Morale and staffing are improving at the Alexandria Fire Department after a 49-hour work week was implemented, according to an annual presentation to City Council by Fire Chief Felipe Hernandez Jr. yesterday (Tuesday).
AFD implemented the 49-hour work week in October 2025, reducing weekly hours from 56 as a strategy to improve retention and recruitment. The department achieves the 49 hours with a fourth-shift schedule and “debit day” system. That means firefighters work a 42-hour work week and work an extra day every 24 days to average 49 hours weekly.
“[It has been] very successful, definitely helped improve morale, improving an overtime reduction and also holdovers,” Hernandez said. “We’re not forced to not go home to stay in work overtime. That’s been dropping as well … I want to thank the city manager and [City Council] for your support and helping us make those improvements for the fire department. But the work continues.”
Additional changes to the AFD work schedules are imminent. A 46-hour work week must be implemented by the end of 2028 under the collective bargaining agreement with the Alexandria Firefighters Local 2141 union.
AFD saw five employees rejoin from other departments in the current fiscal year, and another four full-time-equivalent employees are expected to join in the middle of fiscal year 2027. AFD has 348.50 full-time-equivalent employees at its eight fire stations, including 301 in operations. Vacancies stand at five, and 14 recruits started training at the academy on May 26.
“The attrition hasn’t been about people going to other fire departments,” Hernandez said. “I would say it’s been about close to a year since we’ve had someone leave to go to another fire department. These are mostly due to retirements and other people leaving for other life reasons.”
City Council members shared praise with the fire chief on the staffing front.
“The attrition rate, the vacancies, the full classes that we’re getting, I mean, this is amazing,” Council Member Canek Aguirre said. “I mean, this is a big turnaround. I think it’s a testament to the work that you’ve done, and the morale you’ve been able to build within the department.”
Council Member Abdel Elnoubi stressed the importance of creating a positive work environment.
“I think what stood out to me, and I appreciate that you’re focused on, is the hours and the work-life balance, how you’re trying to improve the working conditions for people,” Elnoubi said. “I would just say, continue doing that. I appreciate that, because [it’s] very important if we want to attract the best and the brightest.”
Another highlight for AFD in 2025 was becoming fully accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International for the first time. Hernandez said AFD submitted its first annual compliance report, which was approved with no issues.
A focus for AFD going forward will be examining its EMS model — when it sends out Basic Life Support or Advanced Life Support teams. AFD has four ALS and two BLS units.
Hernandez said AFD made adjustments to its call types in November 2025, which helped 98% of BLS calls remain as BLS responses and 99% of ALS calls as ALS responses.
“Our main goal, plain and simple, we want to make sure we’re making use of efficient resources for our EMS response,” Hernandez said. “Basically, let’s send the appropriate need to the call that’s needed — a BLS call gets BLS services, a call that requires a paramedic gets a paramedic.”
The city is also continuing to plan for a fire station at the future WestEnd development, with about $19.4 million approved for fiscal year 2028 in the 2027-2036 Capital Improvement Program. In a social media update, Mayor Alyia Gaskins noted the highest call volume for AFD’s eight fire stations comes from the West End.
Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley asked the chief about mutual aid to reassure residents that responses from neighboring public safety agencies weren’t due to insufficient staffing in Alexandria. Northern Virginia’s public safety agencies have a mutual aid agreement to assist with nearby emergency responses.
“Basically, we have an agreement, we send the closest unit, so anytime there’s a fire incident, medical, you’ll see Arlington, you’ll see Fairfax,” Hernandez said. “It’s very common. It also helps because when you get that big major incident, we’re all used to working with each other, and we’ll be able to communicate and handle a major incident.”
According to AFD’s presentation, it responded to 28,520 calls in 2025 — including mutual aid to other localities — a 1.4% increase from the previous year.
Gaskins said the fire chief checked on her and AFD personnel provided quality care during her severe dehydration scare at Sails on the Potomac.
“I know it’s not just because I’m the mayor, because I’ve received multiple other emails from residents who said, ‘I had a 911 emergency a month ago, and people in the fire service are still checking on me today,'” Gaskins said. “So, just thank you, all each of you, for the ways in which you continue to show up for this community.”
