Fire station hosts the public at an open house
Children got a chance to explore fire trucks, ambulances, and the Fairfax 1 helicopter at the Annandale Volunteer Fire Department’s open house on Oct. 11, while also getting a lesson in fire prevention.
As a volunteer-run fire department, the two stations in Annandale – at 7128 Columbia Pike and 8914 Little River Turnpike – depend on financial contributions from the public.
Only staffing costs for front-line professional personnel and one ladder truck are covered by the Fairfax County budget, said AVFD Chief Bill Richmond at the open house at Station #408 on Columbia Pike. Everything else, including additional equipment and building maintenance, is covered by the AVFD.
The station will be getting two new ambulances soon, at $400,000 each, said AVFD President Roger Waller. The last time the AVFD acquired an ambulance, before the pandemic, it cost $200,000. The AVFD recently spent $500,000 to replace the air conditioning units on the roof.
The AVFD raises about $200,000 a year, mostly from the bingo games it runs on Monday and Thursday nights, Waller said. The rest comes from donations from residents and businesses.
While costs are rising, donations are declining, Waller said, mostly due to economic uncertainty resulting from the federal workforce layoffs.
At the open house, AVFD staff demonstrated the station’s new health monitor from the Zoll medical company, acquired with a $38,000 grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. The device can be used to check blood pressure and oxygen levels, conduct EKG monitoring, and revive people with an AED (automated external defibrillator).
The fire stations’ open house events – held at all Fairfax County fire stations on Oct. 11 – were scheduled during National Fire Prevention Week.
That date is significant, said Waller. National Fire Prevention Week always takes place during the week of Oct. 9, the date of the Great Chicago Fire that destroyed much of the city in 1871.
The theme of this year’s fire prevention week focused on safety around lithium-ion batteries. Waller said the fire department is seeing an increase in calls involving devices using those batteries, which can explode if overheated. Even an overheated phone under a pillow can cause a fire, he said.