Helicopter Rescue
The CIty of Fairfax Fire Departement responded for a patient with a medical emergency who required helicopter transport to a speciality hospital in Washington, DC. A safe landing zone was establiGeorge Mason University for our partners at Fairfax County Police Department Helicopters Unit. The patient was stabilized and flown to the hospital for care and is expected to make a full recovery. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department George Mason University Police Department City of Fairfax Government
Surprise Rescue
We had a little bit of a surprise rescue this week... While on scene at an incident, our friendly neighborhood Starship robot became hung up in our fire hose. We were very happy and proud to help him along his way... #cutelittleguy #helpeveryone #starshiprobots #bestcommunity City of Fairfax Government Starship Technologies City of Fairfax Fire Department Fairfax City Economic Development Authority
Happy Birthday Max
Last week, firefighters from Station 403 were able to bring some smiles to a big fan from the City of Fairfax community. FE403 stopped by to wish our neighbor Max a very happy birthday (while still observing safe social distance practices, of course). We would like to thank Max’s family and friends for letting us be a small part of his special day. #HappyBirthdayMax #CommunityFirst #CityofFairfax
Happy Halloween. This morning Master Firefighter Josh McCuin stopped by Daniels Run Elementary and helped with the morning announcements. Which are done with live video, by the way. He offered some great Halloween safety tips, so we offer them here in a “behind the scenes” look. Be careful out there tonight!
OEM promotional video
The City's Office of Emergency Management recently had a video produced highlighting some of their work. Take a look and see how you can be better informed and prepared for the unforeseen.
Fill the Boot 2019
The City's communications team filmed a short video with A-shift before they hit the streets for Fill the Boot today. But let's be real, a lot of us don't have cash with us in this age of swiping and waving phones to pay for everything. True story, your friendly CFFD Facebook administrator owes the guy in this video from Emergency Management $10. If he had a website set up to receive the money I probably would have paid him a long time ago. Luckily, this year there is a website set up for you to donate to MDA Greater Washington, DC, and if you use our team page that donation stays local. No cash, no problem, you can still help change a life. Thank you!
www.filltheboot.donordrive.com/team/5871
Free Smoke Alarms
Do you live in the City of Fairfax? Was your house or condo built more than 10 years ago? Chances are really good that if it was, and you don't know when you last installed smoke alarms, you need new ones. Call us, we'll schedule a time to come out and evaluate what you have for free. Then we'll either install new smoke alarms or work with you to understand the finer points of what your system needs depending on your circumstances. Thanks to the City of Fairfax Government Communications folks for putting this promo video together and to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department for obtaining a grant to fund the alarms we're presently distributing. Hollywood hasn't come calling for our actor yet, but we hope you will!
You know how most folks look up when they hear a helicopter? We do it too. Fairfax County Police Department assisted us with an air medical transport of an injured person from a landing zone set up at Fairfax City Parks and Recreation’s Stafford Park field today.
CFFD live fire training 2018
Yesterday we posted a few photos from our annual live burn training. Today we have a video for you, we hope you enjoy it. If you just want to see the "blooper reel" skip to the end.
A surprise thank you visit
We had a really great thank you visit from a family that attends a school we pass by regularly near the station. Unfortunately we're only able to successfully share this one video, but the two younger kids in the background here also did an excellent dance routine, and we covered the (really big) kitchen table with the hand made thank you bags they brought. We're so grateful for all the time and talent that was shared with us!
The highlight of our National Night Out rounds so far has been this playing of the anthem by Jacob Chroussis.
Last night CFFD swiftwater rescue personnel operating off Tower Ladder 403 (which carries basic water rescue equipment) brought a motorist to safety from a flooded roadway in the Fairfax Station area. The individual was located standing on the hood of their car in rising water. A few days ago another driver was rescued from the roof of their fully submerged car, a slip into the current from which would have almost certainly been fatal. Choosing to enter flooded areas is the leading cause of flood related death, and these rescues are extremely dangerous for our personnel. Flood waters often conceal downed live power lines, washed out roadways and other hazards, in addition to frequently containing hazardous substances washed into the water when it rises beyond normal levels. Please; #turnarounddontdrown.
Tiller Truck driver's training, pre-teen version.
The McCuin family tiller truck. Built by our own Josh McCuin's father for Josh's girls, this amazing tiller truck has fully functional rear steering and we understand working ladder extension and outriggers are coming very soon.
Signs of Spring
We accomplish a lot of our classroom based training and recertifications in the winter months by design, but with spring many of our annual outdoor training and testing events return, as do a few fun extras. We put together a quick "highlight reel" of some of these from the past couple of weeks, everything from presentation of the colors at a Washington Nationals game, to the last Work Performance Evaluation our current Senior Officer, Captain Joe Schumacher, will ever have to complete. We hope you enjoy, and we thank Ms. Jen Jacobsen for the audio of her performance of the National Anthem during the featured baseball game, as well as the video from the field.
Surprise Visitor
Today A shift conducted regular Continuing Medical Education training on several topics, including our Rescue Task Force ballistic gear. There was one special addition to the schedule though. PFC William Schmidt arrived home for a visit from U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys (Camp Humphreys), South Korea, where he is presently assigned. His sister, Kathryn Schmidt, who works for us, did not know he was coming home. So we stuck him in a CFFD uniform and hid him in the crowd. Let's see if she notices...
First call for the new Foam Engine at 4:56pm today with Medic 403.
Smoke Removal Drill
Many of our training drills are very simple, short, and focus on only one or two parts of a much larger, and more complex task. Come along with us in this video as we work on smoke removal from a basement. The only objective of this drill was clearing theatrical smoke from the basement area of our dedicated training house using our battery powered BlowHard Fans ventilation fans. Because these fans, which move upwards of 10,000 cubic feet per minute of air can run on battery power as well as traditional corded power we now have a huge number of options for placing them in difficult ventilation scenarios.
We’ve shown how our newest employees have gone through a training and verification process for their basic firefighting skills. Today C-shift conducted drills focused on moving past basics to one-person hoseline movement (a task which is usually thought of as requiring two firefighters at a minimum) and self-rescue using only a rope, with no harness or descent control devices. Although we by no means are suggesting that members should operate hoselines alone, or use a potentially risky bail-out technique if other options exist both drills enable our members to operate beyond what they might have thought their limitations were.
CFFD/FXCO Tanker Drill
Although virtually all areas of the City are well supported by fire hydrants there are areas immediately around us which are not, making the ability to provide water for firefighting via tankers and drafting from static water sources such as ponds essential. Earlier this month CFFD members trained alongside Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department personnel on static water drafting and tanker fill procedures.
Every year all uniformed CFFD personnel are required to complete the Work Performance Evaluation, a timed series of physical tasks designed to recreate as closely as possible various physical demands of the job. Today we're sharing a quick look at one of the sessions from this year.
This page is about us and what we do, but it's for you, the people who take the time to look at our posts. So right now we're asking for your help to do the best job we can for you. This video is a first for us, an effort to edit footage from an extended period into a short clip. So our question to all of you is, how much more of this type of content would you like to see? We won't abandon still photos, but if there's an interest we will try to tell our story this way more often. We'll also try to get better at these, because we know this one is a little rough around the edges. Thank you all for your thoughts and for following along with us here!
We talk a lot about our people because we think they're worth talking about. This morning we'd really like you to take a minute or two and read what someone else said about them. This letter has been modified to remove personally identifying information. It is otherwise word for word as it arrived on the fire chief's desk.
22 October 2016
John O'Neal, Fire Chief
4081 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
Fire Chief O’Neal,
On [date redacted] 2016, my mother experienced cardiac arrest [patient information redacted] in Fairfax City. Engine Company 403, Medic Unit 433 and Battalion Chief 443 were dispatched to assist her. Faced with an incredibly complicated medical situation these individuals acted professionally and quickly to begin life saving techniques on her. I’m writing to let you know that I appreciate everything done to save her life. It was because of their heroic efforts of your team that my mother survived and is now at home recovering.
Please extend my heartfelt gratitude to Medic 433 (Lieutenant Bruce Ruggeri, Fire Medic Tim Stefanson and Fire Medic Jeffery Wallace), Engine 403 (Captain Joe Schumacher, Technician Jeremy Whelpley, Firefighter Derek Slusher and Firefighter Chris Butters) and Battalion 443 (Chief Mark Ciarrocca). I thank them for caring, for their compassion and their devotion to patients like my mother. Without exception they are all amazing and wonderful people.
Similarly, please extend my sincerest appreciation to Lieutenant Bruce Ruggeri and Battalion Chief Mark Ciarrocca for their kindness, empathy, concern and extreme professionalism. Both took the time to explain the situation to me, they answered all of my questions and even sat with me until my mother stabilized and my family arrived at the hospital. They are both extraordinary people who went well above the call of duty for my family. I’ll never be able to repay them and wish for them to know that I will forever be in their debt. They are true assets to our com
Hello from the Park Police
Labor Day Weekend marks the end of the recreational boating season for many in the Fairfax area. For the Swiftwater rescue personnel of the City of Fairfax Fire Department it just means it's time to get the drysuits out. We train regularly to provide year-round water rescue capability, and always like when we see our friends out on the river. In this video the United States Park Police conduct a low flyover of the Great Falls area during a boat operations exercise. Video courtesy of Lt John Jeniec.
They might not have meant to, but the City couldn't have put this warning sign in a better place. Luckily the two new medic units just added to our fleet feature highly efficient and very bright LED scene lighting positioned to illuminate a full 360 degrees around the vehicle for safer and more effective operations after dark.
An accredited and ISO Class 1 rating fire department serving the City of Fairfax, Virginia.
