:

On behalf of the officers and men garrisoned at Fort Myer I desire to thank you and your men for the prompt and effective manner in which you participated in fighting the fire in the Riding Hall at this station on the night of February 28th-March 1st.

Your assistance was invaluable and it is felt, but for your efforts, the fire might and probably would have spread to other buildings, possibly endangering the very existence of Fort Myer.

Again assuring you of our deep appreciation, I am

Most sincerely yours,

G. B. PATTON, Jr.
Major, 3d Cavalary
Commanding

________________________________________

Transcript of letter courtesy of Betty Fought

________________________________________

Comment from Senior Station Officer Ian Munro, Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board, Melbourne, Australia:

"Back then he would have been `George Who ??' And what would have happened if he had lost Fort Myer? Would he have made it to General? And would it have affected the army capacity in later years?
One for the `Alternate History` writers to `what if` about."

IN REMEMBRANCE

Graves of Sept. 11 victims at Arlington National Cemetery

DEADLIEST FIRES IN ARLINGTON COUNTY HISTORY

• Pentagon - Sept 11, 2001 ... 189 victims


• Park Warren Apartments - Nov. 15, 1996 ... 4 victims


• Rooming house, Ballston - Nov. 14, 1986 ... 3 victims


• House, South Arlington - Dec. 1944 ... 3 victims

9/11 & FIRE PHOTOS

COLLAPSE! - PENTAGON 9/11/01
CLICK ON PHOTO FOR FIRE'S JOURNAL 9/11 REPORT

WRECKAGE OF FOAM 161 - PENTAGON 9/11/01

CRASH SITE - PENTAGON 9/11/01

HOLLINGER BOX COMPANY - 1950s

ODD FELLOWS HALL - 1940s

RICE BOWL EXPLOSION - 1954

OLD RADIO ROOM - STATION 4

OLD SQUAD 5

EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks to Capt. Randy Higgins. http://www.acfd3.com

THROUGH THE YEARS

FOR HISTORICAL 'RUNS & WORKERS'
CLICK ON FIRE ALARM BOX

Updated May 15, 2007

REFINERY FIRE - 1924: Fire broke out at the Crown Oil and Wax Company in Rosslyn on Aug. 6, 1924 - and threatened nearby petroleum storage tanks. The District of Columbia Fire Department assisted Arlington's volunteer companies. The fire was ignited by ``a short-circuit in wires connecting the pumps,'' according to The Washington Post.

DISPUTE OVER MUTUAL AID - 1924: ``Chief Jack A. Spates of the Cherrydale fire department, answering charges made by J.M. Duncan, assistant chief of the Alexandria department, last night denied any property was in danger as the result of the fire Monday, which destroyed the home of William Sothern in Jefferson district, when he refused Duncan's request for use of the Cherrydale hose.'' - The Washington Post, Nov. 19, 1924

CHRISTMAS TRAGEDY - 1934: Two children perished in a house fire in Arlington County on Dec. 23, 1934. The fire occurred ``in a detached two-story frame house'' on Malvern Place in Thrifton Village, according to The Washington Post. The children were home alone on the second floor of the dwelling. Malvern Place no longer exists. Thrifton Village is believed to have been the name of a neighborhood near Cherrydale, Maywood and Woodmont.

ROSSLYN EXPLOSION - 1945: The Dec. 10, 1945 edition of The Washington Post reported: ``The early-Sunday quiet of Rosslyn, Va., was spectacularly broken yesterday when a 5000-gallon runaway truck-trailer loaded with high test gasoline crashed into a parked milk truck and exploded.''

FIREMEN OVERCOME - 1952: On July 4, 1952, six firefighters were injured at a blaze at the Drug Fair store at 4821 Columbia Pike. Five of the men suffered smoke inhalation, The Washington Post said. About a week earlier, June 26, 1952, dozens of firemen were overcome by smoke and heat at a fire at the Noland Co. warehouse in Rosslyn.

DAMAGE TO STATION NO. 7 - 1954: ``The four-ton pumper housed in the Fairlington firehouse has been moved out after two cracks appeared in the concrete floor,'' according to the Oct. 9, 1954 edition of The Washington Post.

AIR FLORIDA - 25 YEARS

Jan. 13, 2007 - the 25th anniversary of crash of Air Florida Flight 90 into the 14th Street Bridge
CLICK ON PHOTO FOR FIRE JOURNAL'S FLIGHT 90 REPORT

HIGH-RISE RESCUE

(Photos from ACFD and The Washington Post)

A concrete slab collapsed Dec. 8 on the 24th floor of a high-rise building under construction in the Rosslyn district of Arlington County, trapping three workers and injuring a dozen more.

Arlington County firefighters - along with fire crews from the Fort Myer military post, the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County - treated the casualties. A surgical team from George Washington University Hospital also responded. The size of the alarm assignment was the equivalent of a general alarm fire.

The incident - at 1901 North Lynn St. - recalled high-rise construction accidents at job sites in Crystal City in 1968 and Bailey's Crossroads in 1974.

Construction worker Oscar Moscoso, who was on the roof of the high-rise, told reporters that a scaffold failed - triggering the collapse of wet concrete at about 8:30 a.m. Workers - who had planned a "topping-out" party later in the day - used their hands and shovels to reach the injured before firefighters and paramedics arrived.

Arlington County Fire Captain Tom Polera said an approximately 60 x 30 foot area of the roof collapsed onto the 24th, or top floor, of the building about 2 1/2 hours after workers began pouring concrete, according to The Washington Post.

During the rescue, a firefighter suffered a back injury.

Battalion Chief Scott McKay - Battalion 112 - was the incident commander.

Units assigned to the alarm, according to ACFD3.COM:

Engines: 102, 103, 105, 106, 108, 110, 161, 202

Trucks: 104, 208

Rescues: 104, 109, 206

Medics: 101, 102, 104, 105, 106, 109, 110, 202, 205, 208, 401, 418

Also: Command Unit, Hazmat 101, TRT 110, Hazmat 202, Mass Casualty Unit, Battalion 111, 112, FM 114, EMS Chief, Services Chief.

The Falls Church volunteers sent their canteen unit, Canteen 106.

WILLARD HOTEL FIRE - 1922

Over the years, the Arlington County Fire Department has answered mutual aid requests from the District of Columbia Fire Department for fires, explosions, riots, a train wreck and other emergencies. The following tale - based on a speech by former President Gerald Ford - shows almost anything can happen on a run to the nation's capital. (To be sure, it's not known whether any Virginia fire companies attended this particular incident.)

In 1922, a general alarm fire broke out in the ballroom atop the Willard Hotel in downtown Washington, and firefighters evacuated the guests - including then Vice President Calvin Coolidge. As the time passed, Coolidge grew tired of waiting in the street and decided to return to his hotel room.

As he headed for the stairs, a fireman demanded identification.

"I am the Vice President," Coolidge said.

The fireman asked: "Vice President of what?"

"Vice President of the United States," Coolidge said.

"Then get back here," the fireman said. "I thought you were Vice President of the hotel."

FIRE AND FLOOD - 2006

Falls Church warehouse fire
(Photo courtesy of http://www.acfd3.com/)

The Arlington County Fire Department contended with fire and flood in late June and early July 2006.

Firefighters employed master streams to extinguish a three-alarm warehouse fire in the 2000-block of North Westmoreland Street - just across from Station No. 6 in Falls Church - on July 15.

``Engine 106 arrived to find heavy fire blowing out of the Adam and Baker sides of a vacant one-story 75' X 150' former moving and storage warehouse,'' according to Capt. Randy Higgins on acfd3.com. ``The second and third alarms were quickly sounded bringing virtually the entire on duty crews from Arlington and over 11 units from Fairfax County.''

Just over a week earlier, on June 30, firefighters tackled a two-alarm fire in a high-rise at 4250 North Fairfax Drive in Ballston - an alarm that initially came in as a medical emergency.

Instead of a patient, a building engineer greeted Engine 102 and Medic 102 and ``advised them of sparks coming from an electric panel in the main electric vault on the P-1 level,'' according to Higgins. ``Engine 102 called for the box to be filled ... and then proceeded to the fire control room where multiple devices on multiple floors were lighting up the panel! ''

Office workers on the 13th floor reported water pouring from the ceiling, and firefighters sent to the floor above - No. 14 - discovered heavy smoke and fire, which was promptly entinguished, according to Higgins.

Firefighters also answered hundreds of calls during the worst rain in more than 100 years of record keeping in late June.

The Arlington County Emergency Communications Center dispatched more than 580 service calls to police and fire units between 9 p.m. on June 25 and and 11 a.m. the next day, according to the county government web site.

Career and volunteer firefighters activated additional units to respond to all the alarms.

APPARATUS GALLERY

Foam 161 - Pentagon Heliport & Fort Myer

Foam 326 - Reagan National Airport

"Christine" - Old Reserve Truck

No. 3's "wagon" in Rosslyn

Old Wagon 9 and other apparatus

Old Truck 3

Old Falls Church firehouse

Light Unit & Utility 73 - Iwo Jima Memorial (1990)

Truck 106 on the job

Rescue Engine 324 - Reagan National Airport

Engine 3 - Cherrydale firehouse

Engine 3 refurbished as foam wagon

Quints 104 & 109

Old Engine 61 - U.S. Army Fort Myer

MEDSTAR CHOPPER CRASHES

Medstar service at Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001

A Medstar helicopter that serves Arlington County and the rest of the metropolitan area crashed May 30, 2006, as it approached the Washington Hospital Center in the District of Columbia.

The medevac patient - already in grave condition - died hours later in surgery. The crash injured Medstar's three crew members.

According to The Washington Post, the Eurocopter - on a flight from Greater Southeast Community Hospital - plummeted onto a golf course on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home on North Capitol Street, Northwest, at about 5 p.m.

The pilot had transmitted a distress call.

"I could see [the helicopter] laboring," witness Jay Speights, who was getting out of his car at the golf course parking lot, told the Post.

According to a 2005 report on the Washington Hospital Center's web site, the helicopter service - which is operated by the hospital center - carried more than 36,000 patients ``with a perfect safety record since its inception in 1983.''

The Medstar service evacuated casualties from the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.

The fleet consists of three EC-135 choppers, which have a cruising speed of 150 mph and a range of approximately 250 miles, according to the Medstar Transport web site. The standard flight crew consists of a pilot, critical care nurse and a critical care paramedic.

2-ALARM CHURCH FIRE

By Captain Charles A. Gibbs
Arlington County Fire Department

On 24 May 2006, at 1058 hours Box 4603 was struck for