The Alexandria Fire Department will temporarily reallocate resources from Fire Station 201 (FS-201), located at 317 Prince St., to replace the apparatus bay floor. The floor of the more than 100-year-old station must be reconstructed to accommodate the weight of modern fire apparatus. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of August 2022, and all resources are scheduled to return to FS-201 by the end of October 2022. In February 2022, FS-201 personnel will be temporarily reallocated to Fire Station 209 (FS-209), located at 2800 Main Line Blvd. This will allow the Fire Department to fully staff the rescue squad for the duration of the bay floor construction project.

Engine 201 responds to calls for emergency medical services (EMS) and calls regarding fire or smoke. Data analysis by the Fire Department indicates that for 90% of calls, temporarily relocating Engine 201 will not increase response time for EMS calls by more than 69 seconds or response times to fire and smoke calls by more than 62 seconds. The closest station to Engine 201’s coverage area, Fire Station 205 (FS-205), located at 1210 Cameron St. has a fire engine (Engine 205) that is staffed with a paramedic. To ensure residents and businesses continue to receive quality emergency services, the Fire Department will also reallocate an additional paramedic to Truck 205.

The City has worked closely with the construction contractor to develop a management plan that takes into account the sensitivity of heavy construction in Old Town and controls noise and dust. Work will only be performed during the day, and not on Sundays or holidays. The construction project will generally not affect traffic or parking on Prince Street, but the sidewalk directly in front of the station will be closed. The street may be closed for short periods as necessary for specific construction activities.