Fire-EMS Dispatches Up In Vienna, McLean Areas: Report

MCLEAN, VA—Dispatches for fires and EMS are up in the greater Vienna and McLean areas of Fairfax County, according to the fire department's new annual report.

In fiscal year 2018 (ended on June 30), Fairfax County Fire and Rescue responded to 103,946 incidents in the county and surrounding jurisdictions, a 2.6 percent increase from the previous year. The county had six fatal fires, all of which were accidental. Fiscal year 2017 had seen one incendiary and two accidental fires.

The report provides statistics for each battalion, broken up into seven zones around the county. Battalion 402 generally covers Vienna, Wolf Trap, Merrifield, Dunn Loring, Tysons Corner and McLean. The battalion handled 4,050 dispatches for fires in fiscal year 2018, an increase of 289. EMS dispatches slightly rose to 12,377.

The report mentions some of the response challenges for the battalion, from the bicyclists and pedestrians on the W&OD Trail to Metro and the Potomac River. Of the 18,193 dispatches in the battalion, 67 percent involved EMS or rescue, 2 percent were fires, 3 percent were hazardous conditions and 13 percent were false alarms or malfunctions.

The battalion had an average 5.18 minute response time for the first EMS unit arriving and 5.83 minutes for the first fire unit arriving. The quickest response times in the county were 4.58 minutes for EMS and 5.63 minutes for fire (Falls Church-Annandale areas).

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue is the state's largest fire department with more than 1,400 uniformed personnel, 355 volunteers, 175 full-time civilians and 38 fire and rescue stations.

See the full report here.

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