Alexandria's newest fire station, which opened this spring with a paramedic team but no firefighters, finally got a fire engine and crew Saturday to cover the booming southwest area of the city, reports The Washington Post.
Fire Chief Robert Dube confirmed Friday that three firefighters and an officer are joining an EMS supervisor at the 45,000-square-foot facility on Eisenhower Avenue, near the Van Dorn Metro station.
"We'll have a mix of veteran and new staff," Dube said. "We were able to hire people who are EMTs or medics and they’ve gone through firefighter training."
The medical transport unit that had been based at the fire station is being moved to the Cameron Mills Road station in Beverly Hills, “after an analysis of call data and response times,” City Manager Mark Jinks said in an email to the City Council.
When Fire Station 210 opened in April, residents questioned how the city could invest $15 million in its construction but not have a full fire crew in place. More than 360 people signed an online petition calling for the necessary funds to staff and equip the station.
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