fire department

Arlington Assisting with Water Rescues in Fairfax County

By ARLnow.com

Update at 6:25 p.m. — Another ACFD unit has been dispatched to a swift water rescue at the intersection of Braddock Road and Little River Turnpike in Lincolnia.

Update at 4:50 p.m. — At this point we’ve heard at least three four ACFD units dispatched to assist with swift water rescues.

Several squads from the Arlington County Fire Department have been dispatched to Fairfax County to assist with swift water rescues.

The first mutual aid call came in just after 3:00 p.m. Units have been dispatched to locations like Oakton and Great Falls.

While Arlington has remained fairly dry for much of the afternoon, a line of heavy rains has been soaking parts of Fairfax County for several hours. Via Twitter, there have been several reports of flooding on portions of Route 50, Route 123 and the Dulles Toll Road.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Businesses Encouraged By Action on Sign Ordinance — Business owners are hopeful that the new, proposed changes to the sign ordinance will dramatically “streamline” the time-consuming, costly process for getting signs approved in Arlington. [Washington Examiner]

DJO Student’s Dry-Cleaning Research Makes Headlines — It’s not everyday that a high school sophomore’s science project makes it into an peer-reviewed academic research journal, but that’s exactly what happened to Bishop O’Connell High School student Alexa Dantzler. The 15-year-old’s research on chemicals that remain on clothing after dry-cleaning, conducted with the help of the Georgetown University chemistry department, was formally published last week. [Washington Post]

Gay Service Members Honored — Two prominent ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ repeal advocates celebrated their retirement from the military during a ceremony at the Air Force Memorial on Sunday. [The Advocate]

Flags Flying in Rosslyn for 9/11 — Buildings in Rosslyn are flying the American flag this week in honor of the victims of 9/11. [Rosslyn Blog]

Arlington Fire Chief Remembers 9/11 Response — Arlington County Fire Chief James Schwartz was recently interviewed about the department’s role as the “primary response agency” to the Pentagon on 9/11. “There isn’t a lot of time to dwell on the enormity… you’ve got to go to work right away,” he said.” [Firehouse.com]

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Historic ‘Arlington Oak’ Toppled — A historic tree in Arlington National Cemetery is now firewood thanks to Hurricane Irene. The cemetery revealed last night that the ‘Arlington Oak’ at the Kennedy gravesite had been knocked down by the storm’s high winds and steady rains. “That tree had a significant legacy here,” said a cemetery official. [CBS News]

Firefighters Collecting for MDA — Arlington’s firefighters are out “filling the boot” at busy intersections to collect money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. A medic crew was out at the intersection of Glebe Road and Columbia Pike last night, and the crew from Engine 109 was spotted out in the Shirlington area, among others. [Shirlington Village Blog]

Are Arlington’s Green Grants Worth It? — Arlington received $3.2 million in federal green energy grants in 2009, according to an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. But was it worth it? One of the grants — $300,000 — was spent to place solar panels on the roof of the Arlington Central Library, a move expected to save some $150,000 over 10-15 years. The Journal opines that it may not be the best investment to give “one of the five wealthiest counties in America free money.” [Wall Street Journal]

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

UPDATED: Accident at Ballston Construction Site

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:25 p.m.) Arlington County firefighters and paramedics helped to rescue an injured construction worker from one of the top floors of an unfinished office building in Ballston.

A large piece of glass reportedly fell on a worker on the 9th floor of the construction site at 800 N. Glebe Road around 12:30 p.m. Rescuers were apparently able to get the man down several flights of narrow stairs before loading him on to the basket of a ladder truck five floors below. The ladder was then lowered down to ground level as bystanders watched from across the street.

The man’s injuries were not said to be life-threatening.

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UPDATED: Man Killed After Car Falls On Him

By ARLnow.com

A man was seriously injured after a car on which he was working fell on top of him in the Douglas Park neighborhood of South Arlington.

The man reportedly had the car propped up on a small jack when something when wrong and the vehicle fell on him. Police, firefighters and paramedics responded and managed to remove him from underneath the vehicle, a Toyota Camry sedan.

Police aren’t commenting yet on the man’s condition, but initial reports suggest his injuries were very serious. The incident happened in an apartment parking area off of the 1100 block of S. Thomas Street.

Update at 5:00 p.m. — Police have now confirmed that the victim died from his injuries.

The Arlington County Police Department is investigating the death of a man that occurred this morning.

At approximately 11:40 a.m., police and medic units were called to the 1100 block of South Thomas Street for a person injured while working on a motor vehicle. Upon arrival, it was apparent that the person was deceased. The victim has been identified as Miguel A. Interiano, 63, of Arlington. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone who has information about this incident is asked to call the Arlington County Police Department Tip Line at 703 228-4242, or Detective Cynthia Garcia at (703) 228-4195.

Emergency Exercise to be Held at Pentagon City Mall

By ARLnow.com

The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City mall will be the site of a large-scale emergency training exercise next weekend.

From 4:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 28, first responders from Arlington’s police, fire and sheriff’s departments, as well as the Arlington County Office of Emergency Management and the Alexandria Police Department, will conduct a joint training exercise inside the mall.

“The purpose of the exercise is to test the response of Arlington County’s public safety agencies in a simulated emergency situation,” Arlington Police said in a statement. No word on the exact type of emergency that will be simulated.

“Residents are advised that there could be some temporary traffic delays as emergency equipment is moved into place,” the statement said. “There will be a large number of public safety vehicles in the area of The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, The Arlington County Trades buildings, and several parking lots along Army Navy Drive across from the mall. The vehicles will not use their lights or sirens during the exercise. The mall will open for normal shopping hours.”

“Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Arlington County has devoted its resources to emergency preparedness,” the statement continued. “This exercise is one example of the many ways the agencies of the National Capital Region train to ‘expect the unexpected.'”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Police Searching For Serial Groper — Arlington Police are on the lookout for a man who has been assaulting women and girls by grabbing their breasts as they walk down the street. Among the victims are Eastern European women working as lifeguards and a 13-year-old girl. The attacks started in June. [WUSA9]

Virginia NOW Endorsements — The Virginia National Organization for Women PAC has endorsed four Arlington candidates for state office. Virginia NOW endorsed both Adam Ebbin and Libby Garvey in the three-way race for the 30th state Senate District (skipping over Rob Krupicka). The group also endorsed both Stephanie Clifford and Alfonso Lopez in the two-way race for the 49th House of Delegates District. [Virginia NOW]

Arlington Helps Battle Arlandria Fire — Arlington County firefighters helped Alexandria firefighters extinguish a two-alarm blaze at an apartment complex in the Arlandria section of Alexandria yesterday. The fire, across from St. Rita’s Catholic Church, forced the closure of Russell Road between Mt. Vernon Avenue and W. Glebe Road for much of the morning. [Patch]

Areizaga-Soto Funnels More Money into Campaign — State Senate candidate Jaime Areizaga-Soto has lent his campaign another $70,000, in addition to the $145,000 he already loaned to the campaign. [Sun Gazette]

Flickr pool photo by Chris Rief

Arlington Plans 9/11 Commemorations

By ARLnow.com

We’re one month away from the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and Arlington is planning several events to commemorate the solemn occasion.

On Saturday, Sept. 10 Arlington County will host a special 9/11 tribute event to honor the 184 people who perished during the terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

“The event will be held at the Air Force Memorial and will be emceed by ACFD Lieutenant Dave Santini, with an invocation by ACFD Chaplin Reverend Leonard L. Hamlin, live instrumental music and a vocalist to lead attendees in singing ‘America the Beautiful,'” according to the county web site. “This event is free and open to the public.”

Also on Sept. 10, Arlington’s public safety personnel are hosting a 9/11 memorial 5K race in Pentagon City. Registration for the race, which benefits several 9/11-related charities, is still open.

Another annual public safety-sponsored commemorative event, the First Responders Cup softball tournament, will take place Sept. 9 to 11 at three separate South Arlington fields.

For anyone interested in giving back to the community to honor the memory of 9/11 victims, Arlington County is compiling volunteer opportunities for the 9/11 Day of Service. Among the options is a Sept. 10 and 11 grocery store food drive to benefit the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

More information on 9/11 events in Arlington can be found on the county’s “Arlington Remembers September 11, 2001” web page.

Discounted Registration for 9-11 5K Ends Today

By ARLnow.com

Registration for the Arlington Police, Fire & Sheriff 9-11 Memorial 5K Run will get more expensive after today.

The annual race will be held on Sept. 10 this year. Registration is $25 today, $30 from Aug. 5 to Sept. 9 and $35 on race day. Teams (including firefighter, law enforcement and military teams) need to be registered by Sept. 1.

The race will kick off at 6:00 p.m. from the DoubleTree Hotel in Pentagon City (300 Army Navy Drive). Runners will follow a course that will take them past parts of the Pentagon. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attack on the World Trader Center and the Pentagon.

Proceeds from the race will benefit 9-11 related charities, including the Fisher House Foundation, the Wounded Warrior Project, Operation Purple, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and the Pentagon Memorial Fund.

Organizers are looking for volunteers to work on race day. Volunteers will be asked to pass out food and water and assist with other race duties. Anyone interested in volunteering can find more information here.

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

Hazmat Situation Near Roosevelt Island

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) The Arlington County Fire Department is on the scene of a hazardous materials situation near Roosevelt Island.

U.S. Park Police, Arlington County Fire Department, and Alexandria Fire Department all responded when someone called in concerns about an odd smell.  Crews found the small spill in a creek near the entrance to the island and put booms in the water to contain it. Arrangements are being made to reinforce the boom when the tide changes so no containment is lost.

U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. David Schlosser says tests are being done on the substance to determine exactly what it is.  Based on the odor, coloration and gelling it is believed to be a petroleum product, possibly a type of diesel fuel.

Nobody was injured from inhaling fumes. Schlosser says it would be very unlikely that this type of product would cause respiratory harm, but workers stationed at the spill are being monitored for any signs of illness.

The National Park Service has arranged for a hazmat mitigation company to clean up the product, but is not sure yet when that team will arrive. Emergency crews will remain at the scene until the clean up is complete.

It’s possible that the bridge connecting Roosevelt Island to the parking lot may have to be shut down temporarily, but for now, pedestrians are being allowed to pass. Investigators are now working to find 0ut who or what spilled the substance.

Explosion at Senior Community Near Ballston

By ARLnow.com

A suspected gas explosion rocked a high-rise senior living community near Ballston this morning.

One person was flown to a burn center after the explosion, inside The Carlin apartments at 4300 N. Carlin Springs Road, according to Arlington Fire Department spokesman Lt. Gregg Karl. No other injuries were reported.

About 100 residents have been displaced while authorities check the structural integrity of the building, Karl said. They’re being temporarily housed in a nearby church.

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