FY2010 Arlington Fire Department Annual Report FY 2010 | Page 15

Page 15 Firefighter Hiring Process In the summer of 2010, the Arlington Fire Department pioneered an innovative approach to fund the selection and training of entry-level recruits. Opening the process to all segments of our community by offering the opportunity to test for Firefighter without a pre-existing certification requirement and charging a nominal application fee expanded the pool of candidates, while providing the funding source for the testing and additional training involved with entry-level recruits. The Department received 1,894 applications and 1,674 individuals participated in the written test phase. This process yielded a diverse and high-caliber pool of candidates and enabled a broader range of applicants to pursue a career in service to Arlington. Relocation of Fire Station #9 Fire Station #9 was Arlington‘s southernmost station when it was constructed in 1980 on a two-lane road. Today, sixlane South Cooper Street is in the heart of Arlington‘s busy retail corridor. Traffic on Cooper Street impacts egress from the station, resulting in potential risks to citizens and fire crews. Fire Station #9 will be rebuilt off of this major thoroughfare to improve service delivery. Groundbreaking on the new facility was held on August 5, 2010. When completed in the summer of 2011, the new Fire Station #9 will be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified as a ―green‖ or ―sustainable‖ building. Super Bowl XLV Preparation The attention of the world will turn to Arlington in February 2011 for the Super Bowl. Since the Cowboys Stadium was selected as the venue for the game three years ago, the Arlington Fire Department has invested significant time and effort in developing an excellent Super Bowl Operational Plan with federal, state and local partners. An operational exercise to test those preparations was held during the Cowboys‘ home opener game on September 19, 2010. Lessons learned during that exercise will be applied to the final preparations. 15 Working Together to Make Arlington Better.