Alexandria Fire Department
The Alexandria Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the independent city of Alexandria, Virginia. The department is responsible for with a population of over 148,000. Operations. Marine Operations. The Marine Operations Division was started in 1997 to provide protection in the various waterways in and adjacent to the city. The team is trained in both open water and swiftwater rescue as well as marine firefighting. Two Zodiac inflatables (Boat 204 and Boat 214) are available to be rapidly deployed in all weather conditions. The inflatables are designed to be towed by either Engine  204 or Support Unit 204 (a Chevy Suburban), which is equipped with a variety of water rescue equipment. Additionally the division has a MetaCraft Firestorm 50 fireboat, the "Vigilant", equipped with two attached to 4 fire monitors. Fire Prevention and Life Safety. The Fire Prevention and Life Safety (FPLS) Section is composed of several units – Fire Prevention Inspections, Fire Protection Systems Retesting, Environmental Investigations & Fire Investigations. The Fire Prevention and Life Safety Section is responsible for enforcement of the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code, applicable sections of the Virginia Construction Code and related sections of the Code of the City  of Alexandria. Stations and apparatus. Effective June 12, 2021, the City of Alexandria Fire Department will implement an organizational restructure. It will include Specialty Team relocations, apparatus relocations, Advanced Life Support (ALS) unit upgrades, Battalion Management Teams (BMT), the addition of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) lieutenants and other quality improvements. ALS-Suppression Units will be minimally staffed with (1) ALS provider on several suppression units. Upgrading Engine 201 and Truck 208 to ALS units improves ALS coverage in Old Town and in the Landmark area, to correspond with the higher call volume for medical service in those areas. See AFD  restructuring, June 12, 2021.