The mission of the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department (FCVFD) is to aid in the preservation of life and property. This mission is completed in cooperation with the City of Falls Church government and the Arlington County Fire Department. Throughout the year, our volunteers participate and contribute to a myriad of functions related to the public safety of the citizens of the greater Falls Church community. We invite you to explore this site to learn more about our organization. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of service.

This Memorial Day, the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department asks that you please remember the men and women of our Armed Forces who have given their lives for our freedom, who have given the ultimate sacrifice for the United States of America as well as all of those currently serving around the world. Our Department will be marching in the Falls Church Parade tomorrow in their honor.

We hope to see you, your family and friends at the parade cheering us on and celebrating what Memorial Day is truly about!

The 2013 Spring Recruit Class graduated on Saturday during a ceremony held at Station 6 that included speeches by FCVFD Assistant Chief Joe Lowry, FCVFD President Ian Weston and Recruit Jennifer Faust, a certificate and gear presentation, and a video recap of the Recruit School. Members of the FCVFD and recruits' family and friends were on hand to celebrate. Click here to see more photos from the event.

On Saturday, May 11th, the FCVFD was honored by the Island Park Fire Department at their annual installation dinner in Island Park, NY. FCVFD Chief Paul Schomburg and President Ian Weston were in attendance at the event and were recognized for the FCVFD's donation of former Ambulance 106 after IPFD lost their apparatus in Hurricane Sandy. Now serving as Ambulance 222A, the unit is responding to calls around the Island Park and surrounding townships. Click here to see more photos from the event.

Congratulations to FCVFD Deputy Chief Steve Sisler for being awarded the Carrol V. Shreve Award for Meritorious Service by the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce this past Saturday at their Annual Awards Dinner. Deputy Chief Sisler was honored for his continued contributions to the 'well-being and prosperity of the residents of Falls Church and Northern, VA.'

On Tuesday at approximately 10:30am, Arlington County Emergency Communications (ECC) stuck an alarm for a house fire on N. Dinwiddie Street in North Arlington. ECC advised residents were still in the structure, trapped in the basement. The first units on the scene and advised ECC they had a full-involved house fire and began fire attack from the front and rear of the residence. Due to the concern of trapped residents, Battalion Chief 112 transmitted 2nd Alarm and a request for a Rapid Intervention Team to the scene. Crews entered the basement to find the trapped resident and brought the individual to safety. Crews from other units went to work on the fully engulfed 2 story house, stretching multiple hand-lines to fight the fire. Units brought the fire under control about 12:15pm. Twenty-five apparatus responded to the scene from Arlington, Falls Church and Fairfax Fire Departments, including Engine and Truck 106, Light and Air 106 and Canteen 106.

As spring approaches thoughts turn to cleaning up from the long winter, making repairs around the home and enjoying the outdoors. Keeping a few safety thoughts in mind will help you make your spring experience much more enjoyable.

Inside the Home

• Check and clean your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Check for overloaded or damaged extension cords
• Prepare for storm related outages (make sure your flashlights and portable radios have batteries and that other supplies, such as bottled water, are stocked and available)
• Practice exit drills with your family so everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency

Outside and Around the Yard

• Make sure your address numbers are up and visible from the street
• Clean up yard debris. Cut back dead limbs and grasses
• Check outdoor electrical outlets and other electrical appliances
• Get your grill cleaned and serviced. Check all propane tanks and lines for leaks and damage

In the Garage or Shed

• Clean up and properly store paints, pool and yard chemicals
• Check fuel containers for leaks and make sure they are properly stored
• Have all power equipment cleaned, serviced and readied for use

The At approximately 7:08am this morning, Arlington and Fairfax County Fire units were dispatched to Shadow Walk and Little Falls Street for a reported structure fire. Units arriving on scene found heavy fire and smoke coming from the roof of a two-story, single family home. Due to the heavy fire and freezing temperatures, ACFD Battalion Chief 112 transmitted a 2nd alarm which brought additional units including FCVFD Light and Air, Utility and Canteen 106. FCVFD personnel responded and assisted firefighters and apparatus on scene. Units on the scene included ACFD Engines 106, 102, 108, Truck 106, Tower 104, Medic 106, Ambulance Bus 100, EMS 111/112, Battalion Chiefs 111/112, Command Aid 114 and Fairfax Engines 410, 428, Truck 410, Rescue 418, Medic 428.

The Start off the New Year with a resolution to serve your community! Become a member of the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department. The FCVFD is looking for dedicated individuals interested in becoming an operational or administrative member of our department. No experience is necessary. All training provided free. Make a difference - Volunteer today!

Please visit our Membership page to learn more....

With the coming of the new year, the FCVFD encourages a few simple resolutions in order to protect yourself and your loved ones from fire. Eighty percent of fires are preventable and eighty percent of all fire deaths occur in the home. The fight against fire and fire deaths begins long before the first smell of smoke and the first visible flame. This is a battle that we can win through education and prevention.

• Have a working smoke alarm on each level of your home and, if possible, one inside or outside of every bedroom.
• Teach your kids what to do when the alarm sounds, including “crawl low under smoke” and “get out and stay out.”
• Replace smoke alarms that were installed before 2003 with new ones because many smoke alarms have a life expectancy of 10 years or less.
• Develop an escape plan for you and your family including two ways out of each bedroom, and practice it often so that it becomes routine.
• If you are building a new home or remodeling your existing home, talk with your contractor about residential sprinklers. A single residential sprinkler can extinguish or hold a fire at bay until your family can safely escape.
• Never leave food cooking or candles burning when unattended.
• Extinguish all smoking materials and do not smoke in bed.
• Keep all matches and lighters out of the reach of small children.
• Don’t overload extension cords and do not run them under carpets and mattresses.
• Keep combustible materials away from heaters and wood stoves.

Santamobile 2012 is sponsored by
Don Beyer Volvo and Beyer Kia

Each year the volunteers of the Falls Church Fire Department decorate the reserve pumper and escort Santa Claus through the streets of the Greater Falls Church area between 6:30 and 9:30 PM. The first five nights, December 15th through 19th, are dedicated to specific areas within the City of Falls Church proper, with the 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd reserved for make-up nights and excursions into neighboring Arlington and Fairfax Counties. The weather conditions make our schedule subject to change. Santa's helpers will be handing out candy canes and fire safety literature during Santa's rounds.

For More information, please visit the Santa page of our website.

For evening links to Santa Mobile "Santa-Tracker", please visit the FCVFD Facebook page. Santa-Tracker will go live every evening at 6:00pm.

The devastation that Hurricane Sandy caused along the East Coast is immeasurable. In addition to the countless homes and personal property that was lost, local municipalities, including fire departments are trying to cope with the loss of property and equipment while trying to do their basic job of helping the public.

On Monday, November 19th, FCVFD Chief Paul Schomburg and President Ian Weston traveled to Long Island, New York to donate one of our ambulances to the Island Park Volunteer Fire Department. The Department sustained total loss of their apparatus and heavy damage to their facilities and is struggling to restore emergency services to their community. We are very happy to be able to assist our brothers and sisters in need.

See the FCVFD in the news:

• FOX 5 DC
• Washington Post
• WUSA 9 News
• WTOP
• Falls Church News Press
• Falls Church Patch
• Falls Church Post
• Sun Gazette
• Daily Press
• Long Island Press
• VA Fire News
• JEMS
• Fire Engineering

Hurricane Sandy had a significant impact to the northern Virginia region. Members of the FCVFD were at the ready in anticipation of its devastating effects. Beginning at 7pm on Sunday night and extending through 7pm Tuesday evening, FCVFD Volunteers were in service providing additional staffing and units during Hurricane Sandy. During this time Ambulance 102, Utility 106, Utility 106B and Light and Air 106 responded to over 50 calls for service. These included several downed trees and power lines, emergency medical services calls and a structure fire.

In anticipation of increased emergency needs of residents in the City of Falls Church, Arlington County or Fairfax County, should you have a specific emergency below, please utilize the numbers listed to notify emergency personnel:

• Fire and Medical Emergency: 911
• Power Outages: Dominion Virginia Power - 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357)
• Power Outages: BGE – 1-877-778-2222
• Power Outages: Pepco – 1-877-737-2662
• Natural Gas Emergencies: Washington Gas 703-750-1400 or 800-752-7520 (Remember, if you smell gas, leave and call 9-1-1)

Arlington County Specific Numbers
• Arlington Non-Emergency Line: 703-558-2222
• Trees Down: 703-228-6525
• Street Flooding, Water, Sewer and Storm Sewer: 703-228-6555
• Traffic Signal Outages: 703-228-6511

Fairfax County Specific Numbers
• Fairfax Non-Emergency Line: 703-691-2131
• Trees Down: 703-324-8594
• Flooding: 703-877-2800

The National Hurricane Center's latest projection for Hurricane Sandy shows the potential for heavy rains and strong wind hitting the Washington, D.C., area early Monday morning. Take steps to prepare you home and family for the storm. There are three major issues that you should be concerned with: Wind, Rain and localized flooding, and Power Outages. To prepare for a hurricane the FCVFD and FEMA recommend you should take the following measures:

• Keep Informed - Make sure you can arrange to get storm alerts in real-time.
• Make plans to secure your property. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8” marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install. Tape does not prevent windows from breaking.
• Bring things inside that could blow around and cause damage to your or a neighbor's home.
• Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage.
• Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are well trimmed.
• Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
• Consider preparing a safe room if one exists at your residence
• Make sure you have a plan if you are advised to leave your residence
• In case the power may go out for a prolonged period of time, take time now to fill voids in your refrigerator and freezer and stock up on perishables.

For additional information regarding hurricane preparedness, please visit FEMA's Website or Ready.gov. For up to date information on Hurricane Sandy, please visit the following websites:

The Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department and the Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) co-hosted our annual Fire Prevention Week Open House this past Sat, Oct. 13. This was the Department’s largest public education and fire prevention event of the year, which focused on providing individuals and families with important safety information. Hundreds of citizens from the Falls Church and Arlington communities attended the event to learn about the department’s operations, training, and equipment, as well as to learn how to take steps to prevent fires and other hazards. The event featured tours of the fire station, a number of demonstrations including emergency medical services, firefighting, auto extrication and the Falls Church Sherriff's K-9.

Did you ever wonder what it's like to use a fire hose, sit in the driver's seat of a fire truck or have questions on how to protect your family from fire?

Join us at our annual Open House on Saturday, October 15 as we conclude Fire Prevention Week (October 7-13). Firefighters from the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department and the Arlington County Fire Department will conduct fire and emergency medical demonstrations, lead activities for those young and old, provide tours of our station, fire apparatus, tools, equipment and much more! There will also be invaluable fire safety and prevention information available to take home.

Sparky the fire dog is anxiously awaiting this exciting event!

The FCVFD would like to remind you that September is National Preparedness Month. Now in its ninth year, National Preparedness Month is a nationwide, month-long effort hosted by the Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps, encouraging households, businesses and communities to prepare and plan for emergencies.

To help our community prepare for an emergency, the FCVFD is encouraging residents to visit Ready.gov to ensure you and your family is prepared for any and all disasters. Ready.gov provides information on how to put together an emergency supply kit, develop a disaster plan and stay informed about emergency plans that have been established in our area by the state and local government.

For More information, please visit Ready.gov or contact the FCVFD for more information.

The first week of June marks National CPR/AED Awareness Week. The FCVFD and other public health agencies and associations are hoping to raise the public awareness of sudden cardiac arrest, suffered by more than 300,000 people each year (of which 95% don’t survive), and increase the chance of survival that can be achieved by having at least one person in each household trained in CPR and the use of an AED.

We would like to encourage all of the Falls Church and Arlington community to get CPR and AED trained and help improve these survival statistics.

On Monday, May 28th at approximately 5pm, shortly after demobilizing from Memorial Day festivities, the FCVFD was requested by ACFD Battalion 112 to a flood at Cherrydale Healthcare, a high-rise medical facility in Cherrydale. Light and Air 106 and Utility 106 responded and pumped over 4-5 feet of water out of the electrical room at the facility. Units remained on scene for 2 hours ensuring that power was maintained in the building.