Facilities Project Specialist

Arlington County sues to stop construction of Trump's arch. Oct. 9 (UPI) - Arlington County is suing to stop construction of President Donald Trump's 250-foot arch, alleging the National Park Service violated federal law by failing to conduct a thorough review of the project's environmental impacts, and that it failed to consider reasonable alternatives to the "vanity project." "The president is not allowed to bypass legal review requirements just because he wants to move quickly on his own whims, and NPS clearly violated the law by failing to conduct an adequate review of the arch project," said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which is working in partnership on the legal challenge with the Arlington County Attorney's Office, said Thursday in a statement. The arch proposed for Memorial Circle is one of several projects Trump has advanced to remake Washington, D.C., in what critics say is his own image. Many of the projects, such as construction of a White House ballroom, have attracted litigation, with Thursday's being the latest against the Triumphal Arch. While the lawsuit filed in February against the arch alleges it lacks congressional approval, the one filed Thursday states NPS failed to abide by its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act to examine its potential historic, cultural and aesthetic impacts and to evaluate alternatives and mitigation measures. "Rather than conduct a thorough review, NPS instead completed a cursory and conclusory Environmental Assessment, which it relied on in issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact that concluded it had no obligation to prepare a more detailed Environmental Impact Statement," the lawsuit states. "In doing so, NPS failed to consider reasonable alternatives that would advance the project's stated purpose and need; improperly dismissed or minimized harms that the agency acknowledges the project will cause; and outright ignored other significant impacts of the project." Arlington County further alleges the arch will harm it by further congesting thoroughfares needed for emergency transport, including for Arlington National Cemetery and secondary emergency services for Reagan national Airport, while threatening to increase noise and air pollution. "It will significantly and detrimentally affect many historic properties in Arlington, including Arlington National Cemetery," the lawsuit states. Trump last month announced that at the request of the U.S. military, the arch would be a "top grade Military Complex" to house "large numbers of drones," snipers and ammunition. The county argues in its lawsuit that using the arch to stockpile ammunition and serve as a staging point for drones and snipers so close to commuters and tourists "will dramatically worsen these public-safety harms and the risk of accidents." Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said they were filing the lawsuit because their community has the most to lose "from this egregious and unlawful proposed project." "We have diligently and in good faith engaged in the review process, pointing out severe, unique and wide-ranging negative impacts to the county and our residents," de Ferranti said in a statement. "Enough is enough. We will do all we can to hold this administration accountable and to protect and serve the best interests of our community." This week in Washington. Vice President JD Vance gives remarks during an announcement in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House on Thursday. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI License Photo

IAFC shares fire service reflections on 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks. September 11, 2026 * Tom Austin-Morgan The International Association of Fire Chiefs has published reflections from fire service leaders to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, highlighting sacrifice, leadership, preparedness and the lessons that continue to shape emergency response in the United States. These reflections honor the firefighters, first responders, civilians and families affected by 9/11, while also documenting how the attacks changed incident management, mutual aid and interagency coordination across the fire service. IAFC president honors responders and families. Chief Trisha Wolford, IAFC President 2025-2026 and a member of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, said September 11 remains "etched into our national memory as a day of unimaginable loss and extraordinary sacrifice." Wolford said the attacks changed how people think, serve and stand together. For the fire service, she said, the anniversary is a reminder of both vulnerability and strength. She added that firefighters and paramedics continue to step forward for their communities, even when they do not know what a call may demand of them. Wolford said: "Today, we honor the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the courage of those who ran toward danger on that fateful day. And we reaffirm that, as long as there is a call to answer, the fire service will be there, ready, willing, and unshaken in our commitment to protect others." IAFC headquarters supported coordination after the attacks. Chief John Buckman, IAFC President from 2001 to 2002, recalled learning of the unfolding emergency while speaking with Chief Richard Marinucci of Farmington Hills, Michigan. Buckman said he initially questioned how a high-rise fire could grow so large in an occupied building before watching the second aircraft strike the World Trade Center. Buckman said IAFC headquarters became a center for information, coordination and support. The IAFC Hazmat Committee was meeting in the building that day, and fire service leaders helped connect with federal and New York response operations. According to Buckman, Chief John Eversole of Chicago served as a liaison to FEMA, while Chief Nick Russo of Massachusetts led what would now be recognized as an Incident Management Team to support New York City operations. IAFC also issued guidance urging firefighters not to self-dispatch to attack sites, while keeping its headquarters open around the clock for several days after the attacks. Lessons centered on coordination, communication and mental health. Buckman said lessons from the response included the importance of cooperation and coordination during large-scale incident management, interagency communication, continuity of government planning, expanded mutual aid systems, information sharing between public and private entities, mental health services, and local EMS resources. FDNY leader reflects on ordinary heroes. Joseph Pfeifer, retired FDNY Assistant Chief and former Acting Fire Commissioner, said the response on 9/11 showed how ordinary people can make a difference. Pfeifer, author of Ordinary Heroes: A Memoir of 9/11, said responders were "forged by fire and dust" as they helped save thousands of people. Pentagon response showed value of regional preparation. Jim Schwartz, retired Arlington County Fire Chief and the incident commander at the Pentagon on 9/11, said preparation before the attacks was central to the region's ability to respond. Schwartz said Arlington Fire Chief Ed Plaugher had focused the department and the wider metropolitan region on terrorism preparedness during the 1990s, helping develop what became the Metropolitan Medical Response System. He said the Pentagon response benefited from long-standing relationships across jurisdictions and disciplines, including mutual aid arrangements, automatic aid among Northern Virginia fire departments and cooperation with federal partners. Schwartz said complex emergencies show that no single organization has all the capabilities, answers or experience required to resolve a major incident. He said modern emergency services leaders must build and sustain professional relationships across boundaries. Prince William County recalls regional mutual aid response. Mary Beth Michos, retired Fire Chief of Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue in Virginia, said she was attending an IAFC Hazardous Materials Committee meeting near IAFC headquarters when the attacks began. Michos said she returned to Prince William County to support emergency operations after learning of threats to the Washington metropolitan area. By the time she arrived, staff had activated the Emergency Operations Center following the attack on the Pentagon. Prince William County mobilized additional fire and EMS staffing to protect local coverage while also supporting responses outside the county. Units helped cover Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington County, and later deployed to the Pentagon to relieve other jurisdictions. Michos said Prince William County personnel provided support at the Pentagon for 11 days. She also noted that the county lost 23 residents, the most of any local jurisdiction, including Dumfries Rescue Squad volunteer Jeff Simpson, who died after moving toward the collapsed towers in New York to help others. Preparedness before 9/11 shaped response after the attacks. Michos said years of joint planning, training, mutual aid agreements and shared response protocols across the Washington metropolitan area allowed agencies to function as one organization despite crossing state and district boundaries. She said the regional system has since advanced to a higher level of cooperation, coordination, operational readiness and response, becoming a model for fire departments across the country. The IAFC said the reflections are part of the fire service's collective history, preserving firsthand accounts of sacrifice, service and the enduring responsibility to "never forget."