Central Nova News

The Alexandria Fire Department is set to participate in the 28th annual Rescue Challenge from May 6-9. This event will feature live rescue training scenarios on the underside of Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

Twelve teams from Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and the U.S. Army will converge in Northern Virginia for this four-day challenge. The event will take place at various locations across the region daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Community members should be aware of these teams' activities during the Rescue Challenge, as they will involve scenarios that may resemble emergencies, including those at Woodrow Wilson Bridge, visible from Jones Point Park. A dummy will be suspended from the bridge twice each day for practice rescues; this exercise will not disrupt traffic flow.

The scenarios are designed to test participants' technical skills and teamwork while enhancing their abilities in hazardous environments. These exercises aim to ensure that the Alexandria Fire Department is well-prepared to maintain community safety.

Participants include technical rescue professionals from several regions: City of Alexandria, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, Prince William County, and the US Army's 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company. They have collaborated with local public and private entities to develop challenging scenarios at different times and locations:

In Alexandria:

- Woodrow Wilson Bridge

- DCFD Training Academy

In Arlington:

- Arlington County Fire Department Training Academy

In Fairfax:

- Lorton Training Site

- Fort Belvoir

- Army Museum

In Loudoun:

- Loudon County Fire and Rescue Training Academy

- Luck Stone

In Prince William:

- Prince William County Public Safety Training Academy

- Gainesville

- Prince William County Fire and Rescue Training Academy

For reasonable disability accommodation inquiries or assistance in other languages through free interpretation and translation services, contact Erin.Mustian@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.5186 (Virginia Relay 711) or email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3960.