IAFF Arlington

RICHMOND, Va. —The Virginia Public Sector Labor coalition — which comprises Virginia AFL-CIO; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); American Federation of Teachers; American Federation of Teachers-American Association of University Professors; Communications Workers of America (CWA); SEIU Virginia 512; Virginia Education Association (VEA); Virginia Professional Fire Fighters (VPFF); UNITE HERE; and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 — today issued the following joint statement calling on the Virginia General Assembly to reject Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s proposed changes to historic collective bargaining legislation that would allow more than half a million public service workers — including teachers, firefighters, county and city workers, state workers, and home care workers — the freedom to collectively bargain for fair wages, benefits and working conditions:

“For the past six years, the Virginia Public Sector labor coalition, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers across the Commonwealth, has fought alongside state legislators to secure a seat at the table for those workers. The comprehensive collective bargaining legislation that passed the General Assembly furthered the promise of affordability and was a historic step toward dignity, fairness, and a voice on the job.

“While the governor could have opted to strengthen the bill by amending it to include all higher education workers, she instead chose to exclude more workers, diminish worker protections, and force many local public service workers — including teachers, firefighters and social workers — to wait until the next decade for collective bargaining rights. The dozens of changes made to the bill weaken the ability of workers to bargain meaningful contracts.

“The governor’s changes would remove many of the guaranteed worker protections from the law and put their future in the hands of the uncertain regulatory process. This move bypasses the General Assembly and grants any governor the power to derail collective bargaining without a single public vote. Under the governor’s substitute version of the bill, many workers who currently have collective bargaining agreements would actually have fewer protections than they do now. For example, in the event of a workplace dispute between a worker and management, the General Assembly’s version of the bill allows binding arbitration, which provides a fair and final roadmap for resolving conflicts, protecting workers from management overreach while ensuring employers have the labor stability and certainty they need to keep public services running smoothly. In the governor’s version of the bill, the decision of a neutral third-party arbiter would only be considered advisory rather than binding.

“The freedom to bargain for a fair contract should belong to the workers who power our Commonwealth, not to politicians. Collective bargaining is the standard in a majority of states and throughout the private sector; it is a proven tool for building a stable, professional workforce. Right now, we are losing many of our best teachers and firefighters because they lack a voice on the job. This legislation isn’t just about fairness—it is a critical solution to our public sector retention crisis. By ensuring fair pay and workplace stability, the original bill stands as the session’s most significant win for economic affordability. On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Virginia workers we represent, we urge the General Assembly to reject this substitute.”

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⚠️ Risking Lives for 0.02% of the Budget? ⚠️

A newly released GIS study using the County’s own data reveals that cutting Arlington's heavy rescues will drastically increase public risk. By eliminating Rescue 102 and 109, we face a 55% drop in our ability to assemble the necessary personnel within 8 minutes.

The savings? A mere 0.02% of the budget, or just 2.4% of the new revenue from the advertised 2-cent real estate tax increase.

Union President Brian Lynch says it best: "Reducing our heavy rescue capabilities will greatly increase the risk to everyone who lives, works, or visits Arlington."

Help us stop these cuts! Read the study:
https://gis.iaff.org/portal/apps/storymaps/stories/2cc83f2d15be41bdb2469fbc73f8c2f0

WTOP News Washington Post

WHAT IS THE BACK UP PLAN?
If we consolidate our heavy rescues down to just one truck, the County says we will just rely on "mutual aid" from Fairfax or Alexandria to bail us out.

But what happens when their trucks aren't available? The Fire Department has failed to provide any data or plans for this incredibly common scenario.

Think about a worst-case emergency at the Rosslyn Metro station. Deep underground rescues require immense manpower and specialized, heavy equipment. In fact, the standard operating procedure (SOP) across Northern Virginia dictates that a minimum of TWO heavy rescues must be dispatched to any Metro emergency. Under the County Manager's proposed budget, Arlington would only have one.

If our single rescue is already on a call, and mutual aid is tied up, our firefighters will be left without the tools necessary to mount an adequate response.

Budget savings shouldn't come at the cost of catastrophic failure during a disaster.
Tell the County Board to reject the rescue cuts!

LOCATION MATTERS: Arlington's emergency response is at risk — and your neighborhood may not be covered.

The County Manager is proposing to eliminate both Rescue units at Station 2 and Station 9 and replace them with a single heavy rescue truck operating exclusively out of Station 1.

Right now, Arlington is protected by two heavy rescue units strategically placed to ensure rapid response times across the county.

Restricting our heavy rescue response to just Station 1 slashes our 8-minute response road coverage from 59% down to a terrifying 28%. That is a loss of more than HALF of our coverage area.

THE DANGEROUS MATH BEHIND THE CONSOLIDATION PLAN

Current 8-Minute Heavy Rescue Coverage (Stations 2 & 9):
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 59%
(More than half the county is covered)

Proposed 8-Minute Heavy Rescue Coverage (Station 1 Only):
🟥🟥🟥⬛⬛⬛ 28%
(Coverage is slashed by more than HALF)

That means a massive portion of our community will face potential dangerous delays waiting for equipment and personnel needed in an emergence event. This isn't just a budget cut; it's a massive loss in public safety.

The 42-hour workweek isn't just a talking point—it’s the future of the fire service.

Across the DMV, the landscape is shifting. Neighboring jurisdictions are already actively dropping their hours, and with the Virginia General Assembly's recent passage of HB 1333 encouraging a 42-hour standard, the momentum is clear. A 42-hour workweek will become the norm.

It is time for the Arlington County Fire Department to get ahead of the curve. Moving toward a 42-hour schedule is critical for reducing burnout, improving the long-term health of our personnel, and ensuring ACFD remains a competitive department for recruitment and retention.

The passage of Maryland’s 42-hour firefighter work week bill marks a significant step forward for our profession.

A more sustainable work schedule allows firefighters to perform at a higher level while also being present for their families.

We appreciate the efforts of the lawmakers, advocates, and fire service professionals behind the scenes who worked to make this a reality. Their commitment to supporting firefighters and strengthening public safety does not go unnoticed.

This is meaningful progress, and we will continue to advocate for the health of firefighters. Next step, signing this into law with the Governor.

55% Drop in Coverage + Delayed Backups = Danger for Arlington 📉

If the County cuts a heavy rescue to create a single Rescue 101, what happens when it's already on a call?

Computer modeling shows that when Rescue 101 is tied up, ACFD’s ability to quickly assemble a response for high-hazard emergencies plummets from 30% down to just 13%—a devastating 55% decrease in coverage.

What’s the County's backup plan when this happens? Wait for automatic aid. But with Fairfax's 10-minute out-of-county dispatch delay, our residents and firefighters will be left waiting while emergencies worsen. We need our own resources to protect our 26 square miles and 240,000 residents

Stand with Local 2800 and demand we protect our Rescues!

Today, a car smashed through a building in Arlington, requiring complex structural shoring to prevent a collapse.

This type of emergency demands certified Technical Rescue personnel and specialized heavy equipment —exactly what Rescue 102 provides. Yet, the County Manager wants to CUT Rescue 102 from the budget!

Today proves we cannot afford to lose this critical, life-saving fire truck.


Maureen Coffey Takis For Arlington Susan for Arlington JD Spain, Sr. for Arlington County Board Matt de Ferranti for Arlington

Arlington County Virginia – Government

Firefighters are trying to shore up a building in Arlington after a car smashed through it on Monday.
READ MORE: https://bit.ly/4lZpw7h

Fire chief says consolidating 2 Arlington heavy rescues could increase response times As budget discussions continue in Arlington Countty, the proposed changes to the Arlington County Fire Department (ACFD) has the union worried for the community

Firefighters’ union raises alarms about proposed cuts to rescue units in Arlington - WTOP News A budget proposal in Arlington, Virginia, would combine two specialized fire rescue units into one, a move their union said would cut staff and slow response times.

Why are you so scared of solutions?? It blows my mind that fire service leaders still refuse to acknowledge that our profession is drowning. There is a national recruitment and retention crisis, not to mention the litany of work related d*aths that plague us.

The downstream cost of this mismanagement is astronomical, with taxpayers’ money squandered on avoidable overtime and training recruits who turn around and leave for other departments.

Most importantly, the impact on our firefighters and their families is nothing short of disgusting. The very people responsible for this crisis go home at 5pm every night whilst their firefighters are forced into unending mandatory overtime. 56 hour sleepless work weeks become upward of 80. This has an irrefutable impact on physical, mental and relationship health and the statistics don’t lie.

What’s maddening is that the solutions are out there. The first and most important change is to take the wasted downstream costs and invest them proactively in a fourth shift, (24/72), creating a 42 hour work week. Over 20 departments have made this progressive change in the last three years alone and voices from Pasco County, FL and Gainesville, FL have told of the immense success they’ve witnessed.

Recruitment has boomed, unneeded overtime all but eliminated, hiring classes full of veteran firefighters AND paramedics. Morale is up and sick time usage is down. Layer this on top of the science that proves sleep deprivation is behind so much of our ill health and we’re left with only one question: “Why do so many chiefs and even unions resist this proactive change?”

Knowing that real leadership requires selflessness and moral courage, I’ll let you make your own conclusion.

For those of you with the courage to truly fight for your men and women, there is a mountain of FREE information on my website jamesgeering.com under the “24/72” tab. From the world’s to scientists to testimonies from departments that made the change, the work has already been done. All that’s left is to find the courage to act.