| Arlington County Fire Department |
|
| Established | 1950 |
| Staffing | Career |
| Strength | 350 |
| Stations | 10 |
| Engines | 9 |
| Trucks | 3 |
| Rescues | 2 |
| EMS Units | 7 |
| EMS Level | ALS |
The Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) provides essential fire, emergency medical, and allied public safety services for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church in Virginia, USA. It is highly regarded within the profession as an innovator and leader in enhancing the industry. Among its many firsts are the hiring of the first female career firefighter in the nation in 1974 and partnering with the United States Public Health Service to develop America's first Metropolitan Medical Strike Team to respond to the consequences of a chemical, biological or radiological terrorist attack.
The county fire department operates ten stations and is a signatory to an automatic regional response plan with neighboring Fairfax County as well as the city of Alexandria, and participates in a regional mutual aid pact with the District of Columbia and the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, also in Arlington County, fields a fire department and works closely with the county's fire service. The 305 employees of the Fire Department are committed to eliminating threats to the lives, safety and property of the Arlington community. They provide services through a combination of education, prevention and effective response to fire, medical and environmental emergencies.
The Arlington County Fire Department holds a Class 2 Rating from the Insurance Services Organization, the highest rating given to a Virginia fire department, and one of only three such ratings awarded in the state. This rating helps the local community by bringing lower insurance rates to homeowners and businesses.
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The Arlington County Fire Department was the lead agency in the response to the Pentagon attack. Led by Incident Commander James Schwartz, ACFD worked with the Fort Myer Fire Department, which operates the Pentagon station in addition to a firehouse at its main post, as well as fire departments throughout the region.
On September 11, 2001, the Arlington County Fire Department employed 279 men and women.
As a result of the attack on the Pentagon, additional career firefighters were hired, bringing the total to 305 by 2005. Minimum staffing on the county's engine companies was also increased to four firefighters from three in the months after the attack. The county trained CERT Teams - Community Emergency Response Teams - in cooperation with the federal Department of Homeland Security as a part of its stepped up disaster preparedness program.
Arlington County Fire Department is a career fire department, with over 300 sworn career firefighters and 50 volunteers. All units are staffed 24 hours a day by career firefighters who are divided into three platoons and work a 24-on/24-off/24-on/24-off/24-on/96-off work schedule. Engine, rescue and truck/tower companies in Arlington are typically staffed by four firefighters and ALS medic units with two firefighter/paramedics. Arlington operates nine engine companies, three truck companies, two rescue companies and seven medic units. Additional medic units can be placed in service as necessary. The county is divided into two battalions, the North Battalion (112) and the South Battalion (111), with one EMS Supervisor in each battalion to supervise medic operations.
| Station | Location | Engine | Special Service | Medic | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glebe Road | Engine 101 | - | Medic 101 | Battalion 111 / HazMat 101 |
| 2 | Ballston | Engine 102 | - | Medic 102 | EMS 112 / ACFD Command Unit |
| 3 | Cherrydale | Engine 103 | - | - | - |
| 4 | Clarendon | - | Tower 104 / Rescue 104 | Medic 104 | Battalion 112 / Command Aide 114 |
| 5 | Jefferson District | Engine 105 | Truck 105 | Medic 105 | Duty Fire Marshal |
| 6 | Falls Church | Engine 106 | Truck 106 | Medic 106 | Engine 116 / Canteen 106 / Utility 106 / Light & Air 103 / Ambulance 102 / Ambulance 106 |
| 7 | Fairlington | Engine 107 | - | - | - |
| 8 | Hall's Hill | Engine 108 | - | - | Mobile Air Unit (MAU) |
| 9 | Nauck | Engine 109 | Rescue 109 | Medic 109 | EMS 111 |
| 10 | Rosslyn | Engine 110 | - | Medic 110 | TRT Trailer |
Prior to 1950, independent volunteer fire companies protected Arlington County. As the demand for services for fire and EMS grew, the need for full time paid staff was acknowledged by the County. Staff was hired, first to augment the volunteers, then finally to provide the full range of services required in a modern, urban, fire department. The department is now staffed with more than 350 full-time career professionals and is augmented by approximately 50 active volunteers.