After concern that his officers were working too much overtime, Alexandria Fire Chief Corey Smedley temporarily put an engine out of service on Sunday night (Dec. 19).
The move was enough to prompt the International Association of Firefighters’ Local 2141 to put out a public safety alert on social media.
****Public Safety Alert**** Engine 205 which serves the Old Town West, Rosemont, Eisenhower East and Southern Del Ray Neighborhoods is currently closed for the evening due to staffing shortages. Another Emergency Response Reduction due to AFD’s staffing Crisis. pic.twitter.com/JUXfyHzAvr
— IAFF Local 2141 (@IAFFLocal2141) December 20, 2021
Smedley said that fire apparatus go out of service all the time for a number of issues, including training, maintenance, and community outreach events. Still, he said, staff have continued to express concern over working mandatory overtime, and says it is impacting their lives, from “child care issues to mental exhaustion.”
“I was also concerned about some who were on shift and approaching maximum consecutive work hours,” Smedley told ALXnow. “Considering all of these factors and the high rate of those working mandatory overtime, the Fire Department initiated a portion of its continuity of operations plan by placing Engine 205 out of service at 7 p.m. on December 19 to relieve some of the pressure on our workforce.”
The unions tweeted that such reductions are now common occurrences, and that other closures have been made in recent months.
This is another response reduction in recent months which includes the closure of the Rescue 209 in Potomac Yard/ Del Ray, and the downgrading of service at Medic 207 located at Duke Street and Quaker Lane.
— IAFF Local 2141 (@IAFFLocal2141) December 20, 2021
The engine returned to service the following day.
“Based on our data, this was the least impactful timeframe of the day for call volume,” Smedley said. “We ensured advanced medical service was covered across the city by moving the engine’s paramedic to Truck 205 and informing our mutual aid partners of the temporary change in operations.”
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Monarch Montessori School located in the heart of Del Ray is enrolling children 6 weeks to 6 years of age for our half day and full day program.
Our hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday-Friday. Monarch Montessori School is open year round, with intermittent breaks.
Children engage in self-directed, self-initiated activities under the guidance of a trained Montessori teacher. Classroom sizes range from 8-12 students. Our robust curriculum includes botany, sensorial activities, the social graces, culture, math, science, practical life, geography, music appreciation and language arts.
You’ll get half off of the registration fee when you register and begin care with us before April 30, 2023.
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Clients and patients are becoming more aware of the requirements of HIPAA compliance and how the regulation protects their personal information. Forward-thinking providers like EDBS Dental Billing Solutions choose the HIPAA Seal of Compliance to differentiate their services.
Del Ray Dog Fest & Yappy Hour
The 1st Annual Del Ray Dog Fest is a fun outdoor event that will include dog-centered activities, dog menu items, live music, vendors and food on Sunday, April 2 from 11am- 3pm at the George Washington Middle School parking lot.
