10/9/2019– Arlington County Board Member Matt DeFerranti, Fire Chief Dave Povlitz and DES Director Greg Emanuel spoke to the Fairlington Civic Association about the future of Fire Station 7 and made recommendations for moving forward. ACFD.DES_.Station.7.Community.Update.2019.10.10.Final_ (1)
View the engineering report here Fire Station 7 engineering report
View the ADA review here Fire Station 7_ ADA Analysis
7/18/19 – DES has completed the inspection and provided possible options moving forward. The County is reviewing the results of the inspection and recommendations to figure out the best course of action to take.
1/25/19 – Asbestos abatement has been underway this week and should be completed today. Next week, the general contractor should be in station to begin cutting walls and the apparatus bay slab to allow further structural inspection. Once that is done, and the structural engineer is able to verify the condition of the walls and slab, appropriate repairs will be determined and hopefully started soon after.
11/27/18 – A comprehensive structural study is going to be conducted on Station 7. It is expected to last 4-6 months. No work will begin until after that study is done.
10/30/18 – Today, Engine 107 will officially begin the temporary relocation as they move up to Station #4 in Clarendon. This move will precipitate the further moves of Rescue 104 from Station #4 to Station #3 in Cherrydale and Fire Marshal 113 from Station #3 to Station 8 in Halls Hill. These moves were done to keep the Engine 107 in a temperature-controlled environment while creating the least impact possible on service across the county. These unit moves will remain in effect until engineers can figure out the options and ACFD and the Department of Environmental Services identify a plan moving forward for Fire Station #7.
10/24/18 – Recently, an engineering investigation was initiated after Fire Station #7’s personnel inquired about noises they heard when Engine 107 pulled in or out of the apparatus bay. Part of the crew living quarters are located below the apparatus bay. Non-invasive testing was done and identified some structural concerns. First, the floor was built many decades ago and was not designed to handle the weight of modern fire engines, which has almost doubled since the station was built. Second, with the additional weight, engineers found that the steel and the concrete structures of the flooring were no longer working in unison to support the load. The noise the crews heard was the concrete and steel in the floor rubbing against one another as they were flexing at different rates
Engineers are researching possible fixes, but this will require a more thorough inspection of the concrete slab. That cannot be completed for approximately 30-60 days, and it will require the crew to be housed elsewhere while the assessment is completed. Since Engine 107 can no longer be kept in the apparatus bay, the crew is forced to keep it outside. Dropping temperatures create freezing issues for the water stored in the truck for fire suppression and the medications that are kept on it for Emergency Medical Services.
The need to keep the apparatus in a temperature-controlled environment requires ACFD to move Engine 107 to another fire station until engineers can figure out the options and ACFD and the Department of Environmental Services identify a plan for Fire Station #7. On October 30, 2018, Engine 107 will move to Station #4 in Clarendon, Rescue 104 will move to Station #3 in Cherrydale and Fire Marshal 113 will move to Station 8 on Lee Highway.
The proximity of Fire Station #9 and our mutual aid agreements with Alexandria and Fairfax County will ensure that Fairlington and Shirlington continue to receive expeditious fire and Emergency Medical Services. While there may be a slight increase in response times to residences right around Station 7, most areas of Fairlington will maintain similar response times to those seen with Engine 107 responding from Station #7.
Arlington County Fire Department is committed to providing the same level of professional services to Fairlington, Shirlington and the surrounding neighborhoods while we work through the issues with Fire Station #7. Fire Department representatives will be meeting with neighborhood associations to address any questions or concerns, and they will be keeping the community informed as the situation is updated. We will also update this web page as new information becomes available.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Public Information Officer, Captain Justin Tirelli at 703-228-5566 or FirePIO@arlingtonva.us
