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ACFD to Start Administering Field Blood Transfusions

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Fire Department is taking new measures that could help save some critically injured or ill patients.

The department announced yesterday that it is rolling out a new “whole blood” program this month, in which medics will be trained to administer blood transfusions in the field for people suffering life-threatening bleeding.

The blood will be carried in climate-controlled compartments in EMS supervisor vehicles — the fire department SUVs with the Caduceus on the side.

By administering blood in the field, patients will receive critical care for blood loss significantly faster, ACFD said, noting that it can otherwise take up to 30-45 minutes to receive blood when a patient is transported to the hospital. The department says that 20-30 people per year are likely to benefit from field blood transfusions in Arlington.

The program is being rolled out to other Northern Virginia fire departments, as well. Public safety officials, meanwhile, are urging residents to give blood to ensure the region has an adequate supply.

More from ACFD:

Beginning this month, the Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) will carry whole blood as part of a regional EMS initiative to bring lifesaving treatment to patients with major, life-threatening bleeding before arriving at the hospital.

ACFD estimates that 20-30 people per year in Arlington County will benefit from this treatment.

Life-threatening bleeding, such as from trauma or other medical ailments, is usually treated by rushing patients to the hospital to receive a blood transfusion. This transport of patients can delay treatment for the blood loss for upwards of 30-45 minutes in some instances.

Recent research has shown that not only is whole blood more beneficial for the patient than blood that has been split into components, but also that early administration is better for critical patients who need blood. Previously whole blood was only available on medevac helicopters.

Developed by a regional coalition of EMS experts from the Arlington County Fire Department, Loudoun County Fire Department, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, and the Northern Virginia EMS Council, and partnering with Inova Blood Donor Services, the EMS field whole blood program will allow ACFD paramedics to administer this lifesaving treatment within the first few minutes of arrival at the patient’s side.

The Northern Virginia region will be the second EMS regional coalition to develop this program nationally and the first on the East Coast.

“The field whole blood program represents cutting edge EMS treatment and utilizes the most recent medical research and lessons learned from the military,” said Dr. E Reed Smith, the Arlington County Fire and Police Department Operational Medical Director. “With more than 2.5 million people in the Northern Virginia region, this is one of — if not the — largest field administered whole blood program in the nation.”

Dr. Smith added, “Heroes give blood. The Arlington County Fire Department wants to remind everyone that anyone can be a hero and encourages anyone who can donate blood to do so and join the ‘Whole Blood Brigade’.”

As part of the new program, the ACFD EMS Supervisor medical response vehicles have been equipped with climate-controlled compartments and special carrying containers that ensure the blood supply is kept at a proper temperature while it is stored.

ACFD Advanced Practice Officers (APO), the most advanced trained paramedics in the Arlington County Fire Department, received whole blood administration training in August and will be the operational leaders for blood transfusions by ACFD. In September, as the program is rolled out, the entire EMS force will be trained to assist when blood transfusion is initiated in the field.

With the logistics, training, and operations of implementing a new program now established, ACFD and Loudoun County Fire and Rescue will be the first two agencies in the Northern Virginia EMS Council to implement this program. However, any jurisdiction that is a member of the Northern Virginia EMS Council may tap into this program for their EMS agency.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

More APS Tech Issues Reported — Several people contacted ARLnow yesterday to report more technology issues involving remote learning. While Wakefield High School’s principal posted a possible fix on social media, APS spokesman Frank Bellavia said that any remaining problems were isolated: “At last check this morning, there were 25,273 APS-provided student devices active on our network. There are some issues at the secondary level, but we are working directly with those students to reset their devices.” [Twitter, Twitter]

Sept. 11 Commemoration Tomorrow — “Arlington County will commemorate the lives lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and express gratitude to all those who responded that day with a virtual event. To ensure everyone’s safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, the public will view the event online or on the County’s cable channels.” [Arlington County]

State Grant to Boost COVID Testing — “The Virginia Department of Health has provided the Department of Human Services with $320,287 to increase COVID-19 testing capacity. The grant award covers the period August 1, 2020 through December 30, 2020. Grant funds will support operations and logistics at testing sites.” [Arlington County]

Amazon Holding Virtual Career Day — “Amazon is looking to build on the success of last year’s Career Day events across six U.S. cities that hosted 17,000 job seekers with over 200,000 people who applied for jobs in the week leading up to the event. The new completely virtual event will open Amazon Career Day 2020 to everyone, regardless of their location. Some of the new employees will be placed at Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia, which is continuing to expand following its opening last year.” [Good Morning America, Amazon, WTOP]

Progress on DCA Expansion — “Project Journey is well on its way. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority this week offered an update on its two-pronged, roughly $650 million modernization program at Reagan National Airport. The final product will deliver a new north concourse, replacing the oft-maligned Gate 35X, and new security checkpoints. The former is expected to open in July 2021, and the latter by the fourth quarter of 2021.” [Washington Business Journal, NBC 4, InsideNova]

Wide Pedestrian Bridge Proposed — “The final EIS for Long Bridge recommended building 14′ wide pedestrian and bike bridge connecting Long Bridge, the MVT and East Potomac Park. Governor Northam committed to funding pre-COVID. This will be huge for regional trail connectivity.” [Twitter, Friends of the Mt. Vernon Trail]

Police: Woman Touched Inappropriately on Local Trail

By ARLnow.com

Police are looking for a man they say ran up to a woman on a local trail and touched her inappropriately.

The incident happened around 10 a.m. Saturday, on the Custis Trail near Lee Highway and the Spout Run Parkway.

Police searched the trail and the surrounding area for the suspect, but he was able to get away. He’s now being sought on a potential charge of sexual battery.

More from an Arlington County Police Department crime report, below.

SEXUAL BATTERY, 2020-09080051, 3100 block of Lee Highway. At approximately 9:58 a.m. on September 8, police were dispatched to the report of an assault just occurred. Upon arrival, it was determined that at approximately 9:50 a.m., the victim was walking on the trail when she observed the suspect walking towards her from a distance. She subsequently turned around and began walking away from the suspect, who increased his pace, closing the distance between them. The suspect caught up to the victim, grabbed her hip, and touched her inappropriately. The victim yelled, prompting the suspect to flee on foot prior to police arrival. The victim was not injured. The suspect is described as a Black male, 35-40 years old, with an afro, wearing a long sleeve red flannel shirt with a white shirt underneath, shorts, and a blue surgical mask. The investigation is ongoing.

Wanted Man Arrested in Va. Square After Foot Chase

By ARLnow.com

An 18-year-old Arlington man was arrested Tuesday morning after a brief foot chase through Virginia Square.

Police say they were initially called after a man allegedly spit on an employee inside a business on the 3500 block of Wilson Blvd. That block includes a 7-Eleven store, but the Arlington County Police Department typically does not name the business in which a crime occurs.

After officers spotted the suspect near N. Oakland Street and tried to place him in handcuffs, he took off on foot, according to ACPD. He was ultimately taken into custody at gunpoint in front of the Brookdale Arlington assisted living facility at 3821 Wilson Blvd, according to photos and scanner traffic at the time.

The man — who was wanted in Montgomery County, Maryland — is now facing numerous charges. More from an ACPD crime report:

OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE (Significant), 2020-09080057, 3500 block of Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 10:45 a.m. on September 8, police were dispatched to the report of a disorderly subject who had allegedly spit on an employee of a business. Arriving officers located a subject matching the description in the area of N. Oakland Street and 7th Street N. and made contact with him. The suspect provided officers with a false name, and, while attempting to identify him using law enforcement resources, he was determined to be wanted out of Montgomery County. As officers attempted to place him in handcuffs, he fled on foot. Following a brief foot pursuit, the suspect was taken into custody. Andre Hicks, 18, of Arlington, Va., was arrested and charged with Obstruction of Justice, Identity Theft, Assault & Battery, and Fugitive from Justice.

Photo courtesy Todd B.

BREAKING: Fire Department Investigating Smoke in Metro Tunnel

By ARLnow.com
1/2

(Updated at 2 p.m.) All Metro service between Foggy Bottom and Clarendon has been suspended due to smoke in a Metro tunnel near the Courthouse station.

A large fire department response is on scene in Courthouse, investigating the issue. Riders are being evacuated from the Courthouse station, where a light haze was reported in the platform area.

Firefighters are looking into a possible electrical issue between the Rosslyn and Courthouse stations.

Simultaneously, a possible communications problem in the tunnels has been reported. Firefighters and the fire liaison at Metro’s rail control center are currently communicating on Arlington’s fire department response radio channel, however.

As of 11:30 a.m., about 45 minutes after the first dispatch, firefighters and Metro emergency response personnel were still on scene, trying to determine what, if anything, is on fire. An empty train is being brought in to help with the investigation. Around 12:45 p.m., firefighters were told that the issue is believed to be a burning electrical insulator.

As of 2 p.m., service on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines had been restored, according to Metro.

Former Wendy’s Site in Courthouse to Remain Vacant into 2021

By ARLnow.com
1/3

A prime triangle of land in Courthouse is expected to remain largely vacant through next year.

The property at the corner of Wilson Blvd. and N. Courthouse Road once housed a Wendy’s. The fast food restaurant was torn down in 2016, in anticipation of the construction of a 12-story office building, which was approved the year before. More than four years after the demolition, however, there’s still no office building.

Instead, the lot has been used as a construction staging site over the past year, and this weekend the Arlington County Board is expected to approve the renewal of the construction staging use permit.

In a report to the Board, county staff say the lot is still needed for the construction of a new condo building at 2000 Clarendon Blvd, after the project was delayed by the pandemic.

“Although the approved use was initially anticipated to last no longer than one (1) year, the applicant has requested to extend the use for additional time due to delays in construction related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the staff report says. “At the current time, the applicant is utilizing this site primarily for contractor parking.”

If approved, the use permit for the staging site would be valid for another year before the next County Board review. The 2000 Clarendon Blvd project is expected to wrap up in 2021.

Also in the report, county staff note that some nearby residents have complained about trash in and around the former Wendy’s site. That is being addressed, the report says.

This is a one (1) year review of a use permit associated with a site plan for a temporary off-site contractor’s storage and staging area, located at 2026 and 2038 Wilson Blvd. Radnor/Fort-Myer Heights Civic Association, the host civic association expressed concerns regarding maintenance of the sidewalk and trash pick-up around the site. Staff has relayed these comments to the applicant who acknowledged that he will remind contractors parking at this location to not litter within the public right-of-way.

In April, the County Board extended the approved site plan for the office building at the Wendy’s site for another three years, through July 1, 2023.

Sign Proposed for Top of New PBS Headquarters in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
1/2

PBS is asking the Arlington County Board permission to add its logo to the top of its new headquarters in Crystal City.

The public broadcasting network is moving from its current space at 2100 Crystal Drive to the northern corner of the neighborhood, at 1225 S. Clark Street, after signing a 15-year-lease for 120,000 square feet of office space last year.

There’s just one problem: the new headquarters building has a condition placed on it, from its original county approval in 1979, specifying that no rooftop signs be placed. PBS is asking the County Board, at its meeting this Saturday, to scrap the 40-year-old restriction and allow its logo to grace the top of the office tower.

From a county staff report:

The subject site consists of four (4) office buildings on individual parcels of land, and the associated underground parking; the buildings also have a small amount of below grade retail in the Crystal City Underground. The buildings are part of the larger Crystal Gateway mixed-use site plan that was originally approved in its current form by the County Board in 1979, with an additional major amendment approved in 1984. Crystal Gateway has approximately 1,380,000 square feet of office and commercial use and 242 dwelling units in two (2) condominium buildings.

The original approval of the Crystal Gateway site plan in 1979 included a condition (#3) that prohibited the installation of rooftop signs. A comprehensive sign plan for the Crystal Gateway site plan project was initially approved by the County Board in 1983 and was amended several times. Additionally, the site plan has been amended twice to specifically allow rooftop signs on separate office buildings within the project boundaries. The applicant now requests that the restrictive condition prohibiting the installation of rooftop signs be eliminated to allow for sign permits to be obtained for the buildings in a manner consistent with the current provisions of Article 13 of the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance

The new PBS headquarters is located next to the U.S. Marshals Service headquarters and a couple of blocks from Amazon’s under-construction HQ2.

“We are thrilled that PBS will remain in Crystal City, especially during such a transformative and exciting time for this community,” PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger said last year. “Keeping our headquarters in Arlington is great for PBS and our employees, and we’re proud to call ‘National Landing’ our home.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County Announces ‘Health Equity’ Program — “Arlington County Government, Arlington Public Schools and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) are collaborating to increase access to COVID support services in communities disproportionately affected by the virus as part of the state’s Health Equity Pilot Program.” [Arlington County]

Group Calls for Removal of Police from APS — “Today, the Black Parents of Arlington, an advocacy group dedicated to improving the lives of Black children in Arlington by securing equitable treatment in the realms of education, criminal justice, and access to opportunities and resources, formally called for the removal of School Resource Officers from all APS schools and facilities.” The local NAACP made a similar call for the removal of SROs earlier this summer. [Press Release]

Police Share Back to School Tips — “The Police Department typically marks the start of the academic year by reinforcing transportation safety tips to ensure that our roadways are safely shared with students heading back to school. With the shift to distance learning, we’re sharing tips to help students stay safe at home and online.” [Arlington County]

Ballston Tech Firm Acquires NYC Company — “Since last fall, celebrity-backed HUNGRY Marketplace Inc. has been using its technology to connect top local chefs with New York businesses looking for the best in catered meals. Now the company is deepening its Manhattan presence with the purchase of Ripe, the local corporate catering service that sees healthy office dining as a way to build better communities and foster new ideas among coworkers.” [New York Business Journal]

Disaster Preparedness Tips — “National Preparedness Month (NPM) each September promotes family and community disaster planning now and throughout the year. As our nation continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no better time to get involved.” [Arlington County]

Photo courtesy Josh Folb

BREAKING: Large Police Response on Columbia Pike

By ARLnow.com
1/12

(Updated at 11:15 a.m.) Columbia Pike was blocked in both directions between S. Highland Street and Walter Reed Drive Tuesday evening due to a significant police incident.

A police spokeswoman tells ARLnow that three officers were attacked by a combative person inside a business. DCist identified that business as the Virginia ABC store, reporting that police were called after a drunk man stumbled in and started angrily yelling at employees and other customers.

“At approximately 6:25 p.m., police were dispatched to the report of a fight inside a business in the 2900 block of Columbia Pike,” said Arlington County Police Department spokeswoman Ashley Savage. “Arriving officers made contact with the suspect, who was combative and assaulted three officers.”

The officers called for backup, leading to the large emergency response. Nearly a dozen police vehicles and two ambulances could be seen on traffic cameras.

“The officers are being transported to an area hospital with injuries that are considered non-life threatening,” Savage said. “The suspect was taken into custody and is being transported to an area hospital for evaluation.”

The closed portion of Columbia Pike reopened around 7:45 p.m.

On Wednesday morning, ACPD released more information about the incident in its daily crime report.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, 2020-09080136, 2900 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 6:25 p.m. on September 8, police were dispatched to the report of an intoxicated male inside a business who was allegedly acting disorderly after being refused service. Shortly after the initial call, the reporting party updated that the suspect was now fighting with customers inside the business and was threatening employees. Arriving officers located the male suspect outside the business. When officers attempted to handcuff the suspect, he became combative, actively resisted and assaulted three officers. During the struggle, two officers suffered head injuries and one officer was kicked and struck by the suspect. Officers were able to gain control of the suspect and take him into custody. The suspect was not injured. The officers were transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. As a precaution, the suspect was transported to an area hospital for evaluation. Once medically cleared, Daniel Michael, 45, of No Fixed Address was arrested and charged with Malicious Wounding on Law Enforcement (x2), Assault and Battery on Police, Assault & Battery (x2). He was held on no bond.

Arlington Teen Named One Of Top 300 Middle School Scientists in U.S.

By Joseph Ramos
1/2

An Arlington teen was named as a top 300 finalist in a national science project competition.

Eyuel Berhanu, a rising 9th grader who went to Thomas Jefferson Middle School, is one of the Top 300 MASTERS in the annual Broadcom MASTERS science fair, which is billed as the nation’s premier Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) competition for middle schoolers.

Eyuel, 14, studied mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) in his project. His uncle is a civil engineer, and through him Eyuel became interested in highway entrance ramps and the reinforced dirt that typically supports them.

For his project, Eyuel tested how adding different types of reinforcement to sand affected the sand’s strength.

“We had a little cube with the top open, and filled it with sand then a type of reinforcement,” Eyuel said. “The reinforcement is very strong, so we couldn’t just put weights on it. We had to stand on it, and the most we had was 300 pounds of weight on it and it didn’t crumble.”

Through research, Eyuel identified the most common types of MSE reinforcements used in construction, and tested each. Between metal strips, ladder metal, plastic geogrid and metal mesh, he found geogrid to be the most effective.

The project was based on a paper Eyuel wrote as a part of the Virginia Junior Academy of Science in late 2019. In January 2020, he submitted his work to Thomas Jefferson’s school science fair, and won first prize.

This advanced him to the Northern Virginia regional science fair, where Eyuel placed in the top 10% of competitors and was nominated to Broadcom MASTERS.

From there, he was selected to the top 300 from an applicant pool of 3,476 students. Eyuel said being chosen from such a large group was surreal, and he had trouble believing it when he first read the email telling him the news.

Eyuel said he pursued science projects out of his passion for STEM.

“My love for science and math [got me involved]. I want to be an engineer when I grow up, so that’s what got me into STEM and science projects like this,” Eyuel said.

When Eyuel was in 7th grade, he said he entered his middle school’s science fair and placed third, failing to qualify for regionals. Having now advanced from his school’s fair to the national stage, Eyuel’s dad, Teguwaze Berhanu, said he thinks persistence is a lesson that Eyuel has taken from his journey.

“He worked a lot and he spent a lot of time,” Berhanu said. “He tried in 7th grade and didn’t make it to regionals. And he tried again and did. He learned that by doing things again and again, he can achieve whatever he wants.”

Eyuel is starting as a freshman in Washington-Liberty High School’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program this school year.  He said he is looking forward to challenging himself in higher level math and science courses, and is excited to compete in science fairs at the high school level.

Photos courtesy the Berhanu family

JUST IN: Sewage Leak Prompts Warning About Local Stream

By ARLnow.com
1/2

Locals should avoid contact with Little Pimmit Run north of Williamsburg Blvd due to a sewage leak.

A leak in a sanitary sewer line may be contaminating the stream, the county said Tuesday afternoon in an Arlington Alert.

“Due to a sanitary line leak, avoid contact with Little Pimmit Run downstream of Williamsburg Blvd,” the county said. “Crew on scene addressing the issue. Unknown completion time.”

Little Pimmit Run winds through Upper Pimmit Run Park, near Jamestown Elementary, as well as other portions of North Arlington and McLean. It flows into Pimmit Run near the GW Parkway, before making its way into the Potomac River near Chain Bridge.

Photo (2) via Google Maps

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