HISTORY

HISTORY OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt presided over the laying of the cornerstone of the original terminal building of Washington National Airport on September 28, 1940. As a part of his New Deal government, President Roosevelt’s response to the commercialization of aviation was beginning to take shape after this site was first considered in July of 1927. Gravelly Point was finally chosen based upon convenience and the presence of government holdings adjacent to the area. The US Army Corps of Engineers completed a monstrous landfill task that included the creation of 527 acres of dredged materials. Additionally, a portion of the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway (now known as the George Washington Memorial Parkway) had to be relocated to accommodate airport roadways.

The first federally funded commercial airport in the nation opened its doors on June 16, 1941 at the cost of over $13 million dollars. The airport encompasses eight hundred and sixty acres bordered on three sides by water. From the Civil Aeronautics Authority, to the Federal Aviation Administration, to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority of today, National has come a long way. Wartime saw the creation of the Washington National Airport Army Air Base with a military passenger terminal and military hangar that remained quite active through the mid 1940’s. Many additions over the years helped the airport grow to keep up with the popularity of commercial aviation as a means of travel.

The original fire station was placed in service in 1941. It was a three bay station facing Mount Vernon Memorial Highway and located where the rental car maintenance facility currently exists. This station was for structural apparatus only and housed three engines: a 530A, 530B and a Ward LaFrance 750 gpm. There was originally no station for the crash apparatus so they were housed in an aircraft hangar until an airfield station was constructed.

The second fire station was constructed in 1943 on the north end of the airport adjacent to the former commuter terminal. This building had three original bays and housed the crash apparatus. Two additional bays were added later. A variety of military crash apparatus was utilized and Walter crash trucks dominated the fleet in later years. In 1969, the structural station was closed and the engines were moved to the crash station. This building was utilized until the winter of 1982, when the current station was completed.

The military fire engines and Ward LaFrances were eventually replaced with a pair of American LaFrance engines, one being a 1971 900 Series. This engine which was originally designated Red-116, served faithfully until it was retired in 1990. Known in later years as Red-327 and Engine-62, it was sold to the Manassas Rescue Squad who converted the apparatus to a rescue squad. The second American LaFrance was replaced in 1981 with a White/Car Mar 1500 gpm engine. The American LaFrance was sent to Dulles Airport and it responded to the famous Frederick County, Virginia tire fire. It is reported that the engine pumped faithfully for weeks, and ownership of the engine was transferred to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Also in 1981, a 1967 Ford/Howe 750 gpm engine was acquired from NASA. In the mid 1980’s, the pump and tank were removed and the apparatus was converted into a disaster supply unit. In 1990, the department acquired a Pierce Arrow 1500 gpm engine, designated Engine-62, and later Rescue Engine-327.  1991 saw the advent of truck service at National with the purchase of a Pierce Arrow 1500 gpm 75’ rear mount aerial. This truck replaced the 1981 White/CarMar.

The shift commander once operated a Willys Jeep that carried a dry chemical system. This unit was replaced with a 1974 Dodge Power Wagon with an Ansul Purple K system that was also operated by the shift commander. In 1986, a new Chevrolet C30 was placed in service and Boyertown remounted the body of the 1974 unit. A pump and tank was added by American Fire Equipment Company in 1993. This unit is now cross staffed as needed, and the Shift Commander operates a 1996 Ford Club Wagon van. Other units that saw service at National included a Ford pickup truck with aircraft stairs, a 1000 gallon foam trailer and a floodlight unit.

The 1980’s brought a new fleet of crash trucks to the airport. All of the Walter apparatus were replaced by Oshkosh units starting with the purchase of a military version Oshkosh P-15 in 1980. This huge unit boasted two 1250 gpm pumps, 6100 gallons of water and 515 gallons of foam. In 1981, an Oshkosh T-6 was purchased. This unit has a 1200 gpm pump and carries 1585 gallons of water and 205 gallons of foam. An Oshkosh T-12 was placed in service in 1982. It had an 1800 gpm pump and carried 3170 gallons of water and 410 gallons of foam. The P-15 was retired in 1995 and replaced with an Oshkosh T-3000 with a 2000 gpm pump, 3000 gallons of water and 420 gallons of foam. A second T-3000 replaced the T-12 in 1997. The T-6 remains in service and is scheduled for replacement next year.

A 1966 Ford van carried mass casualty medical supplies and was in service until the early 1980’s. The 1967 disaster unit was replaced in 1991 with a 1993 GMC/Thomas bus. This unit lasted until February 1992 when it was replaced with an identical bus. The bus was converted into a dive rescue vehicle in 1993 when a 1978 Ford beverage type truck was placed in service as Special Emergency Response Vehicle-329. It carries mass casualty incident supplies and equipment, technical rescue equipment, an air cascade system and a 15 KW generator.

Emergency Medical Services were originally handled by the police department and by a doctor and a nurse from the airport’s first aid branch using a yellow Cadillac ambulance. The original Cadillac ambulance was transferred to the fire department in the 1970’s, and was replaced with a Swab shortly thereafter. A Chevrolet/Atlantic Research ambulance was placed in service in 1975 and was upgraded to an advanced life support unit around 1980. The early 1980’s also saw the advent of the region’s first paramedic engine company. The 1971 American LaFrance carried a cardiac monitor, drug box and intubation equipment, as well as basic life support equipment. A new Chevrolet/Wheeled Coach medic unit was placed in service in 1984. In 1989, the department purchased a Ford E350/Yankee Coach medic unit. This unit remained in service until 1996 when a Freightliner/Aero MedicMaster medic unit was placed in service.

The department has quite an extensive marine unit history, based on the airport’s proximity to the Potomac River. The first boat was reported to be a 32’ fiberglass cabin cruiser which was seized from Cuban drug traffickers by the DEA. It was placed in service in the early 1970’s. This boat later sank in the old boathouse. Later in the 1970’s, a jet type boat and two 17’ fiberglass rescue craft were placed in service. In 1981, a 22’ Panther airboat was acquired. A 1982 22’ Air International airboat was placed in service shortly after the crash of Air Florida Flight 90. In response to this disaster, an underwater dive rescue team was established with a combination of firefighters and police officers. A 40’ utility boat was acquired from the United States Coast Guard in the early 1980’s. A similar boat from the Coast Guard replaced the original 40’ boat and it was replaced in 1991 with a new 29’ Seahawk. Additional boats included a 1974 16’ Boston Whaler and a 19’ Hovertronics hovercraft which were later replaced. The current marine fleet consists of the 29’ Seahawk, a 1982 22’ Boston Whaler, a 1995 22’ Alumtech airboat, a 1996 21’ Boston Whaler and 1996 22’ Airgator airboat. The 1983 dive team bus was replaced with a 1997 Chevrolet/Lynch Display Vans unit. The river rescue personnel also utilize two Chevrolet Suburbans.

The year 1980 saw the consolidation of National and Dulles airports into one organization known as the Metropolitan Washington Airports. This in turn provided for the establishment of one fire department. This system continued to be controlled by the federal government until 1987. During the seventies and eighties, it was evident that National was in dire need of renovations and improvement and Dulles was long overdue for expansion. The airport earned revenue from increased traffic, but the revenue could not be utilized for improvements, as it went directly into the federal general fund. After a long political debate, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority was formed and the transfer of both National and Dulles airports from the federal government with a fifty year lease was authorized by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Act of 1986. The newly established Authority took over control of both airports on June 7, 1987. This authority is a cooperative effort between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia, governed by a thirteen member Board of Directors appointed by the governor of Virginia, the mayor of the District of Columbia, and the governor of Maryland and the President of the United States.

Almost immediately, progress began with improvements to buildings, roadways and passenger services. The highlight of the capital development program at National was the new terminal building, which opened for business on July 27, 1997. President William Clinton signed legislation on February 6, 1998 which changed the name of the airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The fire department at both airports is responsible for a vast array of emergency activities which include not only aircraft emergencies, but also structural firefighting, emergency medical services, technical rescue, hazardous material incident response, water rescue and response to incidents involving the Metrorail transportation system. The highly successful customer service program has been made a top priority through such initiatives as CPR, first aid and fire extinguisher training for airport employees, and blood pressure screenings in the terminal on a regular basis.

National Airport’s current fire station features five drive through bays, living quarters, offices, a communications center and a physical training room. Staffing includes fifty one shift work personnel, plus a daytime Deputy Chief. A third shift was added in 1987 with the establishment of the Authority. Each of these three shifts is comprised of a Battalion Chief, Captain, two Lieutenants, three paramedics, Assistant Fire Marshal and nine Firefighters. All shift work personnel are certified to a minimum of EMT-B. They follow the Northern Virginia shift schedule based upon a fifty six hour work week.

Headquarters staff includes a Vice President for Public Safety, Fire Chief, Assistant Chief, one Fire Marshal Battalion Chief, one Training Battalion Chief and three training Captains.

In response to the increased challenges of special rescue situations, the Technical Rescue Team was formed last year to handle high angle and confined space rescue situations. The department has committed a great deal of funding for training and the purchase of equipment to prepare this team for service. Mass casualty incident response continues to be the primary mission of the department. The Special Emergency Response Vehicle carries supplies and equipment capable of handling over 150 patients. A great deal of planning and work have gone into this unit with features such as an oxygen system which supplies several manifolds for oxygen delivery to critically ill patients, special supplies to deal with pediatric trauma, extensive biohazard protection and cleanup material and a vast array of basic trauma management supplies.

From a modest facility that served only one million passengers in 1946, progressing to today’s state of the art facility serving over sixteen million passengers annually, National Airport has overcome many hurdles. Priding themselves in protecting the capital area’s traveling public, the fire and rescue personnel at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are ready to face and overcome the challenges of the new millennium.