Inova Alexandria Hospital recently donated a portable lifesaving device to the Alexandria Fire Department.
The ZOLL AutoPulse resuscitation system can cost upward of $7,500, and “delivers consistent, high-quality chest compressions during cardiac arrest, supporting critical care,” according to the AutoPulse website.
The Alexandria Police Department and its public safety partners are getting into the spirit of the season.
Next Wednesday (Oct. 29), APD is hosting a trunk-or-treat event in the parking lot at police headquarters (3600 Wheeler Avenue), and residents are encouraged to wear costumes and get candy from the trunks of Alexandria public safety vehicles.
The Alexandria Fire Department assisted in extinguishing a fire at a home in the 5800 Block of Queens Gate Court in the Franconia area of Fairfax County on Sunday morning (Oct. 12).
No injuries were reported. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and AFD responded to the blaze at the two-level home at 8:10 a.m., and the fire was extinguished around 30 minutes later, according to radio dispatches.
The Alexandria Fire Department rescued one person who was pinned in their vehicle after crashing into a parked tractor-trailer in the city’s West End on Sunday, Oct. 12.
The crash was reported at around 2:45 p.m. in the 4100 block of Wheeler Avenue, and the victim was removed from the vehicle 30 minutes later, according to dispatch reports. The pinned driver was bleeding from the head and chest, was alert and conscious, and was transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to dispatches.
Alexandria firefighters have begun working under a new schedule that reduces their weekly hours from 56 to 49, the culmination of a staffing overhaul that has dramatically improved retention at the fire department.
The shift to a four-shift, 49-hour work week marks a significant change for first responders who have worked under one of the longest schedules in public service for decades, according to a news release provided to ALXnow on Saturday from Alexandria Firefighters Inc. IAFF Local 2141.
The Alexandria Fire Department is seeking former employees ahead of the 50th anniversary of its Fire Alarm Headquarters, set to be celebrated in 2026.
The department began hiring its first civilian dispatchers in January 1976 to handle all fire and emergency medical calls within the city 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The change allowed firefighters previously assigned to Fire Alarm Headquarters to return to suppression duties or retire.
Here’s a rundown of our top stories.
Our top story this week is on the Thursday, Sept. 11, announcement that Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) will expand its Alexandria headquarters and create 1,200 new jobs over the next five years as part of a $46.9 million investment across Northern Virginia. The defense contractor bought, and will renovate, a 239,000-square-foot office building at 2001 N. Beauregard Street. Attendees at the announcement included Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay.
Alexandria leaders commemorated the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on Thursday, Sept. 11, and reflected on the personal and societal impacts that followed.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins was joined by Sheriff Sean Casey, Fire Chief Felipe Hernandez, Jr., and Police Chief Tarrick McGuire onstage at Market Square in front of City Hall (301 King Street). Gaskins urged the audience to “remember the lives lost on 9/11 and to look forward with hope and a call to action for peace and a better world.”
A dog died in a high-rise apartment fire at 1202 S. Washington Street on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 9).
The Alexandria Fire Department responded to the blaze at an apartment on the eighth floor just before 4 p.m. and found “dark smoke conditions,” as well as a smoldering mattress and a deceased dog in a cage by the bed, according to AFD dispatches.
The Alexandria Fire Department will soon open its doors to the public as part of its free eight-week fall fire academy.
The deadline is Sept. 20 (Saturday) to apply for the hands-on program, which runs from Oct. 6 to Nov. 10, and space is limited to 12 participants who are at least 18 years of age. The classes are held on Mondays from 6 to 9 p.m., and participants can expect to learn about fire safety, the history of the department, daily life within AFD, and more.
Good morning, Alexandria! 👋 Today is Sunday, Aug. 24, the 236th day of 2025. There are 129 days left in the year.
🌧️ Today’s weather: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 3 p.m., then a slight chance of thunderstorms after 4 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. South wind 5 to 8 mph. The chance of precipitation is 20%.
