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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department

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Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department
Operational area
Country United States
State Virginia
County Fairfax
Agency overview[1]
Established1949
Annual calls120,934 (FY 2020)
Employees1,510 - Uniformed members
167 - Civilian employees
355 - Volunteer members
Annual budget$218,989,964 (FY 2013)
Fire chiefJohn S. Butler
IAFF2068
Facilities and equipment[1]
Divisions2
Battalions8
Stations39
Engines66
Trucks14
Platforms8 Front line 1 Reserve
Rescues8
Ambulances70
Tenders5
HAZMAT3
USARVA TF-1
Website
Official website

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department is a combination career and volunteer organization that provides fire suppression services, emergency medical response services, technical rescue services, hazardous materials Response services, water rescue services, life safety education, fire prevention and arson investigation services to Fairfax County, Virginia. Emergency medical services include advanced life support response by ALS (Advanced Life Support) capable engines and transport units.

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

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Main article: Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

As part of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue is labeled number 4 in the 800 MHz trunked radio system. All FCFR units begin with 4 followed by the station number. For example, the engine from station 19 is E419M, and the tower-ladder from station 1 is TL401M. During an emergency that would require a response from multiple agencies, dispatchers are quickly able to identify what county a particular piece of apparatus came from. The "M" at the end of the unit designation represents an ALS capable unit (paramedic on board), which all Fairfax County Engines, Trucks, Towers, and Rescues are at optimal staffing levels. The "M" is not verbalized.

Overview

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Fairfax County paramedics participate in an exercise at The Pentagon.

FCFRD consists of 42 fire stations spread out across the county's 407 square miles (1,050 km2), serving a population of 1.15 million residents.[2] With over 1,400 uniformed staff, 300 civilian employees, and 350 operational and administrative volunteers, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department is the largest fire department in the Commonwealth of Virginia.[2]

The Fairfax County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association (FCVFRA) partners with the FCFRD to combine 12 volunteer fire and rescue departments in Fairfax County.[3] Volunteers in these 12 departments are full partners with the career staff of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, providing emergency services in and around Fairfax County. These volunteers are trained to the same standards as career personnel and are involved in all aspects of the fire and rescue services from staffing ambulances and fire suppression vehicles to participating in domestic and international urban search and rescue. As independent, nonprofit organizations, the volunteer departments own 8 of the 42 fire stations in Fairfax County and operate out of an additional 7 fire stations. Over 355 volunteer personnel placed units in service on 1,877 occasions, out of a total of 103,946 incidents countywide for FY2018.[4]

USAR Task Force

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Main article: Urban Search and Rescue Virginia Task Force 1

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue also sponsors one of the nation's Urban Search and Rescue response teams. Named 'Virginia Task Force 1,' the team is composed of approximately 200 specially trained career and volunteer fire and rescue personnel, with expertise in the rescue of victims from collapsed structures, following a natural or man-made catastrophic event.[5] The team is composed of emergency managers and planners, physicians and paramedics and includes specialists in the fields of structural engineering, heavy rigging, collapse rescue, logistics, hazardous materials, communications, canine operations, and technical search. Virginia Task Force 1 has partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency for domestic response and the United States Agency for International Development/Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance during international missions.[5] As a part of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, the task force maintains constant operational readiness as a local resource for residents of Fairfax County and surrounding jurisdictions.

Stations and apparatus

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● Almost all apparatus are considered career-staffed unless where marked by a 'V'.
● Accounts for the addition of the 8th Battalion in February 2021.
● Station 44 (Scotts Run) in McLean opened, and Rescue 401 became Rescue 444, both in August 2021.

● ALS Cars introduced January 2024 (3 units) placed among the County

● Accounts for the ALS to BLS conversion of certain career transport units at some fire stations (Annandale (8), Bailey's Crossroads (10), Great Falls (12), Chantilly (15), Clifton (16), Gunston (20), Reston (25), West Springfield (27), Fox Mill (31), Fairfax Center (40), Crosspointe (41), and Scott's Run (44)) in February 2022.[6]

Fire Station Number Locality Fire Units EMS Units Battalion Management Units Specialty / Historic Units
Engine Company Truck Company Tanker Company Rescue Company Medic Unit Ambulance Unit Battalion Chief Units EMS Supervisor Unit Safety Officer Units Specialty/ Historic Units
1 McLean E TL X, V V UT401, Antique 1970 Peter Pirsch Engine
2 Vienna E,V X V UT402, BR402, Bike Team Trailer
3 Fairfax CAFS TL X BC443 UT403
4 Herndon E X
5 Franconia E,V TL X V UT405, BR405, VC405
7 Training Academy E,E X BUS407, MCP400
8 Annandale E TL X X,V CAN408
9 Mount Vernon E X X EMS406
10 Bailey's Crossroads E TT X X,V
11 Penn Daw E T R(H) X,X BC406
12 Great Falls CAFS X X,V SW412, SW412B, SW412C BSU, BR412, UT412, UT412B
13 Dunn Loring E,V X V UT413, REHAB 413
14 Burke E,V R(T) X V,V TRS414, UT414, SW414, BR414, VC414
15 Chantilly E X BC403 BR415, MCSU415, UTV415,
16 Clifton CAFS X X BR416
17 Centreville E,V X V UT417, CAN417, VC417
18 Jefferson E R(T) X BC404 EMS404 TR418, TRS418, SW418
19 Lorton E R(H) X V Foam419
20 Gunston CAFS X X FB420, FB420B, SW420, UTV420, BSU420
21 Fair Oaks E,V R(T) X V DC401 UT421,TR421, SW421
22 Springfield E,V T X,V V CAN422, CAN422B, UT422, VC422
23 West Annandale E X LA423
24 Woodlawn E TL X BR424
25 Reston E TT X BC401
26 Edsall Road E R(H) X BC408 Foam426
27 West Springfield E X EMS405 MAB427
28 Seven Corners E X
29 Tysons Corner E TT X BC402
30 Merrifield E TT X SAF403
31 Fox Mill E X SAF402 SHRU431
32 Fairview CAFS X
33 Fairfax RE X SW433, UT433
34 Oakton E X SICPO
35 Pohick E X BC405 MCSU435
36 Frying Pan E TL X LA436
37 Kingstowne E X V DC402 SAF401 Foam 437, LA437, SHRU437
38 West Centreville E T X V EMS403 MCP438
39 North Point CAFS X R(T) X TR439, SW439, BR439
40 Fairfax Center E TL X BC407 HAZMAT 440, HMSU440
41 Crosspointe CAFS T X X UTV441
42 Wolftrap CAFS X X EMS401 UTV442, MCSU442, UT442
44 Scotts Run E R(H) X

Abbreviations:

  • ALS - Paramedic Lieutenant
  • BC - Battalion Chief
  • DC - Division Chief
  • EMS- EMS Captain
  • PIO- Public Information Officer
  • FE - Foam Engine
  • RE - Rescue Engine
  • R(H) - Hazmat Rescue
  • R(T) - Technical Rescue
  • V - Volunteer-staffed
  • T - Truck Company
  • TL - Tower Ladder
  • TT - Tiller Truck
  • UT - Utility
  • CAN - Canteen Unit
  • CAFS - Compressed Air Foam System
  • BR - Brush Unit
  • VC - Volunteer Chief (Operational Volunteer Command Officer)
  • SW - Swift Water Rescue (Inflatable Boat/Zodiac)
  • BSU - Boat Support Unit
  • FB - Fire Boat
  • LA - Light and Air Unit
  • REHAB - Rehabilitation Unit
  • UTV - Gator Unit
  • TR - Technical Rescue Unit
  • TRS - Technical Rescue Support Unit
  • MCSU - Mass Casualty Support Unit
  • SAF - Safety Officer
  • SICPO - Staffing Incident Command Post Officer
  • HAZMAT - Hazardous Materials Unit
  • HMSU - Hazardous Materials Support Unit
  • SHRU - Special Hazards Response Unit
  • MAB - Medical Ambulance Bus
  • MCP - Mobile Command Post
  • Lab 401 - Fire Marshall Mobile Lab Unit
  • Foam - Foam Trailer/Truck
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Hazmat truck 440

References

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  1. ^ a b "Annual Summary (FY 2014)" (PDF). Fairfax County. Fairfax County airfax County Fire & Rescue Department. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b "General Information". Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  3. ^ "About Us". Fairfax County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  4. ^ https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fire-ems/sites/fire-ems/files/assets/documents/pdf/oi/2017anlrpt.pdf Archived 2023-04-08 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]
  5. ^ a b "About VA-TF1". Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  6. ^ "Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Transitions From All Advanced Life Support System". www.connectionnewspapers.com. Archived from the original on 2022-09-10. Retrieved 2022-09-10.

See Also

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