Fire Department
Technical Rescue Team
Arlington’s Technical Rescue Team
Arlington’s Technical Rescue Team(TRT), also known as the Heavy Rescue Company, is comprised of on-duty Arlington fire fighters. Members of the TRT are stationed at fire stations #4 in Clarendon and #10 in Rosslyn.
TRT members have advanced training in:
- confined space rescue
- high angle rope rescue
- heavy auto extrications
- swift water rescue
- ice rescue
- building collapse
- breaching and breaking
- shoring operations
The TRT vehicle housed at fire station #4 in Clarendon is commonly known as the "tool box". This vehicle carries an abundance of specialized tools and equipment including hydraulic rams and cutting tools. The most notable hydraulic tool is commonly known as "the jaws of life".
The TRT houses a tractor trailer at fire station #10 in Rosslyn. This trailer carries equipment to respond to a major building collapse. The tractor trailer is designed to allow the Arlington County Fire Department to operate independently, for the first 72 hours of a major incident, before outside assistance arrives. This equipment is largely funded through federal grants.
In addition to incident response, the TRT team members proactively check trenches and confined space activities on new construction projects. To arrange for a courtesy inspection of trench operations for new construction projects, contact Captain II Williams at 703.228.3600 ext. 9140 or by e-mail.
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Most TRT team members achieve the rank of Specialist, which takes somewhere between 2-4 years of training. TRT members participate in monthly training sessions in conjunction with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue staff. Additionally, they test their variety of skills in annual events such as: the Capitol Shield or Rescue Challenge.
The Rescue Challenge event rotates annually throughout the Commonwealth, comprised of drills simulating all aspects of technical rescue applications.
Technical Rescue Team Deployed to Rescue Workers After Partial Building Collapse
On December 8, 2006, Arlington County rescued three construction workers trapped in a partial building collapse when a portion of a roof fell onto the 24th floor -- at “Waterview,” a building under construction at 1919 N. Lynn Street in Rosslyn.
