Saturday, December 8, 2012
Six police employees graduated from the department’s 10th training academy.
Six Alexandria police department employees have graduated from the Crisis Intervention Team’s 10th training academy. A graduation ceremony was held 2:30 p.m. Friday at the police department headquarters. The Alexandria Police Department and Alexandria Sheriff’s Office developed the Crisis Intervention Team through a partnership with the Department of Mental Health. The team comprises highly skilled and specially trained police officers who function as part of the regular police patrol. Through their training, these officers receive 40 hours of specialized training in the recognition of psychiatric disorders, suicide intervention, substance abuse issues, verbal de-escalation techniques, the role of the family in the care of a person with …
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Previously, the railroad company made other regulatory calls in the event of a potentially hazardous situation before calling local emergency first responders.
Norfolk Southern Railroad now plans to notify the Alexandria Fire Department immediately as part of its emergency response plan rather than make other regulatory calls first. A Norfolk Southern representative member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee announced the change Tuesday night during a public meeting held at Alexandria Police Department headquarters. Alexandria Fire Department Battalion Chief Michael Cross also attended the meeting and confirmed for Patch that his office had been notified of the change. Cross said the Fire Department under the new protocol would immediately examine any potentially dangerous situation such as a spill and determine if additional resources would be needed. The railroad has a transloading …
Monday, October 22, 2012
No injuries were reported.
UPDATE (4:05 P.M.): A fire that damaged a West End apartment Monday began in the kitchen area and caused approximately $20,000 in damage, said Robert Rodriguez, chief fire marshal and community services officer. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Rodriguez said. No one was in the apartment at the time, and two adults and one child living there were displaced and will be relocated, he said. ORIGINAL STORY: City of Alexandria firefighters are continuing to investigate a Monday morning fire at a West End apartment. No one was injured in the fire at 515 N. Armistead St., at Saxony Square apartments, said Robert Rodriguez, chief fire marshal and community services officer. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 11:25 a.m…
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
New station is located on Eisenhower Avenue and will serve West End Alexandria.
Alexandria mayor Bill Euille and other local officials broke ground Saturday morning on a new fire station and impound lot on Eisenhower Avenue. The station will be the Eisenhower Avenue Fire Department Station 210, located at 5255 Eisenhower Ave. The project is part of the City's Capital Improvement Program. The new fire station, which was approved by council in 2008, will provide enhanced emergency response time to Alexandria's West End. The station will provide additional fire department classroom and training facilities and community meeting space, according to the city. Funding for this $16 million project also supports the improvement of the city impound lot and the addition of a new impound lot at 3000 Business Center Drive. …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
A citywide open-house event is part of National Fire Prevention Week.
All Alexandria city fire stations will hold open houses from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in honor of National Fire Prevention Week. Each station will open their doors to the community and provide a number of family-oriented activities, along with fire prevention educational materials. Fire apparatus and station tours will be available. Staff at each station will be available to answer questions about their facility, equipment and the department. The event is free and open to all city residents. Chief Fire Marshal Robert Rodriguez said firefighters also will be performing blood pressure checks and providing home fire safety tips and advice. “This year, we’re emphasizing home escape plans and having two ways out,” he said. “It’s also a good …
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Firefighters can be spotted sporting pink T-shirts during October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Members of Alexandria's Fire Department are fired up for the cause. Fire Chief Adam Thiel has authorized members of the department to wear specially designed pink T-shirts during October, Breast Cancer Awareness month. Proceeds from shirt sales go toward the Alexandria Hospital Breast Cancer Walk Fund at Inova Alexandria Hospital, which provides free mammograms for women who live in Alexandria and need a mammogram but their insurance does not cover it or they do not have insurance. Each fire station has T-shirts available to the public for sale — $15 for a short-sleeve T-shirt and $20 for a long-sleeve shirt. For a full list of stations in Alexandria where you can buy a shirt, click here. Shirts also can be purchased via The Walk website, …
