I live in the North end of Old Town amid a mix of old rowhouses, newer (1979) built townhouses, new townhouses (Old Town Commons), all of Old Town Greens and Potomac Greens north of Slater’s Lane, a few high rises and many new rental apartment buildings. We are a densely populated part of the city.
We have a firehouse on Powhatan Street that houses a truck, called Engine 204, that can pump water to put out a fire, and it is staffed by three-person teams in shifts. The firehouse also houses a hook and ladder truck which can aid in rescues and has ladders — but no hoses or water pumping capabilities.
In order to distribute Alexandria’s funds throughout the city for the 2015 budget, one of the city manager’s proposals is to move the 3-person teams of firefighters who staff the truck/Engine 204, the one with water pumping capabilities, to the newly-built firehouse on Eisenhower Avenue. That’s nine people leaving the firehouse in the North end of Old Town and moving to the Eisenhower Valley. If that proposal is voted into the 2015 budget by City Council on May 1, it would leave the water pumping Engine 204 in the firehouse garage without people-power to suppress fires here in North Old Town (there is a fire station at Potomac Yard but it is used around the region primarily for Hazmat situations).
Assurances have been made by the city manager and some council members. Most of these have been met with skepticism, and a growing amount of concern for our safety, by increasing numbers of North Old Town residents, as they come to understand the situation and the implications for their safety.
I understand that hard decisions must be made, but safety is one of the fundamental roles of government and should not be sacrificed.
Marianne Anderson
Alexandria