Baltimore Tackles Aging Fleet with New Fire Truck

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh has promised $1.2 million to the Fire Department for an additional fire truck. The city has dealt with an aging fleet of fire trucks, and mechanical issues led to two trucks removed from service during the holidays. 

The firefighters’ union has been vocal about the need for more vehicles. On New Years’ Day, the union Twitter account noted that the department was running two trucks short due to mechanical issues, which may affect response times. After the tweet, a spokeswoman for the Fire Department confirmed that units were out of service, but emphasized to the Baltimore Sun that this did not affect the department’s ability to provide services.

Later in the week, the Fire Department confirmed that both out-of-service trucks were repaired and back on the road, with two new trucks scheduled to be deployed later this week, reported the Baltimore Sun. Another fire truck has been ordered and is expected to be deployed in a few months. During a meeting with the union president, Mayor Pugh promised funding for an additional truck, and asked the union for assistance in finding used fire trucks to purchase.

According to the Baltimore Sun, the city did not purchase any new fire trucks between 2009 and 2011, which led to an aging fleet.